Hotel stay.. Not strictly necessary but still for the business, valid expense?

[speling bee]

Yet another poster who asks a question, doesn't get the answer they want to hear, and then gets a bit moody with those giving advice.

FWIW, I'm not a bum-on-seat contractor either, so I'm perfectly happy to offer my opinion. I don't think your claim would fly with HMRC, and to be perfectly honest, I'd hope it would fail. Not because I have a problem with you or anything like that, but because, to be frank, claims like that take the piss.

There is no business reason for the stay in a hotel. Your excuse that you needed to be in a more creative environment is, frankly, nuts. It smacks of someone "needing a break" or "change of scenery" which are not, in themselves, wholly business expenses, nor should they be. In any other business, if an employee came up and said "I'm struggling with this C# code, I need time to think, will you pay for a week in a hotel please boss", you'd wet yourself laughing before denying the request.

Stop kidding yourself, your stay in the hotel was not necessary for the running of your business. If you're the businessman you think you are, just pay for the hotel out of your own pocket.

Agree. But I suspect you might be OK if you were working in collaboration with someone and the two of you were 'workshopping' for a week.

[MarillionFan]

Most of us wouldn't check into a hotel for the sake of it - if we could save money by being at home, we would. If shoes can show the fruit of his labour, it seems reasonable enough to me. Why not? It's a risk, but so long as you're aware of the risks, and are prepared to defend the expense as entirely business, then go for it.

Checking into a hotel in the Maldives simply increases the likelihood of HMRC rejecting the claim. If the hotel was in Staines, that'd be a different matter.

I don't see the problem. I can presently commute into the London office, it's no more than an hour away. I've been in that location/distance a number of times & sometimes I decide to book a hotel so I can work late, or go in early, or have a few drinks(who's not claimed a hotel stay for a CUK night out) or take a break from the screaming monsters at home. I don't need to book a hotel, I could drive. I'm going to charge for the drive of course, and so subsequently I'm going to charge for my hotel.

But who is the terrible HMRC creature that comes and checks your hotel receipts, does he have terrible teeth in his terrible jaws, and checks your expenses with his terrible claws?

[Harmonic]

...But who is the terrible HMRC creature that comes and checks your hotel receipts, does he have terrible teeth in his terrible jaws, and checks your expenses with his terrible claws?

I like the idea of all tax inspectors having enormous warts at the end of their noses and purple prickles all over their backs.

To get back on topic, I also don't really see an issue. If the hotel trip was entirely for business and your business benefited then why shouldn't you claim. If you took your significant other or an alternative not-so-significant other then that would probably raise issues.

[northernladuk]

I like the idea of all tax inspectors having enormous warts at the end of their noses and purple prickles all over their backs.

To get back on topic, I also don't really see an issue. If the hotel trip was entirely for business and your business benefited then why shouldn't you claim. If you took your significant other or an alternative not-so-significant other then that would probably raise issues.

it isn't entirely for business. It is for him to relax. That is personal. The fact he is relaxed in a better place and can do business is nothing to do with the business.

Yet another poster who asks a question, doesn't get the answer they want to hear, and then gets a bit moody with those giving advice.

Totally this. The fact the same message is being repeated but the OP continues to argue proves this. Why ask if you don't like the answer, just fiddle your books and have done.

It's really not difficult...

This covers it as well.

These questions are just stupid. The OP admits it in his title so he knows the answer. People have to apply a bit of common sense here and not just try fiddle words in legislation. Try look at it from the HMRC's point of view as they are the people that would come after you. A load of people start putting in expenses to relax so they can work better? You really think that would wash? It isn't us you are trying to convince and really it isn't you either. At the end of the day it is HMRC so try thinking about what they would make of it.

Hotel to relax so you can work better? Ridiculous.

[MarillionFan]

it isn't entirely for business. It is for him to relax. That is personal. The fact he is relaxed in a better place and can do business is nothing to do with the business.



