Training Courses

[SneakySimon]

Hi, I am with SJD - been with them for 6 years.

I have done courses in the past and expenses them no problem - all obviously fully and completely related to my role, yet this year end my accountant is saying I can't expense the course I did (Six Sigma) - he asked me if I did not do the course, would I lose my job / not be able to get another - obviously not but that benchmark is obviously a nonsense and having the certification makes me more employable / command a better rate.

Anyone else come accross this at all?

[LondonManc]

Hi, I am with SJD - been with them for 6 years.

I have done courses in the past and expenses them no problem - all obviously fully and completely related to my role, yet this year end my accountant is saying I can't expense the course I did (Six Sigma) - he asked me if I did not do the course, would I lose my job / not be able to get another - obviously not but that benchmark is obviously a nonsense and having the certification makes me more employable / command a better rate.

Anyone else come accross this at all?

If what you do is directly related to six sigma, then it may preclude you from certain jobs. Dig out the first ten(?) jobs you come across and highlight how many of them ask for six sigma. It may be the case that half of them do, significantly damaging your chances of finding work.

[northernladuk]

If what you do is directly related to six sigma, then it may preclude you from certain jobs. Dig out the first ten(?) jobs you come across and highlight how many of them ask for six sigma. It may be the case that half of them do, significantly damaging your chances of finding work.

I think the OP has to be pragmatic here. They also ask Service Managers for Prince Qualifications as well, a lack of which doesn't affect the SD guy to do their job. It's not directly related to work, it's an enabler for you to understand the situation better. If it says the term 'Management' in the job spec does that mean you can expense an MBA?

He has to be very specific when he looks at these roles. Is Six Sigma fundamental to the role or an enabler and I'd argue a vast majority are an enabler so I'd say his accountant is absolutely right.

The word the OP has gotten wrong in his response to the accountants comments is 'more employable'.. Yes, it's a differentiator/enabler but it isn't core to what he does.

Also with rates varying so wildly for no apparent reason I'm not sure you could argue having Six Sigma will allow you to command a better rate per se.

[LondonManc]

I think the OP has to be pragmatic here. They also ask Service Managers for Prince Qualifications as well, a lack of which doesn't affect the SD guy to do their job. It's not directly related to work, it's an enabler for you to understand the situation better. If it says the term 'Management' in the job spec does that mean you can expense an MBA?

He has to be very specific when he looks at these roles. Is Six Sigma fundamental to the role or an enabler and I'd argue a vast majority are an enabler so I'd say his accountant is absolutely right.

The word the OP has gotten wrong in his response to the accountants comments is 'more employable'.. Yes, it's a differentiator/enabler but it isn't core to what he does.

Also with rates varying so wildly for no apparent reason I'm not sure you could argue having Six Sigma will allow you to command a better rate per se.

On the basis that the course is £2,000, how much is the OP saving? I guess that's anything from simply 2k before vs after tax to pushing themselves over the 40% limit.

[SneakySimon]

Training

Thanks both, seemingly training is a very grey area - I always looked on it as when I was a permie at a large company, would they fund the training - perhaps overly simplistic!

A bit of tax is ok, just annoyed by the attitude of accountant but hey ho, its Christmas and all that!

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

Broadly speaking, training for skills that puts you in the position to do your job is not an allowable expense. Training to maintain and improve existing skills that relate to your job are.

In practice, whether something like a project management course would be deemed relevant to your existing job depends on what you do. Are you a PM? Then IMO it's probably fine. If you're a programmer and looking to make a shift into PM work it's arguably not an allowable cost.

[northernladuk]

Thanks both, seemingly training is a very grey area - I always looked on it as when I was a permie at a large company, would they fund the training - perhaps overly simplistic!

A bit of tax is ok, just annoyed by the attitude of accountant but hey ho, its Christmas and all that!

I wouldn't say it's totally a grey area. Some courses are but there are plenty of black and white situations.

[pr1]

So say you're a permie BA at BigCo and they send you on a management course, do they get corporation tax relief on it?

[SueEllen]

So say you're a permie BA at BigCo and they send you on a management course, do they get corporation tax relief on it?

Yep.

BigCo have many roles so they can send you on any training course including degree courses and then find a role for you using that qualification. The NHS do this.

In short the larger the company the more likely if they send you on a course there is a role in the company where that course is useful. If however a small company which only has it's director or family members as workers does the same it looks like they are taking advantage of tax laws.

[cojak]

I always make sure that I'm already doing the role before taking a course/certification to prove that I can do it.

Arse about face but them's the rules and I can see why they're there.