Coffee

[Chervil]

Fine. I get it. Thanks for the various advice.

I've been trying to do what seems reasonable to me. Having a coffee paid for when I've always had that seemed something that might be OK.

Not claiming mileage when it's so close also seemed to be the right thing to do. It is however a temporary place to work and a client site all being well with 24 month rule so people are right. It's black and white so I shall claim mileage.

[JB3000]

I've been trying to work out whether I can realistically claim my daily coffee and I wanted some opinions. Bear with me while I explain.

I'm set up with a limited company and currently have a contract that I'm comfortable is outside IR35 (the contract itself and the actual circumstances).

The contract is generally carried out rather near my home (<5 miles) and I'm very conservative with what I put through the business.

In particular I wouldn't claim lunch as although I read many conflicting opinions in my mind my current contract isn't forcing me to buy any food outside of the normal pattern of things (eg breakfast / evening meals being away).

One of my vices is a Starbucks style coffee most days and it actually adds up quite quickly! My real question is, can coffee be treat differently to food?

In my time as a regular employee a number of firms provided coffee/tea/etc for the employees without implications on benefits (ie P11d). Rightly or wrongly I always thought this was OK.

So, do people think my company can provide coffee for me without any realistic risk of HMRC getting shirty about it and is there any reason that buying a Starbucks wouldn't fall into this.

Claim your lunch, mileage and coffee under the travel and subsistence rules for temporary workplaces. HMRC have a £5 benchmark rate for meals per day if you are away from your home for more than 5 hours:

EIM05231 - Employment income: scale rate expenses: subsistence expenses: table of benchmark scale rates

A meal is defined as a combination of food and drink.

[Contreras]

Claim your lunch, mileage and coffee under the travel and subsistence rules for temporary workplaces. HMRC have a £5 benchmark rate for meals per day if you are away from your home for more than 5 hours:

EIM05231 - Employment income: scale rate expenses: subsistence expenses: table of benchmark scale rates

A meal is defined as a combination of food and drink.

Benchmark scale rates only apply if the company has dispensation to use them approved by HMRC. Otherwise it's full receipted cost and doesn't matter how long you are away for.

[GillsMan]

Fine. I get it. Thanks for the various advice.

I've been trying to do what seems reasonable to me. Having a coffee paid for when I've always had that seemed something that might be OK.

Not claiming mileage when it's so close also seemed to be the right thing to do. It is however a temporary place to work and a client site all being well with 24 month rule so people are right. It's black and white so I shall claim mileage.

My last permie job had a TV in reception that had News 24 on. So perhaps I can put a new TV through on business expenses? After all, I used to have it in my old job?

[Chervil]

My last permie job had a TV in reception that had News 24 on. So perhaps I can put a new TV through on business expenses? After all, I used to have it in my old job?

Helpful attitude.

[GillsMan]

Helpful attitude.

Jaysus, get over yourself ffs. It *was* helpful, because it highlights the problem with your argument. But yeah, you can join the loooong list of posters who get pissy when they don't hear "yeah, claim whatevs. That's a totally legit expense".

[Chervil]

You'll find I'm 'pissy' that almost everyone has been so hostile.

[tractor]

...

You'll find I'm 'pissy' that almost everyone has been so hostile.

I don't know how long you have been a contractor but it would help if you understood that for some of us, the rabid need to save 70p/day on coffee and the like (search this forum to see some more of the banaal tricks some want to try on) has landed us with the 'tax dodger' tag along with IR35 and an HMRC who are not sympathetic to the way we need to work. This is why people treat this kind of idea with the disdain that it deserves.

If you are entitled to it, claim it. If you are not, don't.

If you spent the time working that you have spent already on this stupid idea, you would have earned enough to pay for your coffee for this year already

[SueEllen]

You'll find I'm 'pissy' that almost everyone has been so hostile.

Posters who don't like the response they receive to their original question have a tendency to state that everyone has been hostile to them.

If they bothered to do a search on the forum they will find that anyone regardless of how many posts they have to their name receives the same treatment when posting questions they could either find out the answers themselves very easily by searching or by using a little more thought.

In your case you need to think why claiming coffee but not bothering to claim mileage and other subsistence is OK? And how your claim for coffee only will look like to a 3rd party like your accountant or a HMRC inspector?

[PerfectStorm]

Based on the fact that permanent jobs have always reimbursed me for coffee while away, as does my current gig, I've been claiming Starbucks as I go (and Nixon Williams have said this is OK too)

That said I've recently kicked the habit which is an even better saving!