Reply to: Expenses, from weekly shop receipt?

[TheFaQQer]

My argument for shopping rather than eating out is that if I ate out, I could claim an expense. It's my duty as a director of the company to ensure that all employees minimize unnecessary expenditure.

Therefore, I'm doing my role as a director by ensuring that I buy from a supermarket and save money.

[richy]

My accountants (on of the big ones) tell me to claim my supermarket bill if/when I am away from home.

thx for all the replies every1, just reading that duality of purpose section on HMRC site.
basically on this away gig I go to tesco's and buy 3 weeks worth of tinned evening meals+bread. Then I buy cereals+milk+fruit. I cross the latter off the tesco receipt and claim the rest. i lunch eat at restaurants or the canteen on my clients site so I don't claim that either.

tbh, i dont know why we're allowed to claim dinner if a dinner "at home" hasn't gone to waste. I would have had to go to tescos "at home" for tinned food as well.
thx again for replies. richy

[SueEllen]

I argued this with eddiegee some time back - his line was that his umbrella had a dispensation for a maximum of £26 a day, so he could claim that with no receipts etc. My line was that since mine had no limit, did that mean I could claim £1 million a day then. He didn't quite understand it, though.

He will when the taxman comes knocking.

[TheFaQQer]

Hey, that's not bad for a £450 a day contract.

I argued this with eddiegee some time back - his line was that his umbrella had a dispensation for a maximum of £26 a day, so he could claim that with no receipts etc. My line was that since mine had no limit, did that mean I could claim £1 million a day then. He didn't quite understand it, though.

[NotAllThere]

I have no such limits on my dispensation (seriously!) so I just claim a round £500 a day in expenses with no receipts.

Hey, that's not bad for a £450 a day contract.

[TheFaQQer]

For the full £26 a day even when you are at home but away for over 10 hours.

I have no such limits on my dispensation (seriously!) so I just claim a round £500 a day in expenses with no receipts.

[Sockpuppet]

I claim mine - it's easy to spot that it's not my weekly shop, since it's 200 miles from home.

Plus, of course, I have a dispensation....

For the full £26 a day even when you are at home but away for over 10 hours.

[TheFaQQer]

I claim mine - it's easy to spot that it's not my weekly shop, since it's 200 miles from home.

Plus, of course, I have a dispensation....

[gadgetman]

and taxi receipts too.

I find writing with your other hand helps produce a convincing forged signature.

[Pickle2]

Why not just nick a few blank recipt books from a variety of local pubs/takeaways and make up your own reciepts? You can make it a family game, and have the kids help you out at the weekend so you mix up the handwritting. Just have them stick on "Food & Drink" and a nice amount.

Could turn into a nice little earner.

HTH.

[r0bly0ns]

Many years ago in permiedom I worked away from home a lot and quite often bought things when doing the weekly shop at home on a weekend to take with me to my digs during the week.

At the time my Employer had no problem with me highlighting these on a till receipt and claiming for them.

[gadgetman]

My accountants (on of the big ones) tell me to claim my supermarket bill if/when I am away from home.

[xoggoth]

Strictly speaking you can only claim whatever is over and above what you would normally spend at home but there is an HMRC guidance doc somewhere that says if you do actually spend more they won't seek to deduct a figure for your normal costs.

It is arguably considerably more expensive cooking sad microwaved meals for one than sharing meals with a family at home. Considering the small sums involved and that you are actually paying them more tax than you would if you ate in restaurants every night as you are quite entitled to, I cannot imagine they would bother to challenge it and one would hardly be bankrupted if they did.

[ASB]

I used to claim the shopping bill (some elements of it) when away. Went through an investigation OK. But as sockpuppet mentions there is the duality of purpose aspect (you've got to eat to live). HMIT may be able to deny it if they felt so inclined.

There is quite a lot of info on HMRC (search for duality of purpose). This gives their manuals and some of it may be applicable to you situation.

[NotAllThere]

Its generally considered ...

I think.

So long as there is a clear separation between the weekly shop, and the claimed for evening meals, I don't think there's a problem. Think of it in context of permie expenses - if a permie is away on business and buys a sandwich from Tesco's as his evening meal, I doubt his employer would reject it. Ultimately, you have to decide what you think is the right thing to do, and then if you're investigated be prepared to justify it.

And in the event of an investigation, they're looking for significant returns - not the tax on a £4 microwave meal.