Claiming accomodation Mon-Fri, live permanently with parents 300 miles away

[handyandy]

A friendly landlord could provide a contract for 5 day accommodation surely?
Managed apartments are often done on a 3, 4 or 5 out of 7 day basis, and they often let you leave your stuff in the apartment.
If you CAN'T use it at the weekend then it's surely fits the 'wholly and exclusively for' rule?

Hmm - so what you're suggesting is to get someone to structure a contract artificially for tax avoidance purposes when you don;t actually need to. Not so smart if you do get investigated and they ask the landlord what that weird contract was all about and did it work like that in practice and he has a sudden sphincter twitch. That will stay on your tax record as a little red marker for a long time. No need to do it - play it straight it is a fully legit business expense.

Of course if you're an MP you can claim expenses to pay a mortgage and trouser any profit made. No idea why they don't have to meet the same rules....

You need to play catch up - that was about 5 years ago and they've changed the rules on MP's since then so they can only claim rent and not mortgage interest payments. Whilst I have no time for those to**ers their expenses system is now very transparent (well, until the next scandal )

[nigelbb]

What the OP describes is entirely acceptable as renting accommodation for the length of the contract should fit into the wholly and exclusively for business purposes definition. As long as the property you rent is not excessive (if you rent a two bed property then you are on dodgy ground and if you invite members of your family to live there you would be too).

It's all going to depend on the supply of local housing isn't it? In most towns & cities a typical one bed property is going to be a pretty crummy bedsit. It goes beyond the number of bedrooms. It's all but impossible to find a one bed property with a kitchen, bathroom & living room. Why should you be forced to live in a bedsit or share a house Monday to Friday while working away on business? Provided the accommodation is reasonable & cheaper than a hotel the fact that it's got two or three bedrooms is irrelevant if no equivalent one bed properties are available in the location.

[Old Greg]

It's all going to depend on the supply of local housing isn't it? In most towns & cities a typical one bed property is going to be a pretty crummy bedsit. It goes beyond the number of bedrooms. It's all but impossible to find a one bed property with a kitchen, bathroom & living room. Why should you be forced to live in a bedsit or share a house Monday to Friday while working away on business? Provided the accommodation is reasonable & cheaper than a hotel the fact that it's got two or three bedrooms is irrelevant if no equivalent one bed properties are available in the location.

Studio flat may be the answer. I would think they are available in most locations where there is contract work.

[nigelbb]

Studio flat may be the answer. I would think they are available in most locations where there is contract work.

Isn't 'studio flat' just a posh name for a bedsit?

[Old Greg]

Isn't 'studio flat' just a posh name for a bedsit?

Studio would not have shared kitchen or bathroom facilities. Ideal for a Monday to Friday stay away from home.