Hunger Pains - Claiming for a cheapo lunch

**ASB** · 27 May 2006, 20:10

Originally posted by castoff101

My question is if you are only claiming a nominal sum for lunch do you really have to get a receipt for every purchase of say a baguette with cheese which costs £1.50?

Ok, I know you must have receipts for any expenditure.. , but the inland revenue I presume expect you eat, and I am working in the City of London, but not being a huge eater I can manage on a lunch never costing any more than £3, and maybe £8 on a Friday for a pub visit.

I have noted all the prices from the office canteen and if challenged I was going to show this.

Your thoughts please …………

fiver a day personal incidentals if you're staying overnight

**VectraMan** · 27 May 2006, 20:21

I believe you do. I've never bothered claiming for lunch as I figure I would have eaten lunch anyway, and collecting receipts for a sandwich is a PITA.

If there's an office canteen perhaps they can give you a statement or bill you at the end of the week/month?

**VectraMan** · 27 May 2006, 20:23

On the subject, if you do a pub lunch can you claim for a pint as well as food?

**ASB** · 28 May 2006, 11:05

Originally posted by Fat Tony

If the IR ever come calling they are going to ask did you actually incur the expense in the course of your business, the assumption by the IR is that if your are a normal employee or whatever you will have to eat at your usual place of work/business and cannot claim unless you are away from your normal place of business. They will also expect to see receipts even for your 2 quid baguette.

For example, this business with umbrellas where there is a 'special dispensation' with the IR and you can claim £5 or £10 per day with no receipts is bollox. All it means is that the umbrella can simplify their accounting procedures. If Hector knocks on your door you will need to have those receipts and a legitimate reason for the expense or expect to pay a bit of extra income tax but I doubt you will be spending any time at Her Majesty's Pleasure.

There is quite a good description here.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/helpsheets/490.pdf

If your client site is a permanent workplace then nothing is claimable for travel and subsistence. If your client site is a temporary workplace and you do not have a permanant workplace then the same applies.

Otherwise travel and subsistence are claimable. You don't need receipts to claim, but you do need evidence to satisfy the inspector. CC biils etc do fine, but "I paid it with cash" can be challenging. Unreceipted incidental overnight expenses are allowed up to £5 in the UK or £10 overseas for necessary business travel.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/nimmanual/nim06020.htm

As you say, the "claim 100 quid a day because we have a dispensation" schemes will get you in trouble.

I have never had a problem arguing my home is my permanent workplace and I doubt many here will. The key is substantive duties performed there. Day to day management of the company does this. Sometimes the IR try and argue that substantive = substantial.

The OP appears to be in Wales and working in London. Thus he is probably OK for the fiver if he is staying in town during the week. In any event if the T+S is claimable at all then he can have the incidental overnight allowance.

**castoff101** · 28 May 2006, 22:21

Thanks everybody for your help

**Thom77** · 31 August 2006, 00:58

Originally posted by Fat Tony

If the IR ever come calling they are going to ask did you actually incur the expense in the course of your business, the assumption by the IR is that if your are a normal employee or whatever you will have to eat at your usual place of work/business and cannot claim unless you are away from your normal place of business. They will also expect to see receipts even for your 2 quid baguette.

For example, this business with umbrellas where there is a 'special dispensation' with the IR and you can claim £5 or £10 per day with no receipts is bollox. All it means is that the umbrella can simplify their accounting procedures. If Hector knocks on your door you will need to have those receipts and a legitimate reason for the expense or expect to pay a bit of extra income tax but I doubt you will be spending any time at Her Majesty's Pleasure.

So, I travel 25 miles each day to my "temporary" place of work and return home each night. Does this mean I cannot claim tax relief on food/drink bought during the day? I am new to all this and have been carefully collecting receipts for everything (own ltd company btw), but perhaps I cannot actually legally put it down as a claim?

**Fleetwood** · 31 August 2006, 06:53

My advice is this....
Claim for everything.
Keep the receipts ("I" before "E" except after "C" *).
If challenged, produce receipts. If HMRC ask for a few more quid, give it to them and say "Sorry". There are other things to worry about in life, FFS.

(* Caveat: "Science" and related words are an exception to this rule. There may be others)

**MarillionFan** · 31 August 2006, 07:14

I concur. Claim for everything, including coffees, sandwiches, stationary etc. Everything. What's wrong with u, to posh to push.

Claiming. Every little helps.

**TheMonkey** · 31 August 2006, 08:13

I actually pay for my own lunches out of my own pocket because fiddling around with the receipts when doing the end of month accounts takes more time and costs me more than the tax saving.

There's no point in saving money if it costs you too much time.

Hunger Pains - Claiming for a cheapo lunch