Working overseas for 2 weeks

[NotAllThere]

If client pays for your flights then client can not claim as an expenses as you are not an employee.

erm.... nonsense.

[decentguy]

If client pays for your flights then client can not claim as an expenses as you are not an employee.

Question is client is payin for flights and accomodation.

What expense can MyCo (my limited company as a contractor) can claim...

[Abbeyweb]

Question is client is payin for flights and accomodation.

What expense can MyCo (my limited company as a contractor) can claim...

I think the link posted earlier is what you need to reference as its HMRC benchmark scale rates for working abroad. It even goes to city level in some cases where it is more expensive to stay in the city than other parts of the country.

I believe my umbrella is not doing me any favours by applying their UK overnight scale rates to 2 weeks work that I recently carried out in Amsterdam. They are using £26 when benchmark figures are 67 euros for each 24hr period (receited expenditure of course). When I questioned them it appears that they were not even aware of overseas benchmark scale rates so it's no as if they have to apply for dispensation. The rate is payable from the time your plane touches down in the foreign country and my umbrella is not alooing me to claim any food for the 8 hour journey it took from Glasgow to hotel in Amsterdam as they say I wasnt working that day.

[SueEllen]

I think the link posted earlier is what you need to reference as its HMRC benchmark scale rates for working abroad. It even goes to city level in some cases where it is more expensive to stay in the city than other parts of the country.

I believe my umbrella is not doing me any favours by applying their UK overnight scale rates to 2 weeks work that I recently carried out in Amsterdam. They are using £26 when benchmark figures are 67 euros for each 24hr period (receited expenditure of course). When I questioned them it appears that they were not even aware of overseas benchmark scale rates so it's no as if they have to apply for dispensation. The rate is payable from the time your plane touches down in the foreign country and my umbrella is not alooing me to claim any food for the 8 hour journey it took from Glasgow to hotel in Amsterdam as they say I wasnt working that day.

Time to go limited then.

Then you can on the advice of your accountant claim the rates quoted, as your limited is then your employer. At the moment your umbrella is your employer and they can decide on what rates they want to use.

[Wanderer]

Question is client is payin for flights and accomodation.

What expense can MyCo (my limited company as a contractor) can claim...

OK so flights and hotel are sorted, that's great.

For other expenses like transport, meals, incidentals etc you should see what the client will allow you to claim. Most likely all of the expenses you could legally claim for through your company will be reimbursed by the client.

Remember, if you pass the expense on to the client to reimburse then you get 100% of the expense back. If you pay the expense out of your company's income then you get tax relief on it, ie about 20%-40% of the expense back and the rest comes out of your company profit (ie your pocket).

If there are expenses that the client will not reimburse then you can claim them through your company. The general test is any expense incurred "wholly and exclusively" for business purposes. Let's say that while you are there, you have some spare time so you go to a conference which is nothing to do with the client, you would claim these costs against your company rather than from the client.

Also understand northernladuk advice about the way to calculate the exchange rate based on what you actually paid in sterling. ie, if you expense something for $100 and it shows up on your credit card statement as £80 then you bill/claim for £80.

[SueEllen]

Also understand northernladuk advice about the way to calculate the exchange rate based on what you actually paid in sterling. ie, if you expense something for $100 and it shows up on your credit card statement as £80 then you bill/claim for £80.

WHS

I would suggest you pop along to the moneysavingexpert website and see what credit cards and debit cards they recommend you use or more importantly stay away from using when you are abroad.

Some card companies make up their exchange rates so it's in your own interest to use the cards that don't do this particular if your limited ends up having to pay for things. In some cases it's better for you to use your personal cards and be reimbursed by your limited.

BTW Metrobank accounts can be open within 2 hours you just need to be able to get to a branch.

[diesel]

when i travelled overeseas client pays for flights. This is best way as if plans change its is client liability fo refund etc.
I usually pay the hotel when out there and meals etc. theny claim all this back via client expense form back home. I submit my expenses to agency plus VAT and then agent pays me direct.
Some contractors here claim expenses direct from client. But my argument is that i have no contract direct with client and best to keep all paper trail and show i am a business by doing this via agency.