PAYG Phone?

[Sockpuppet]

Right.

As I am in Europe a lot i've toyed with the idea of getting a payg sim card and letting the company top it up (more than likely just use it to relieve calls and not pay roaming costs on my personal mobile (its not a coy phone)). Last 3 months bills have been £100+.

Yeah I can claim the cost back from Client buts its a lot of hassle when 90% of peeps are phoning me from ClientCo landline and the other 10% are pimps.

Only going to happen until end of contract ~9 months when I can transfer it to a company accounts (o2 won't transfer it to a company name).

Anyone kow if this will be allowed. I work in ~5 countries (already have czech sim) so would a few payg sim cards be seen as allowable.

What about the handset. If I find the cheapest, nastiest handset I can just to keep changing the cards in would HMRC allow it as an expense (maybe £15 for a handset - so not fussed it I lose it)

I know you are allowed one phone per employee but do HMRC classify phone as a contract, a sim or the physical phone. So would 5 sims be classified as 5 "phones".

[TheFaQQer]

When I was permie, I had no problems claiming my work-related calls from my contract mobile.

The moment I tried to use a PAYG phone that I'd got specifically for work, they refused to pay it, beause there was no record of what I was claiming, no receipts or anything like that.

I would think that HMRC would allow one SIM card and one phone as their allowed expenses for an employee. Of course, you could just ring them and ask?

[Sockpuppet]

I've phoned and they were engaged....lots. I'll try again later.

The idea is that I would get a sim card from Poland, Turkey, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Not so much bothered about topping up the phone - I doubt it would happen more than once just to activate the sim. More just the initial cost (£10 per sim, £20 for phone). That way I get to receive calls in those countries effectively free as the caller pays. I can make calls using ClientCo land line to UK if part of their business. I never really phone back to the UK (other than personal which I can't claim).

I know I can claim back the calls its just a pain trying to work out if a call was personal/work esp if its a number I don't recognise (all bills are online so 30 seconds in excel for numbers that I know).

[sathyaram_s]

http://www.sim4travel.com/

A UK number. Incoming in most of Europe is free.

Have never used them myself though

[NickNick]

Interesting one this and one I'm also looking into at the moment myself. Basically the problems with claiming back calls on the personal line are many, and so I've also been looking at getting a PAYG for business use. Like you I get a lot of calls from pimps on my listed home (mobile) number and wanted to separate it out.

Will be speaking with the acct on Monday anyway so will raise this with her.

[expat]

Right.

As I am in Europe a lot i've toyed with the idea of getting a payg sim card and letting the company top it up (more than likely just use it to relieve calls and not pay roaming costs on my personal mobile (its not a coy phone)). Last 3 months bills have been £100+.

OT re question as framed but may be the answer to the problem: O2 have an option "My Europe Extra" which for I think 5.00/month lets you receive calls in most of Europe for 35p per call received. No charge per minute to receive. Caller is just calling your usual UK mobile.

Do not confuse with similarly-named "My Europe" which is a free option, but merely lets you receive at a lower cost/minute rather than free/minute.