Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Martin-Swinscoe on January 10, 2009, 11:11:46 am

Title: Holidays & Tax
Post by: Martin-Swinscoe on January 10, 2009, 11:11:46 am
This is my first year as self employed so it might be a daft question but if you don't ask you don't get, here goes:
If i book up a foreign holiday for me and the good lady. Can i put it against tax  as a buisness trip? ;)
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: WCE on January 10, 2009, 11:56:21 am
No!!! Well not unless it's a genuine business trip ;)
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: williamx on January 10, 2009, 12:01:37 pm
And even if it was a business trip you would not be able to claim your wifes costs unless she was employed by the company.
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: Martin-Swinscoe on January 10, 2009, 12:02:41 pm
And even if it was a business trip you would not be able to claim your wifes costs unless she was employed by the company.
Thats a good enough reason not to take her then  ;D
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: wightsurf on January 10, 2009, 01:35:52 pm
You'll have to take your PA instead  ;)
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: Niall McAllister on January 10, 2009, 01:47:39 pm
just out of interest, how would you have justified it as a business expence?
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: Martin-Swinscoe on January 10, 2009, 01:52:05 pm
Probably would've said, that i was thinking about moving abroad and i was trying to get a round built up in cyprus ;)
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: williamx on January 10, 2009, 02:00:33 pm
Overseas trade show or supplier.
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: Martin-Swinscoe on January 10, 2009, 02:02:22 pm
Overseas trade show or supplier.
Cheers that'll do for next years holiday  ;)
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: ronnie paton on January 10, 2009, 03:12:06 pm
that would be a sure fire way to give the inland rev a reason to invistagate you
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: Tosh on January 10, 2009, 03:18:17 pm
that would be a sure fire way to give the inland rev a reason to invistagate you

How would they know unless they did investigate you?
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: Rob.Hall on January 10, 2009, 03:33:43 pm
Thats just the sort of thing they would  look at!

It is a def no no unless you could justify it as training etc.

My accountant wont even let me claim on a sandwich if working away from home. The tax man think I should make my own.

The only time i could claim is if i was going to a show or on a course over 15 miles away!
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: chrisyg on January 10, 2009, 03:34:10 pm
Overseas trade show or supplier.

you would need show tickets etc, and why wasn't the trip for a day or so rather than a fortnight, you would need to prove it im sure. Nah you wouldn't be able to get away with it.

Maybe a weekend or short break you could..
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: Tosh on January 10, 2009, 03:44:22 pm
My accountant wont even let me claim on a sandwich if working away from home.

You can't claim on a sandwich if you're working at home!

For tax purposes, if an item has a dual purpose (ie private and business) then you technically you can't claim on it; so the tax office reckons.

I recently read about a food writer who ate in posh restaraunts and then did a write up about the food and service which was then published; it was his job (nice job) and the tax man refused to allow the cost of the meal as an expense since you require food to live.

But that aside, you can't claim for a sandwich when you're working; at home or anywhere else.

Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: ronnie paton on January 10, 2009, 03:46:30 pm
that would be a sure fire way to give the inland rev a reason to invistagate you

How would they know unless they did investigate you?
not knowing how they work i would of thought they have a quick check if they feel its excessive they will check it out, if they find something like that the last 7 seven years are coming out of the archive and everything will be scrutinized.

I would prefer not have all the worry and stress.
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: ronnie paton on January 10, 2009, 03:48:34 pm
tosh in the army they give you allowances for working away dont they i think???

is this not simalar??
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: Paul Coleman on January 10, 2009, 03:50:28 pm
I did offset 2 nights B and B when I went to some cleaning show in Birmingham but it would be pretty hard to get more than that from them.  Unless of course you really WERE moving abroad and did some canvassing/business purchasing while you were there.  I think they would want to see rather more proof than a couple of plane tickets though.   :)
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: Rob.Hall on January 10, 2009, 03:59:01 pm
The army is a different, 'Gary boldy'. You are employed by the government!
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: williamx on January 10, 2009, 04:25:01 pm
Providing you are not "fiddling" then you have nothing to worry about a tax investigation, just make sure you have kept everything safe for the last 6 years.

As for the time span you can claim for while abroad, if you are going for a trade show/converence which lasts for 3 days and you stay for a week then you will be able to claim for the flight ticket plus 3 days hotel and food, the other 4 days hotel and food you will have to pay for.

If you want to claim for the whole 7 days then the trade show will have to incorperate a fact finding mission of suppliers.

And as for claiming for food, even though it is an essential part of life and you would have eaten anyway, you will be able to claim a certain percentage of the cost because if you had stayed at home and cooked, it would have been cheaper than dining out, this addional cost is what you claim for.
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: ronnie paton on January 10, 2009, 04:30:26 pm
no matter how straight you have been
It will be stressful, and some times accountant a are wrong, I know a friend had a heart attack has the invistageted him and there not very nice about it, he
Ended up
Owing some thing like400 from the 7 years, so like unsaid inwould rather not get invistagated
Title: Re: Holidays & Tax
Post by: Paul Coleman on January 10, 2009, 04:35:49 pm
My accountant wont even let me claim on a sandwich if working away from home.

You can't claim on a sandwich if you're working at home!

For tax purposes, if an item has a dual purpose (ie private and business) then you technically you can't claim on it; so the tax office reckons.

I recently read about a food writer who ate in posh restaraunts and then did a write up about the food and service which was then published; it was his job (nice job) and the tax man refused to allow the cost of the meal as an expense since you require food to live.

But that aside, you can't claim for a sandwich when you're working; at home or anywhere else.



Tosh.  You can claim for dual purpose items and my accountant puts them through with no problem (he does take his work seriously too).  My dual purpose items are my van, landline, mobile, computer plus associated peripherals and consumables (ink, paper).  Obviously I do apportion the percentages between work and personal but this is definitely allowed.