Reply to: Can I claim Caravan stay as an expense?

[TheFaQQer]

This sounds like people worrying about hypothetical scenarios again. I swear sometimes you guys take more interest than HSBC do.

Waiting for someone to start a worried thread about declaring a client biro they make personal use of...

The hypothetical situation is that if the OP claims for the caravan AND they get investigated AND it gets spotted, then it's not allowed.

If you think "oh, it's hypothetical so I don't need to worry about it" then why stop there - claim £20k for the caravan. Claim for the new TV. Claim for journeys you don't make.

As with all these things - you're only in trouble if you get caught.

[northernladuk]

This sounds like people worrying about hypothetical scenarios again. I swear sometimes you guys take more interest than HSBC do.

Why would HSBC be a problem? You may have a gung ho attitude towards your finances but if the situation is black and white then giving advice or suggesting the OP should ignore them isn't very smart. Give him the rules on the situation and THEN he can go make an informed decision on what to do. The OP in question asks some pretty ridiculous stuff so trying to get him to understand stuff so he can then make his own decision on his risk approach is the way to go.

Waiting for someone to start a worried thread about declaring a client biro they make personal use of...

Bit of a ridiculous situation. This isn't documented and is very clearly defined.

[tractor]

This sounds like people worrying about hypothetical scenarios again. I swear sometimes you guys take more interest than HSBC do.

Waiting for someone to start a worried thread about declaring a client biro they make personal use of...

Have you tried search?

[PerfectStorm]

Can I claim Caravan stay as an expense?

This sounds like people worrying about hypothetical scenarios again. I swear sometimes you guys take more interest than HMRC do.

Waiting for someone to start a worried thread about declaring a client biro they make personal use of...

[Contreras]

But if you stay with friends or family while away on a contract, you can give them a reasonable contribution to lodging and that is an allowable expense. See CUK for example.

It used to be possible but HMRC disallowed this some time ago, before even the date of that article IIRC.

[northernladuk]

Surely this is no different from going on a business trip as a permie and take your family and pay for them. Back in the time I was a permie I did this several times. Company would book flights, cars and accommodation and I would pay a percentage back for the spouse and private use.

What you do and what is allowed are two very different things.

[Eirikur]

Surely this is no different from going on a business trip as a permie and take your family and pay for them. Back in the time I was a permie I did this several times. Company would book flights, cars and accommodation and I would pay a percentage back for the spouse and private use.

[TheFaQQer]

Can I claim part of the cost of caravan stay as an expense? The caravan was shared with my family so can I claim 33% of the price paid?

No and no.

So, going by the same logic, I can't claim for mileage as well, or can I?

You claim the mileage.

[northernladuk]

But if you stay with friends or family while away on a contract, you can give them a reasonable contribution to lodging and that is an allowable expense. See CUK for example.

Wouldn't that mean that your family could obtain the caravan accommodation; and then you could stay with them?

The terms of the holiday will state you are not allowed to sub let the caravan so this type of situation wouldn't be allowed and therefore HMRC won't accept it.

[expat]

But if you stay with friends or family while away on a contract, you can give them a reasonable contribution to lodging and that is an allowable expense. See CUK for example.

Wouldn't that mean that your family could obtain the caravan accommodation; and then you could stay with them?

[TykeMerc]

HMRC don't need to know who stayed with you anyway do they?

That would be fraud.

[PerfectStorm]

HMRC don't need to know who stayed with you anyway do they?

[TykeMerc]

Fookin hell not another one.....

Yes, yet another one. Yes same old formulaic routine.

[stek]

It turned out that the start date of my new contract coincided with the half term dates, the little one doen't want to sit at home and as I had to pay for temporary accomodation anyway for myself (hotel, B&B etc..), I decided to book a Caravan for the working week a few miles away from the client's offices.

Can I claim part of the cost of caravan stay as an expense? The caravan was shared with my family so can I claim 33% of the price paid?

Moreover, the VAT invoice for the caravan stay is only in my name and doen't state that anyone else was included in the booking.

My accountant suggests that it is not safe to even claim a partial cost (e.g. 33%) as HMRC may challenge this.

Moeover, I have claimed mileage to and from the Caravan location to home (company's registered address) and apprantely this seems to be okay according to my accountant. My family were with me in the car.


So, going by the same logic, I can't claim for mileage as well, or can I?

Fookin hell not another one.....

[new2c]

Thanks NLUK!!