Expences - Eye test and Glasses

[mudskipper]

Considering some companies will give employees all kinds of weird things in their package - catered gourmet meals, gym membership, private healthcare plans, I don't think this is a dumb question.

Starting a company, especially for contracting where you don't do it because you want to run a company, is a step into the unknown.

I bet loads of people didn't/don't know you can claim for eye tests for instance!

Elf and safety, innit.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg36.pdf

What do employers have to do to comply?

On request arrange eye tests, and provide spectacles if special ones
are needed

Employees covered by the Regulations can ask their employer to provide and pay
for an eye and eyesight test. This is a test by an optometrist or doctor. There is
also an entitlement to further tests at regular intervals; the optometrist doing the
first test can recommend when the next should be. Employers only have to pay for
spectacles if special ones (for example, prescribed for the distance at which the
screen is viewed) are needed and normal ones cannot be used.

[d000hg]

Glasses through the company? I guess that one is going on the hall of fame next to driving lessons, speeding fines etc. People that can't work this out for themselves should not be running a company, or at least first in line for a visit from HMRC so they will leave the rest of us that try to understand our companies alone.

Considering some companies will give employees all kinds of weird things in their package - catered gourmet meals, gym membership, private healthcare plans, I don't think this is a dumb question.

Starting a company, especially for contracting where you don't do it because you want to run a company, is a step into the unknown.

I bet loads of people didn't/don't know you can claim for eye tests for instance!

[Sausage Surprise]

The optician notes on my prescription that the glasses are needed purely for work with VDUs, hence the company pays.

Oh.....and has anyone mentioned the rather bizarre spelling of expenses yet?

[BrilloPad]

As a permie I get a free eye test and a £50 voucher towards glasses.

HTH

[FarmerPalmer]

straight from the horses mouth:

NIM02145 - Class 1 NICs : Earnings of employees and office holders : Eye tests and the provision of glasses

and

EIM21765 - Particular benefits: cost of periodic health screening and medical check-ups, and eye tests

[northernladuk]

<lots of good stuff>

The reason you can't get away with contributing to the glasses in a one person or two person company where people are related, is because:
1. Glasses have a duality of purpose.
2. Larger companies don't want to be sued under any Health and Safety legislation, or disability legislation for injuring their employees. A company where the owners are the employers can't sue themselves.
3. In a smaller company you would be exactly aware of all your expenses so you know the exact cost of an eye test. In a larger company this is harder to do so if you don't want a headache i.e. by pointing out Sue went to Tescos and got a free eye test but Bob went to Boots and had to pay £25, you give your employees some leeway.

4. The benefit to you is minimal as it is still money you were going to get. A 20% saving in return for extra interest from the tax man.

I didn't say it was a piss take. That would be if he claimed it. What I was annoyed at is that he can't work this out for himself. Duality of purpose kills it stone dead. The simple rule 'wholly and exclusively'. It isn't hard really is it. People also need to start understanding the difference between claiming something from the company that provides benefit against tax and stuff companies buy there employee that doesn't have a straight cash benefit. Just because an employer does something for their employee's it doesn't mean they can claim tax back, there are other benefits in it for them.

[SueEllen]

Glasses through the company?

I guess that one is going on the hall of fame next to driving lessons, speeding fines etc. People that can't work this out for themselves should not be running a company, or at least first in line for a visit from HMRC so they will leave the rest of us that try to understand our companies alone.

To you this sounds like a complete p*ss take but as someone who had to do stuff involving Health and Safety Regulations years ago the post is not as stupid as it sounds.

Since then I've spoken properly to the assessors who have been forced in a lot of large companies to also assess temps and contractors for H&S. Some large companies have been taken to the cleaners for various H&S issues, and so are very careful to ensure everyone who will be on site for more than a 3 calendar month period is assessed.

In regards to the Display Screen Regulations its common for large employers to:
1. Pay for their employees' eye tests if they use a VDU screen for most of their work and an individual employee complains of headaches or eye strain.
2. Give a voucher towards the cost of a pair of glasses. This voucher is a small nominal amount.

Generally in total for the eye test and the glasses the employee ends up about £50 better off, however according to my friends and family the employer tends to make it difficult to claim for it.

In a one person company or two person company where people are related you can claim for the cost of the eye test as long as the optician indicates on the prescription/receipt the eye test is for work purposes even if you are found to need glasses for non-work purposes or both. However as you can get free or £5-10 eye tests there is very little point in claiming this.

I've actually had to ask people who are employees now what the amount is and to be honest the amount employers contribute hasn't increased much since the end of the last century. This is due to the cost of eye tests and glasses not increasing that much thanks to the internet and reading glasses you can buy ready made in shops.

The reason you can't get away with contributing to the glasses in a one person or two person company where people are related, is because:
1. Glasses have a duality of purpose.
2. Larger companies don't want to be sued under any Health and Safety legislation, or disability legislation for injuring their employees. A company where the owners are the employers can't sue themselves.
3. In a smaller company you would be exactly aware of all your expenses so you know the exact cost of an eye test. In a larger company this is harder to do so if you don't want a headache i.e. by pointing out Sue went to Tescos and got a free eye test but Bob went to Boots and had to pay £25, you give your employees some leeway.

[northernladuk]

Glasses through the company? I guess that one is going on the hall of fame next to driving lessons, speeding fines etc. People that can't work this out for themselves should not be running a company, or at least first in line for a visit from HMRC so they will leave the rest of us that try to understand our companies alone.

Edit. The OP doesn't need an eye test bearing in mind this is the business section not the accounting one. Pair of your strongest Mr optician.

[GillsMan]

Eye test - yes, if you use a monitor regularly (likely).

Eyewear - only if it's something you need for work, such as safety glasses with lenses. For regular specs and lenses, this doesn't even come close to 'wholly and exclusively' for business as you need them for everyday wear.

WHS. I claim for my eye test, but not for my contacts/lenses.

[captainham]

Eye test - yes, if you use a monitor regularly (likely).

Eyewear - only if it's something you need for work, such as safety glasses with lenses. For regular specs and lenses, this doesn't even come close to 'wholly and exclusively' for business as you need them for everyday wear.

[malvolio]

Hi

I have an eye test today and I'm sure that I need glasses. Can I claim these off the business?

Regards

Do you only look at things at work?

You can claim anything you like, it's your company. The only question is whether or not it's a Benefit in Kind. You may be OK with the test itself if you work a lot with a screen, you might be eligible if you need specialist lenses for work, the frames are your problem.

But since you're only looking at 20% of the cost of less than 50% of the total, is it really worth it?

[TOSH1]

Hi

I have an eye test today and I'm sure that I need glasses. Can I claim these off the business?

Regards