Can i claim accomodation when working away from home

[TOSH1]

I'm with SJD.

I currently claim an evening meal but not lunch or the £5.00 allowance. I work 100 miles away from home and stay in a Monday through to Thursday and come home on Fridays. I don't have a kitchen available so cannot make sandwiches or a packed luch or cook myself an evening meal.

[SueEllen]

Ive been contracting away from home for the last 4 months and Im currently claiming overnight stay, evening meal and milage. I didn't know that you were also able to claim a £5.00 substance allowance on top as well as lunch. My accountant advised that ir was either the £5.00 or an evening meal, not both!

Lunch is normally a sandwich meal deal from Boots, Am I also abloe to claim this and the daily £5.00 allowance.

Maybe it's time to find an new accountant who is use to dealing with limited companies as it depends on where you are staying what you can claim. If you are in a hotel because you don't have cooking facilities you can claim everything including the £5 for incidental expenses.

[TOSH1]

Ive been contracting away from home for the last 4 months and Im currently claiming overnight stay, evening meal and milage. I didn't know that you were also able to claim a £5.00 substance allowance on top as well as lunch. My accountant advised that ir was either the £5.00 or an evening meal, not both!

Lunch is normally a sandwich meal deal from Boots, Am I also abloe to claim this and the daily £5.00 allowance.

[SueEllen]

@terbera - wow you're friendly. I'm new to contracting and just set up a Ltd. You've got to start somewhere.....
Accountant suggested 5/7th, everyone else suggests all. Surely you can see why its a lil confusing...?

One of the best tools on this forum is the search box. (If it doesn't work you can search the forum via google.)

Every question you can think of has been answered over the years. And if the answer is old there is nothing stopping you pointing that out when you ask the question again. That wat you won't have friendly regulars jumping down your throat.

Oh and get it into your head now that accountants don't normally agree with each other. While they do give their best professional opinion on matters, due to the grey areas in UK tax law that's the best they can do.

[keninparis]

thanks all...will claim the lot.
@clare - sorry i meant i am claiming milage.

@terbera - wow you're friendly. I'm new to contracting and just set up a Ltd. You've got to start somewhere.....
Accountant suggested 5/7th, everyone else suggests all. Surely you can see why its a lil confusing...?

Suggest you get to grips with this contracting game pretty sharpish. Bon chance.

[northernladuk]

you never said you were brand new

download the New PCG Guide

PCG's Guide to Freelancing | PCG


or left hand side

First Timers Guide - for IT Contractors :: Contractor UK


plus get a contractor friendly Accountant 5/7th FFS - are you on flat Rate VAT.?

It's only on the left hand side of this guy -->

[tarbera]

sorry

thanks all...will claim the lot.
@clare - sorry i meant i am claiming milage.

@terbera - wow you're friendly. I'm new to contracting and just set up a Ltd. You've got to start somewhere.....
Accountant suggested 5/7th, everyone else suggests all. Surely you can see why its a lil confusing...?

you never said you were brand new

download the New PCG Guide

PCG's Guide to Freelancing | PCG


or left hand side

First Timers Guide - for IT Contractors :: Contractor UK


plus get a contractor friendly Accountant 5/7th FFS - are you on flat Rate VAT.?

[TheFaQQer]

thanks all...will claim the lot.
@clare - sorry i meant i am claiming milage.

@terbera - wow you're friendly. I'm new to contracting and just set up a Ltd. You've got to start somewhere.....
Accountant suggested 5/7th, everyone else suggests all. Surely you can see why its a lil confusing...?

You might want to do a search on here for some common questions. For example, this post from NLUK gives some good insight and links about what you can claim: http://forums.contractoruk.com/accou...ml#post1412338

Good luck, and welcome.

[ryu84]

thanks for the responses

thanks all...will claim the lot.
@clare - sorry i meant i am claiming milage.

@terbera - wow you're friendly. I'm new to contracting and just set up a Ltd. You've got to start somewhere.....
Accountant suggested 5/7th, everyone else suggests all. Surely you can see why its a lil confusing...?

[tarbera]

Are you a temp ???

Hi all.

I am currently contracting in London and renting a place. Home for me is in the north. I travel to London on Sunday/Monday and go back home on Friday. I claim petrol for this travel.

Can I claim for accommodation? If so, how much?

I have been given differing advice:
- I should claim all of the expenses
- I should claim 5/7th as I am at the rented place 5 days out of 7

Any advice?

Are you a temp ??? put in an expense claim to your employer

If you have a Limited Company, Why don't you know the most basic of details of running a business.?

[Clare@InTouch]

If it's solely for business purposes and it's necessary for you to pay, then you're fine to claim it.

For the journey there and back you should claim mileage rather than petrol if it's your own car though, which should work out more as it includes an element for wear & tear to the car.

[Nixon Williams]

The costs of accommodation for an employee can be met by the employer where an employee is staying away from home due to work purposes however, the employee must have a separate permanent residence in order to make the claim allowable.

There is no limit, as such, on the amount that can be claimed for accommodation but all claims should be reasonable, the only time HMRC would question the value as being excessive is where they felt the accommodation provided was a reward for service rather than a cost actually incurred ‘wholly and exclusively’ for business purposes.

In terms of Hotels/Guesthouses/B&B’s the full cost incurred will be allowable for corporation tax purposes assuming the costs are not excessive as described above.

In terms of furnished rented flats, these can often be obtained as a cheaper and more convenient alternative to hotel accommodation and so provided the costs are reasonable they should be allowable expenses.

The standard of flat provided should not be of a greater standard than the employee’s normal residence. Please note that if your primary residence is of a very high standard then a flat of similar standards may not be allowable.

You should remember that if you are taking out a short term lease on a rented flat then this should be in the company name and ideally paid direct from the company account. You should also take note that the length of lease can have a bearing on the 24 month rule because it adds an intention to be at the same site for the length of the lease.

The costs may not be fully allowable in the following situations:
1) The employee is accompanied by their family (non business usage)
2) The location is not due to work commitments (non business reason)
3) The standard of accommodation is unreasonably high (as mentioned above).

Subsistence

You may claim for the costs of lunch purchased on the way to a temporary location or during your lunch break at a temporary location provided an additional cost is incurred over what you would have spent normally if you were not at the temporary location.

Lunch could be in the form of a pre packed sandwich, a meal at a cafe or maybe in the canteen and can include non alcoholic liquid refreshments.

However, you cannot claim for the costs of purchasing the ingredients to make a ‘packed lunch’ i.e. bread, ham and lettuce. Likewise, you cannot claim for lunch bought the night before going to a temporary location.

If you are staying away from home due to work commitments then you can also claim the cost of breakfast and an evening meal, again providing the costs are not excessive and the standard not greater than you would normally have. You can also claim a ‘flat rate’ subsistence allowance of £5 per night (£10 if overseas) away from home to cover daily incidentals i.e.
laundry, newspapers etc. and this is an un-receipted claim.

Alan

[keninparis]

Yes, claim the lot - no problem at all.

[ryu84]

Hi all.

I am currently contracting in London and renting a place. Home for me is in the north. I travel to London on Sunday/Monday and go back home on Friday. I claim petrol for this travel.

Can I claim for accommodation? If so, how much?

I have been given differing advice:
- I should claim all of the expenses
- I should claim 5/7th as I am at the rented place 5 days out of 7

Any advice?