Tax free childcare - £55 a week or £243 a month?

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

There's an overview of the new changes in 2017 here:
Childcare vouchers: save £1,000/year - MoneySavingExpert

[psychocandy]

Yes, I did this for the same reason, but the one advantage of childcare vouchers is that you can save them up, which could be useful 2 or 3 years down the line. I'd be concerned about how long they remain valid for though under these new changes.

My wife is company secretary so we can both get vouchers for a combined allowance.

But not an employee? Are you sure? I think shes got to be an employee....

[psychocandy]

Now, I had always worked on the assumption of annual allowance, albeit aware of the £55/week or £243/month......so figured up to £2,915 (53*55) or £2,916 (243*12) per year.

However, my accountant recently told me not to pay over £243 in a month....I was told that, as some months I pay over £243 and other months we use wifety's employers vouchers, that HMRC do not work to an annual amount and I was best suited never going over £243 in a given month

Interesting. Looks like a few of us have been told it can be used pro-rata and is NOT a limit though. Wonder whos right.

Either way, its unlikely ever to come to light unless hmrc investigate.

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

But not an employee? Are you sure? I think shes got to be an employee....

She receives a small salary for admin work. I'm not an employee either, I'm a director. We are both on the payroll and entitled to childcare.

[psychocandy]

She receives a small salary for admin work. I'm not an employee either, I'm a director. We are both on the payroll and entitled to childcare.

Ah yes. I see. Yes my understanding was you had to be drawing a salary to be elligible.