[Martin-Swinscoe]

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?

[WCE]

No!!! Well not unless it's a genuine business trip

[williamx]

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.

[Martin-Swinscoe]

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 

[wightsurf]

You'll have to take your PA instead 

[Niall McAllister]

just out of interest, how would you have justified it as a business expence?

[Martin-Swinscoe]

Probably would've said, that i was thinking about moving abroad and i was trying to get a round built up in cyprus

[williamx]

Overseas trade show or supplier.

[Martin-Swinscoe]

Overseas trade show or supplier.

Cheers that'll do for next years holiday 

[ronnie paton]

that would be a sure fire way to give the inland rev a reason to invistagate you

[Tosh]

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?

[Rob.Hall]

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!

[chrisyg]

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..

[Tosh]

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.

[ronnie paton]

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.

[ronnie paton]

tosh in the army they give you allowances for working away dont they i think???

is this not simalar??

[Paul Coleman]

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.  

[Rob.Hall]

The army is a different, 'Gary boldy'. You are employed by the government!

[williamx]

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.

[ronnie paton]

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