Expenses and bring family to you

**Hex** · 18 February 2010, 12:49

If you are working away and instead of coming home for a stint you fly your partner out to where you are instead, you can claim this as a business expense? I see it that you will have had to pay a flight one way or the other and you are out there because of work so to see your family it would be travel purely attributable to your work?

I can't see it being a valid business expense. It has nothing to do with your business. It's just your desire to see your partner. You flying home would be a valid expense, but you can't just swap that for someone else's flight IMHO.

Would people see this as a holiday for your family instead and want to argue this expense? Yes

If you have some time off with them or you continue to work while they are they does this make a difference to the claim? No

**Clare@InTouch** · 18 February 2010, 13:40

Agreed - unfortunately it couldn't really fulfill the "wholly, exclusively and necessarily" requirement of allowable expenses.

**doodab** · 18 February 2010, 13:44

If she were working for the company she could claim it as an expense herself.

**BolshieBastard** · 18 February 2010, 13:51

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

I am guessing this is pretty straight forward but wanted to just check.

If you are working away and instead of coming home for a stint you fly your partner out to where you are instead, you can claim this as a business expense? I see it that you will have had to pay a flight one way or the other and you are out there because of work so to see your family it would be travel purely attributable to your work?

Would people see this as a holiday for your family instead and want to argue this expense?

If you have some time off with them or you continue to work while they are they does this make a difference to the claim?

how is this 'wholly and exclusively' in connection with the business? The fact it is 'family' shows it isnt.

Not the response you were hoping for I guess but no, I'd say it wasnt an allowable expense.

**northernladuk** · 18 February 2010, 13:58

Originally posted by BolshieBastard View Post

how is this 'wholly and exclusively' in connection with the business? The fact it is 'family' shows it isnt.

Not the response you were hoping for I guess but no, I'd say it wasnt an allowable expense.

Well to be honest it was the answer I expected, just wondered if there was some work around or understanding that allowed this as the money would be spent one way or another, me going home is allowable, them coming here isn't but it's still spent.

Ah well, no loopholes to be had here then... Nevermind but thanks.

**Support Monkey** · 18 February 2010, 14:36

surely if your Wife is the company secretary and needs to bring out equipment\paperwork\clean pants then this is allowable as a business expense you may not be able to put through the kids tickets but either way if you go home or she comes to you there is going to be the expense of the flight and you could argue that it makes more business sense as it would cost your company more money (lost earnings and a flight) if you go home than if she comes to you (just her flight).

**northernladuk** · 18 February 2010, 15:31

Originally posted by Support Monkey View Post

surely if your Wife is the company secretary and needs to bring out equipment\paperwork\clean pants then this is allowable as a business expense you may not be able to put through the kids tickets but either way if you go home or she comes to you there is going to be the expense of the flight and you could argue that it makes more business sense as it would cost your company more money (lost earnings and a flight) if you go home than if she comes to you (just her flight).

I had considered this but I tend to shy away from 'arguable' stuff. If it was black and white and allowable I would have been happy. Too much smelly doo doo seems to come my way on it's own without asking for more so will just go home for a bit

**mudskipper** · 18 February 2010, 16:57

Mate of mine's wife works for telecoms company and they sent her to Ghana for a year. They pay for him to fly out twice a month to see her. They presumably treat flying employee's spouses as a business expense, so I can't see why it should be different for you.

**jmo21** · 18 February 2010, 17:07

Originally posted by k2p2 View Post

Mate of mine's wife works for telecoms company and they sent her to Ghana for a year. They pay for him to fly out twice a month to see her. They presumably treat flying employee's spouses as a business expense, so I can't see why it should be different for you.

On a similar note, I worked in Holland for 6 months, and to make it easier on me (and other colleagues who were there) we were allowed to fly out our spouses or friends (I was single at the time).

A year later the company got sued as they tried to claim the flights back from their client and the client wanted to know who the **** all these people they'd never heard of they were claiming flights for - guess it wasn't in the contract!

Some of the flights were cheaper than if I had flown home for weekend on business class.

Expenses and bring family to you