Expenses, from weekly shop receipt?

[richy]

When on an away gig i've taken to buying a bulk load of food at super-market. and am planning to put down all the "evening meal" food for each night that is on the receipt down as an expense. does this work ok in the eyes of HMRC? or do I really need to have a per-day receipt for that evening meal food?

to me it is a bit wierd we can claim for evening meal, cos I would have had to eat an evening meal anyway (like breakfast and lunch!!).

tips appreciated.. richy

[NotAllThere]

The idea is that a meal away from home normally costs considerably more than one cooked at home. As you are forced to eat out because of a business requirement, you get tax relief. Are you buying four days supplies of frozen meals at one go? I don't think HMRC would worry about the receipt being all on one day for that.

[Sockpuppet]

Its generally considered that you cannot claim for food from a supermarket. What's to stop you putting your normal weekly shop through.

If you have the facilities to cook food from a supermarket you are neither better nor worse off than if you are at a permanent place of residence.

It seems that you are doing your "normal" shop then separating items you are telling HMRC that you are going to eat on the gig. Seriously, bad idea. You'll have a hard time convincing them that is was a business need and not duality of purpose.

[NotAllThere]

Its generally considered ...

I think.

So long as there is a clear separation between the weekly shop, and the claimed for evening meals, I don't think there's a problem. Think of it in context of permie expenses - if a permie is away on business and buys a sandwich from Tesco's as his evening meal, I doubt his employer would reject it. Ultimately, you have to decide what you think is the right thing to do, and then if you're investigated be prepared to justify it.

And in the event of an investigation, they're looking for significant returns - not the tax on a £4 microwave meal.

[ASB]

I used to claim the shopping bill (some elements of it) when away. Went through an investigation OK. But as sockpuppet mentions there is the duality of purpose aspect (you've got to eat to live). HMIT may be able to deny it if they felt so inclined.

There is quite a lot of info on HMRC (search for duality of purpose). This gives their manuals and some of it may be applicable to you situation.

[xoggoth]

Strictly speaking you can only claim whatever is over and above what you would normally spend at home but there is an HMRC guidance doc somewhere that says if you do actually spend more they won't seek to deduct a figure for your normal costs.

It is arguably considerably more expensive cooking sad microwaved meals for one than sharing meals with a family at home. Considering the small sums involved and that you are actually paying them more tax than you would if you ate in restaurants every night as you are quite entitled to, I cannot imagine they would bother to challenge it and one would hardly be bankrupted if they did.

[gadgetman]

My accountants (on of the big ones) tell me to claim my supermarket bill if/when I am away from home.

[r0bly0ns]

Many years ago in permiedom I worked away from home a lot and quite often bought things when doing the weekly shop at home on a weekend to take with me to my digs during the week.

At the time my Employer had no problem with me highlighting these on a till receipt and claiming for them.

[Pickle2]

Why not just nick a few blank recipt books from a variety of local pubs/takeaways and make up your own reciepts? You can make it a family game, and have the kids help you out at the weekend so you mix up the handwritting. Just have them stick on "Food & Drink" and a nice amount.

Could turn into a nice little earner.

HTH.

[gadgetman]

and taxi receipts too.

I find writing with your other hand helps produce a convincing forged signature.