Claiming suit hire for work function

[EssexRogueTrader]

Hi

I have been invited to a black tie dinner by another company. They are our insurance brokers and it is a thank you for the business kind of thing.

I need to hire a suit for the event.

Can I claim the cost of suit hire as a business expense?

 

[David Griffiths]

One word answer: No

 

[Homer J Simpson]

One word answer: No

Why not?

I had a company pay for mine for a black tie event - they would no doubt have claimed it as an expense.

 

[Walkol]

Mmm, bit of a stretch to say it is wholly and exclusively for business purposes. no benefit will come to the company (I'm assuming, as its your insurance brokers doo, and not really networking) from attending.

 

[EssexRogueTrader]

Correct. It is a corporate jolly, really.

It would look better if I did attend, though.

But not like I have to go.

 

[David Griffiths]

Why not?

I had a company pay for mine for a black tie event - they would no doubt have claimed it as an expense.

Because there is a specific court case on the cost of clothing, and it failed the requirement that the expenditure needs to be wholly and exclusively for business purposes. And that case (Mallalieu v Drummond if you need to know) was concerned with a deduction for a self employed person.

For an employee, and ERT has indicated in previous posts that he is, the requirement is "wholly, exclusively and necessarily" so there's even less chance

And his query was about paying for it himself, not having it paid for by a company.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

That explains that then!