Sustenance Allowance

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

So what constitutes normal working hours ?

If I land a contract that involves a 2 hour commute each side then add that to the 8.5hour I'd be doing best part of 12/13 hours a day. Is that classed as normal for the contract ?

Yes. If your contract states that you will work 8 hours per day then that is your standard day; an exceptional day would be if you ended up working 11 hours.

[SueEllen]

So what constitutes normal working hours ?

That was my confusing point.

If you have a two month contract where you work away from home so your hours are 12 hours a day.
Then you have three month contract where you work at home where your hours are 8 hours a day.
Then you have a month where you are not in contract but working from home doing things like training and chasing leads but your hours of training equal 6 hours a day.
Followed by another contract that lasts 14 months where you working away from home for 9 hours a day.

What are your normal working hours as an employee?

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

That was my confusing point.

If you have a two month contract where you work away from home so your hours are 12 hours a day.
Then you have three month contract where you work at home where your hours are 8 hours a day.
Then you have a month where you are not in contract but working from home doing things like training and chasing leads but your hours of training equal 6 hours a day.
Followed by another contract that lasts 14 months where you working away from home for 9 hours a day.

What are your normal working hours as an employee?

Hi SueEllen

I see what you mean now I think the way to consider this whole question is how would HMR&C view it. This question would be raised, for instance, when claiming for evening meals; if your contract stated that you work 9 to 5 each days and you travel from home to work then I cannot see that they would permit the cost of an evening meal as a legitimate expense. However, if you should finish at 5pm but there was a problem and you didn't finish work until 9pm then I feel that HMR&C would not see it as unreasonable to claim for the cost of a take-away. IMHO you would be hard pushed to argue with them that you should be able to claim for the cost of an evening meal every night during a 2 month contract when you finished at 7pm each night just because, in your last 3 month contract, you finished at 5pm.

[SallyPlanIT]

I would suggest claiming the actual cost of your travel and subsistence if you are working at a temporary workplace rather than round sum amounts and get a receipt where possible. The temporary workplace is determined on where you can predict or you have been at the same location for 24 months or more.

For a limited company to pay round sum allowances it would need to have a dispensation from HMRC to agree the rates, as umbrella companies do.

That said, foreign travel can be claimed as a round sum allowance according to HMRC approved rates without having a dispensation.

[Abbeyweb]

How do you get a receipt for purchases made via a vending machine and laundry (unless the hotel provides laundry facilities)?

I have never claimed funds for Dry Cleaning or from vending machines. I can prove expense for Dry Cleaning, but how do you prove an expense from a vending machine?

You don't need receipts to claim this expenditure. That's why it's is only £5 a day but it must include an overnight stay. Thats what my umbrella allow anyway.

[pmeswani]

You don't need receipts to claim this expenditure. That's why it's is only £5 a day but it must include an overnight stay. Thats what my umbrella allow anyway.

Can someone confirm if this can apply to Ltd companies too?

[amcdonald]

Can someone confirm if this can apply to Ltd companies too?

Yes I used to advice clients to claim it. It's been £5 for years though, it never seems to go up