Use of Home

[escapeUK]

if I worked on-site I would struggle to claim more than the trivial sum mentioned above... so low it hardly seems worth it.

Which is exactly why I dont bother.

[d000hg]

How much you can calim depends how much you actually USE your home. I do a % of all bills and end up on £100/month but I work exclusively from home. My accountant queried the amount as very high initially before I explained the situation, if I worked on-site I would struggle to claim more than the trivial sum mentioned above... so low it hardly seems worth it.

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

The differential seems to be whether you are required to work from home or if you chose to. If you have no choice but to work from home you can claim for a proportion of household expenses which is calculated by dividing bills by the number of rooms in your house which could be used as a home office; if it is your choice to work from home then that's where the £3 per week comes in.

I'm not sure that really comes into it; I don't remember reading anything about HMRC making that distinction.

You can claim £3 a week no questions asked but you are entitled to claim any household expenses you consider fair as long as you can provide supporting evidence that would satisfy HMRC should you ever have a query.

[Jog On]

I charge £15 per week. I haven't done the sums myself but Mrs Bloggs reckons she did and it came out at £15 per week. Accountant has said nothing and I've been doing that for several years now.

Sounds about right

I pay my accountant enough to give me accurate advice. I do do a fair amount of plan B on the evening weekends as well.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

The differential seems to be whether you are required to work from home or if you chose to. If you have no choice but to work from home you can claim for a proportion of household expenses which is calculated by dividing bills by the number of rooms in your house which could be used as a home office; if it is your choice to work from home then that's where the £3 per week comes in.

[Fred Bloggs]

£65/month according to my accountant

I charge £15 per week. I haven't done the sums myself but Mrs Bloggs reckons she did and it came out at £15 per week. Accountant has said nothing and I've been doing that for several years now.

[Danielsjdaccountancy]

£3 per week is the norm. The revenue likes to keep this to a minimum. Most accountants you will find put through a buffer of anything up to £250 per annum.

[Jog On]

£65/month according to my accountant

[pmeswani]

HMRC Examples :

Specific deductions: use of home: specific expenses

Specific deductions: use of home: examples

I feel sorry for the person who fits into example four of the second link. Spending 14 hours a day at home writing a book? I'm wondering how the author fits time to see the family.

[Wanderer]

Some great links there from DaveB.

Do people just claim the £3/per week (a laughable amount for office expenses) or do you tot up your household bills and claim X% of it, in which case, what percentage of the bills do folks here actually claim?

[DaveB]

HMRC Examples :

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim47820.htm

Specific deductions: use of home: examples

[norrahe]

Quickie: Is the amount you can claim as an expense still currently £3 per week?

according to my accountant I can claim £10 per week

[Clippy]

Quickie: Is the amount you can claim as an expense still currently £3 per week?