Daily Subsistence

[eugenio007]

long term

This is a subject which crops up over and over again and seems to be greatly misunderstood so to try and simplify things:

If you travel, from your home, to the same site each day you cannot claim a daily subsistence. The length of time you are away from home makes absolutely no difference at all.

If you are on the road all day and travelling from site to site you can claim a reasonable amount for your meals whilst you are travelling but you should keep receipts

If you have to stay away from home overnight you can claim £5 per night subsistence and this does not have to be supported by receipts

HTH

what is daily allowance ie breakfast, lunch and dinner,travel daily from digs to work,and laundry if working for months/years

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

what is daily allowance ie breakfast, lunch and dinner,travel daily from digs to work,and laundry if working for months/years

Do you mean daily subsistence? If so it refers to meals. You cannot claim for laundry

[JamJarST]

Do you mean daily subsistence? If so it refers to meals. You cannot claim for laundry

Are you sure about that? I would argue that under some instances you could claim laudry costs as wholly and exclusively. For instance I did a 2 month stint in China (granted I was a permie), I couldn't take 2 months worth of clothes so I had get them washed in the hotel. That to me was wholly and exclusively due to the travel away from home, just like the meals you can claim.

[northernladuk]

Are you sure about that? I would argue that under some instances you could claim laudry costs as wholly and exclusively. For instance I did a 2 month stint in China (granted I was a permie), I couldn't take 2 months worth of clothes so I had get them washed in the hotel. That to me was wholly and exclusively due to the travel away from home, just like the meals you can claim.

How can laundry be wholly and exclusive? You would wash your stuff if you were at home which would cost you (electric/water) so no difference (except more expensive) abroad.

The comment that caught my eye was his comment about years. This would be capped by the 24 month rule surely?

[Clare@InTouch]

There's a flat £5 a night you can claim when you're away from home in the UK, and that's supposed to cover laundry, morning paper etc. Abroad I believe it's £10 a night. Maybe HMRC think washing is more expensive overseas.

[Boo]

There's a flat £5 a night you can claim when you're away from home in the UK, and that's supposed to cover laundry, morning paper etc. Abroad I believe it's £10 a night. Maybe HMRC think washing is more expensive overseas.

You can indeed claim £10 per night when you are posted abroad but your company is also entitled to compensate you at scale rates for expenses without incurring a tax liability. Scale rates depend upon which country you are based in but with a modicum of care a small profit can be made. HMRC publishes scale rates every year and they can be downloaded from this page on their site.

Boo

[JamJarST]

How can laundry be wholly and exclusive? You would wash your stuff if you were at home which would cost you (electric/water) so no difference (except more expensive) abroad.

The comment that caught my eye was his comment about years. This would be capped by the 24 month rule surely?

In exactly the same way that meals are wholly and exclusively, even though you would eat if you are at home.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

In exactly the same way that meals are wholly and exclusively, even though you would eat if you are at home.

No way Wholly & exclusively: expenditure having an intrinsic duality of purpose: food and drink

[northernladuk]

In exactly the same way that meals are wholly and exclusively, even though you would eat if you are at home.

Which is ALSO completely wrong. You need to eat and drink to live, not just to work. The only difference is you can claim a little more as it is more expensive.

[JamJarST]

Which is ALSO completely wrong. You need to eat and drink to live, not just to work. The only difference is you can claim a little more as it is more expensive.

I see your wrong and raise you:
HM Revenue & Customs: Incidental overnight expenses
The company is allowed to pay the expense and claim it as a company expense, but there is a BIC implication if it exceeds £5 (10 if overseas travel).