subsistence allowance

[harrison]

Hi
Appreciate any help here, I am currently working on a contract in France.

To date I have been running my accounts (Limited Company) just billing for all expensed food etc. I believe I can claim a flat rate subsistance allowance instead of collecting food, laundry and meal receipts etc. Any idea how much this figure is? does it vary from one place to another?......Cheers for any guidance.

[Sockpuppet]

Hi
Appreciate any help here, I am currently working on a contract in France.

To date I have been running my accounts (Limited Company) just billing for all expensed food etc. I believe I can claim a flat rate subsistance allowance instead of collecting food, laundry and meal receipts etc. Any idea how much this figure is? does it vary from one place to another?......Cheers for any guidance.

You can only claim for items incurred in the course of business. Keep the receipts. Add up the items and use that number.

[northernladuk]

Hi
Appreciate any help here, I am currently working on a contract in France.

To date I have been running my accounts (Limited Company) just billing for all expensed food etc. I believe I can claim a flat rate subsistance allowance instead of collecting food, laundry and meal receipts etc. Any idea how much this figure is? does it vary from one place to another?......Cheers for any guidance.

Meal reciepts?? Laundry??? You need to get an accountant... and quickly cause you are neck deep in it me ol' pal.

[ASB]

Hi
Appreciate any help here, I am currently working on a contract in France.

To date I have been running my accounts (Limited Company) just billing for all expensed food etc. I believe I can claim a flat rate subsistance allowance instead of collecting food, laundry and meal receipts etc. Any idea how much this figure is? does it vary from one place to another?......Cheers for any guidance.

Search on scale rates on HMRC and read the guidance carefully. There are various ones that can potentially be claimed. Depends on location and a number of things.

Ability to use scale rates is - I believe - now available as an option. Always was an option in France and never had a problem. Was inspected too.

[northernladuk]

You can only claim for items incurred in the course of business. Keep the receipts. Add up the items and use that number.

But find out what you can and can't claim. I think you are going to have a shock

[Platypus]

But find out what you can and can't claim. I think you are going to have a shock

I'm surprised you say this - laundry is claimable if you're necessarily away from home for weeks at a time.

As a permie when away on business I always claimed meals and laundry (with receipts of course). I do the same now I'm a contractor, MyCo reimburses me.

EDIT. I use actual receipts, not a flat "per diem" rate. I think you have to make a special arrangement with HMRC for that.

[mudskipper]

You can claim a personal incidental allowance of

• £5 per night for overnight stays anywhere within the UK, and
• £10 per night for overnight stays outside the UK.

without receipts. This is in additional to your 'wholly and exclusively' expenses.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/guidance/480_appendix8.pdf

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

Laundry in these circumstances could be claimed under your personal incidental expenses but laundry per se can only be claimed if it refers to the cleaning of a uniform or specialist work wear

[ASB]

For scale rates:-

Employment income: scale rate expenses payments: accommodation and subsistence payments to employees travelling outside the UK

"HMRC therefore agreed in January 2008 that employers may use benchmark rates published on the HMRC website when paying accommodation and subsistence expenses to employees whose duties require them to travel abroad, without the need for the employees to produce expenses receipts."

"Accommodation and subsistence payments at or below the published rates will not be liable for Income Tax or National Insurance contributions (NIC) for employees who travel abroad, and employers need not include them on forms P11D."

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/employers/wwsr-bench.pdf

The PIE is in addition.

[northernladuk]

I'm surprised you say this - laundry is claimable if you're necessarily away from home for weeks at a time.

As a permie when away on business I always claimed meals and laundry (with receipts of course). I do the same now I'm a contractor, MyCo reimburses me.

EDIT. I use actual receipts, not a flat "per diem" rate. I think you have to make a special arrangement with HMRC for that.

Bet you are going to be even more surprised to find I am right