Contract Staying Away: Hotel Tips

[MrMarkyMark]

Wise move unless you want a horses head on your pillow courtesy of the Gregg's Mafia (you'll find the rest of the horse in their pasties and pies!)

I didn't realize the force was so strong on here

[NickFitz]

I have been to a lot better family run bakers than Greggs, often they provide better value for money too.

That's true, but as a general rule you won't find a family run bakers in the places where you'll find a Greggs. I can think of only one place I've contracted where the two could be found in close proximity (Beeston, Notts.) and I'd say that there, Greggs had the upper hand for things like sausage rolls and steak bakes, while the bakers was definitely winning on sandwiches.

[psychocandy]

Greggs bacon roll sat on the sofa watching jeremy kyle = perfect day.

[SlipTheJab]

Greggs bacon roll sat on the sofa watching jeremy kyle = perfect day.

[js2008]

hotel vs private room

I am new to contracting, I will need to find accommodation 5 nights a week for several months. I operate through a limited company.

Looking at hotel costs it will be approx 1000 a month. I can get a room in a house for around 450 a month. The room will likely be cash in hand to the landlord, or rather I am assuming I won't be able to get a receipt that could be expensed.

How can I weigh up the actual costs of expensing the hotel through the company or just taking the hit and paying out of my own money for the room. I guess it will partially be based on turnover and what dividends I take etc... just looking for a rough guide.

[SlipTheJab]

I am new to contracting, I will need to find accommodation 5 nights a week for several months. I operate through a limited company.

Looking at hotel costs it will be approx 1000 a month. I can get a room in a house for around 450 a month. The room will likely be cash in hand to the landlord, or rather I am assuming I won't be able to get a receipt that could be expensed.

How can I weigh up the actual costs of expensing the hotel through the company or just taking the hit and paying out of my own money for the room. I guess it will partially be based on turnover and what dividends I take etc... just looking for a rough guide.

Get a receipt from the Landlord and expense it, I would be wary of renting a room off someone who wants to be paid 'cash in hand'.

[LondonManc]

I am new to contracting, I will need to find accommodation 5 nights a week for several months. I operate through a limited company.

Looking at hotel costs it will be approx 1000 a month. I can get a room in a house for around 450 a month. The room will likely be cash in hand to the landlord, or rather I am assuming I won't be able to get a receipt that could be expensed.

How can I weigh up the actual costs of expensing the hotel through the company or just taking the hit and paying out of my own money for the room. I guess it will partially be based on turnover and what dividends I take etc... just looking for a rough guide.

For your hotel, you'll get £1000 claimable and payable directly to you as a business expense from your Ltd company. Don't forget, though, that £1000 will be coming out of your own profit margin; it's simply £1000 that you don't have to pay CT/divi tax on.

For a room in a house, you'd typically be able to claim 5/7 of the rent back (assuming you're travelling back up north for example at weekends). Quite a few of us do that; travel down Sunday evening, back on Fridays. If it's pure cash only and you don't want to expense it, you'd need to figure out how much take home you'd need to finance that. It's a cheaper option, has home comforts and means that you can travel lighter.

Personal preference if you can afford the more expensive option. I've done both and have no preference; I just go for what's decent price within easy commute of the client site so that I only have two crap journeys a week.

[js2008]

For a room in a house, you'd typically be able to claim 5/7 of the rent back (assuming you're travelling back up north for example at weekends). Quite a few of us do that; travel down Sunday evening, back on Fridays. If it's pure cash only and you don't want to expense it, you'd need to figure out how much take home you'd need to finance that. It's a cheaper option, has home comforts and means that you can travel lighter.
.

Thanks. For the room option, it is likely to be a room that is advertised as Mon-Fri or possibly 7 days, in any case I will be travelling Sunday, returning Friday for all the usual hassles of modern driving, not to mention the distance! So to claim the rent back, 5/7 (I am assuming means 5 days out of 7 being solely for business use), do I need to get some kind of receipt from the landlord? If so how do you go about this, in some cases they are just live in owners with spare rooms, although I imagine they should declare as income tax, they probably are not a business.

[northernladuk]

Their tax issues are of no concern to you. You've got enough to get your head around without worrying about their situation.

[LondonManc]

Thanks. For the room option, it is likely to be a room that is advertised as Mon-Fri or possibly 7 days, in any case I will be travelling Sunday, returning Friday for all the usual hassles of modern driving, not to mention the distance! So to claim the rent back, 5/7 (I am assuming means 5 days out of 7 being solely for business use), do I need to get some kind of receipt from the landlord? If so how do you go about this, in some cases they are just live in owners with spare rooms, although I imagine they should declare as income tax, they probably are not a business.

Ask your accountant; I asked mine and they advise each time. I don't make the decision based on cost as I previously said; I make the decision based on distance to client.