Totally this. The fact the same message is being repeated but the OP continues to argue proves this. Why ask if you don't like the answer, just fiddle your books and have done.



This covers it as well.

These questions are just stupid. The OP admits it in his title so he knows the answer. People have to apply a bit of common sense here and not just try fiddle words in legislation. Try look at it from the HMRC's point of view as they are the people that would come after you. A load of people start putting in expenses to relax so they can work better? You really think that would wash? It isn't us you are trying to convince and really it isn't you either. At the end of the day it is HMRC so try thinking about what they would make of it.

Hotel to relax so you can work better? Ridiculous.

I so disagree with you. So the OP decides to work away for the week and stay in a hotel. Whatever the reasoning, he has decided to work somewhere more expensive. What's to say you go off and hire a Regus office for the week to post on CUK as opposed to spending all day berating posters from your desk. You can still claim it. If he pops away for the weekend, absolutely no. But going and working in a hotel damn right it's expensable.

The owners of present clientco ($200m turnover) did exactly that. They holed themselves & a team up in a spa hotel for 2 months when they set up their business. Do you think they didn't expense it because it was nicer than renting an office?

[northernladuk]

I so disagree with you. So the OP decides to work away for the week and stay in a hotel. Whatever the reasoning, he has decided to work somewhere more expensive. What's to say you go off and hire a Regus office for the week to post on CUK as opposed to spending all day berating posters from your desk. You can still claim it. If he pops away for the weekend, absolutely no. But going and working in a hotel damn right it's expensable.

The owners of present clientco ($200m turnover) did exactly that. They holed themselves & a team up in a spa hotel for 2 months when they set up their business. Do you think they didn't expense it because it was nicer than renting an office?

But the key point which you have the wrong way round is in bold. He went away and while he was he did some work. He went for personal reasons and did work there. He didn't go to because work dictated it. Personal well being so you can do work is not wholly and exclusively. To go to work because work dictates it it is fine.

You doing something to get in the right mind for work is sorting your personal life out so you are ready. It has sod all to do with your business.

I mean seriously.. If this was claimable the whole expenses system would be in a ******* mess with everyone claiming all kinds of crap for 'personal well being so I work better' rule.

And again, bottom line, whatever we think... you really think HMRC will allow this. They let one person pull this off their world will turn to tulip. It will make MP's look like tax angels if they let this one go.

[eek]

Hotel to relax so you can work better? Ridiculous.

Its not ridiculous. They used to do it to Douglas Adams all the time as it was the only way you ever got any work out of him.

I would imagine if you have a deadline and you can't work from home it may be justifiable especially if you can show its significantly different from a holiday (i.e. without partner and children).

[SueEllen]

Its not ridiculous. They used to do it to Douglas Adams all the time as it was the only way you ever got any work out of him.

I would imagine if you have a deadline and you can't work from home it may be justifiable especially if you can show its significantly different from a holiday (i.e. without partner and children).

Shoes didn't say anything of the sort which is why it looks suspicious.

[MarillionFan]

Its not ridiculous. They used to do it to Douglas Adams all the time as it was the only way you ever got any work out of him.

I would imagine if you have a deadline and you can't work from home it may be justifiable especially if you can show its significantly different from a holiday (i.e. without partner and children).

WHS.

Anyway, who the fook knows if's legit or not. Only the OP. As long as he invoiced for part of that week, he could have stayed in the Maldives on an outward bound course. If he didn't invoice though...

( I find lying is the best way in dealing with Government organizations. Admit nothing )

[SueEllen]

WHS.

Anyway, who the fook knows if's legit or not. Only the OP. As long as he invoiced for part of that week, he could have stayed in the Maldives on an outward bound course. If he didn't invoice though...

( I find lying is the best way in dealing with Government organizations. Admit nothing )

Shoes was working on his company's products so I presume he was working on the company's own software rather than on client software.

Doesn't matter but I would come up with a better story than having to go somewhere for creative inspiration.