Bumbling Amateur
16th August 2009, 15:25
Hi, I'm trying to get a straight answer to some questions which seem fairly simple. In my defence I have done an awful lot of reading about expenses but I still would like some assistance as I'm just not sure. They are all wholly related to business ie nothing personal.
Here's my list of expenses and my thoughts on whether they are allowable or not and where they should be entered in the SA. Does anyone agree/disagree with any of them...
1 - HOTELS - allowable in the travel and subsistence section. But for how long can I stay in a hotel and claim? Overnight, 1 week, 1 year? What if I pay the bill for several people at checkout and they are not my employees but colleagues?
2 - TAXIS, coach fares, train fares - allowable in the travel and subsistence section again.
3 - FOOD - travel and subsistence section again. Allowable if included as part of an overnight hotel stay along with breakfast and 1 evening meal. Or is it none of it is allowed? I can't work it out. And again what if I stay in a hotel for 6 months, does this make any difference ie it's not an overnight stay anymore, more of a temporary relocation.
4 - Small tools and consumables - cost of sales section or repairs / maintenance section?
5 - Per diem payments - given by my clients to save paperwork heachaches. I don't think these are allowable on their own ie unless receipted and claimed elsewhere. So I would suggest unallowable and declared in the 'other' section.
6 - Laundry - it's a darn sight more expensive to get your laundry done in a hotel than at home but is it an allowable expense in the travel and subsistence section. My feeling is no unless it is for dirty overalls ie purely work related. So I would enter it as unallowable in travel and subsistence.
7 Hire cars, fuel for them etc. - allowable and should go in the motor section.
Thanks for any help people.
Here's my list of expenses and my thoughts on whether they are allowable or not and where they should be entered in the SA. Does anyone agree/disagree with any of them...
1 - HOTELS - allowable in the travel and subsistence section. But for how long can I stay in a hotel and claim? Overnight, 1 week, 1 year? What if I pay the bill for several people at checkout and they are not my employees but colleagues?
2 - TAXIS, coach fares, train fares - allowable in the travel and subsistence section again.
3 - FOOD - travel and subsistence section again. Allowable if included as part of an overnight hotel stay along with breakfast and 1 evening meal. Or is it none of it is allowed? I can't work it out. And again what if I stay in a hotel for 6 months, does this make any difference ie it's not an overnight stay anymore, more of a temporary relocation.
4 - Small tools and consumables - cost of sales section or repairs / maintenance section?
5 - Per diem payments - given by my clients to save paperwork heachaches. I don't think these are allowable on their own ie unless receipted and claimed elsewhere. So I would suggest unallowable and declared in the 'other' section.
6 - Laundry - it's a darn sight more expensive to get your laundry done in a hotel than at home but is it an allowable expense in the travel and subsistence section. My feeling is no unless it is for dirty overalls ie purely work related. So I would enter it as unallowable in travel and subsistence.
7 Hire cars, fuel for them etc. - allowable and should go in the motor section.
Thanks for any help people.