[mark coates]

I've just took some extra work on for my brother in law to clean for me. He's 18 and at college but likes cleaning windows for a bit income. The thing is, he doesn't have his driving licence yet and my wife is (begrudgingly) working with him so he can get around the round.

If I pay for his lessons (to hopefully get him through his test a bit quicker) can I claim this as a business expense?

[Smurf]

Best to speak with your accontant  to find out.

[Spruce]

I agree with Smurf on this one.

The Taxman will definitely give you an answer, but in asking the question you maybe opening a can of worms. Being registered with the Receiver it would be easy to trace your phone number to you, so if you did phone them then dial 141 first to withhold your number.

BTW, out of interest, how is he shown on your books? Is he an employee or what?

[mark coates]

I plan on making him a partner. The business is already a partnership with my wife, father in law and myself. Works out better for us tax wise.

[David Beecroft]

You would think that any training course that relates to advancing business activity should be an allowable expense.

[nathankaye]

If i travel to a window convention and stay over night can i claim that as expenses in furthering my knowledge and business growth
  

[SeanK]

I would be very surprised if you could, for a start what percentage of the training will be for the sole purpose of your
business and what percentage will be for lifestyle, its a bit like using the family car for business purposes you have to separate
the actual business use from family use before making a claim.
Best have a word with an accountant.

[Soupy]

Perhaps if there were a written contract? You pay for lessons, he agrees to work for you for 12 months?

[Og]

No for driving lessons.
Yes for hotel and window cleaning convention thing.

I'm guessing.

[Spruce]

I would be very surprised if you could, for a start what percentage of the training will be for the sole purpose of your
business and what percentage will be for lifestyle, its a bit like using the family car for business purposes you have to separate
the actual business use from family use before making a claim.
Best have a word with an accountant.

I thought along those lines as well Sean. I would be pretty sure they would class that as a personal living cost which would be a non claimable expense. 

However, if a company employed a young salesman and put him on an initial induction training course, then the company would be able to claim that as a legitimate business expense. I think this is a very grey area.

In the motor trade we got written exemptions from the Receiver for taxing anomalies. For example, one of the perks of a car salesman is to have a company car. But during the course of a year that salesman could be given many different models which attract different tax brackets. So most of the sales staff were taxed on a car category of a Citroen Saxo when they might at times have driven a C5.
In those days my company car could also have been a van which wasn't taxed back then.

Perhaps if there were a written contract? You pay for lessons, he agrees to work for you for 12 months?

That's interesting way of looking at it. However its a partnership for everyone else in the business. Aren't partnerships and partners seen differently to us 'commoners' for taxation purposes?

-

[richard groves]

I can't really see how they could.
The lessons may benefit your business in the short term but his driving license will provide him with a lifetime of financial benefit.

[Soupy]

The lessons may benefit your business in the short term but his driving license will provide him with a lifetime of financial benefit.

That would be the same for most training, wouldn't it?

[richard groves]

The lessons may benefit your business in the short term but his driving license will provide him with a lifetime of financial benefit.

That would be the same for most training, wouldn't it?

But specialist training is far more specific to a line of work whereas driving lessons covers a far broader spectrum both business and pleasure for the remainder of his lifetime. Anyhow I don't know for sure, only HMRC or a good accountant will be able to answer for sure, and not a half baked window cleaner. ( I refer to myself ) 

[richard groves]

A few years ago I had to make an insurance claim for a non fault accident and whilst driving a courtesy vehicle without a roof rack incurred costs for buying a telescopic set of ladders. I could not claim for these unless I had handed them over to the insurance company as was told although I had needed them and used them for some 6 weeks, by keeping them I would benefit from them for many years to come. I based my above comment on the same reasoning.

[8weekly]

A few years ago I had to make an insurance claim for a non fault accident and whilst driving a courtesy vehicle without a roof rack incurred costs for buying a telescopic set of ladders. I could not claim for these unless I had handed them over to the insurance company as was told although I had needed them and used them for some 6 weeks, by keeping them I would benefit from them for many years to come. I based my above comment on the same reasoning.

That doesn't make sense. Would you not use them again for work after 6 weeks? I reckon I'd have got a second opinion on that.

[Frankybadboy]

i would have thought so

as when you do hgvs a lot of company's pay for it,if you sign a contract that you stay with them for 12months

so i bet you could

but best to ask accountant

[richard groves]

A few years ago I had to make an insurance claim for a non fault accident and whilst driving a courtesy vehicle without a roof rack incurred costs for buying a telescopic set of ladders. I could not claim for these unless I had handed them over to the insurance company as was told although I had needed them and used them for some 6 weeks, by keeping them I would benefit from them for many years to come. I based my above comment on the same reasoning.

That doesn't make sense. Would you not use them again for work after 6 weeks? I reckon I'd have got a second opinion on that.

Yes that was their point, why should they reimburse me for something I'd get continual use from for the rest of its usable life ? much the same way as original question.

[SeanK]

i would have thought so

as when you do hgvs a lot of company's pay for it,if you sign a contract that you stay with them for 12months

so i bet you could

but best to ask accountant

A hgv license isn't much good for anything else other than driving a work vehicle so you could say that its a 100% business
cost, you cant say that about a licence for social domestic pleasure and business use.

[8weekly]

A few years ago I had to make an insurance claim for a non fault accident and whilst driving a courtesy vehicle without a roof rack incurred costs for buying a telescopic set of ladders. I could not claim for these unless I had handed them over to the insurance company as was told although I had needed them and used them for some 6 weeks, by keeping them I would benefit from them for many years to come. I based my above comment on the same reasoning.

That doesn't make sense. Would you not use them again for work after 6 weeks? I reckon I'd have got a second opinion on that.

Yes that was their point, why should they reimburse me for something I'd get continual use from for the rest of its usable life ? much the same way as original question.

But if your use was business use, there ought not to be an issue. What windowcleaner buys ladders for anything other than work use? I reckon whoever told you that was incorrect.

[KS Cleaning]

A few years ago I had to make an insurance claim for a non fault accident and whilst driving a courtesy vehicle without a roof rack incurred costs for buying a telescopic set of ladders. I could not claim for these unless I had handed them over to the insurance company as was told although I had needed them and used them for some 6 weeks, by keeping them I would benefit from them for many years to come. I based my above comment on the same reasoning.

That doesn't make sense. Would you not use them again for work after 6 weeks? I reckon I'd have got a second opinion on that.

Yes that was their point, why should they reimburse me for something I'd get continual use from for the rest of its usable life ? much the same way as original question.

But if your use was business use, there ought not to be an issue. What windowcleaner buys ladders for anything other than work use? I reckon whoever told you that was incorrect.

I think he tried to claim the money back from his insurance company for the ladders?