Business Travel

[Froggers]

Hi all

I work as an engineer on a full time basis for a UK company.

My home address is in the Republic of Ireland however I work for a UK company as I have mentioned and the address I use for PAYE etc that I have registered with the revenue is for a home I have in London.

I work in the USA for extended periods during the year for which the company pays my expenses. I work from the London office for around 1 month per year and I was wondering if I can claim travel expenses from my employer for travelling to and from work when in London along with meals expenses whilst in London also.

I usually only spend Christmas and maybe one other week of the year in Ireland.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Caspar]

I think you would need to phone HMRC and clarify this with them. As you own the London property, although not your main residence, this could be deemed as you travelling to work from home, which isn't usually allowed. And as you are there for more than a few days, and it happens every year, this could be deemed a regular work pattern.

 

[Mitchells Bristol]

I was wondering if I can claim travel expenses from my employer for travelling to and from work when in London along with meals expenses whilst in London also.

I disagree with the previous answer - you would have to ask your employer whether this is in line with their expense policy and whether you can claim these costs from them.

 

[Caspar]

I wasn't really looking at the employers expense policy here, I was looking more at the tax scenario as, employees travel from home to work is not allowed for tax purposes with HMRC, as tax advantages could be being being given to the employee for something that he should be being taxed on. And my understanding was that the question was really about getting tax free expenses (reading between the lines).

There are exceptions to this rule, but being in a place for a whole month, and doing this annually, would seem part of a normal work pattern to me, and being that he owns the house in London being his home for the month. I believe it is a fine line thing that should be checked first. As it may well be that it does indeed fall under the temporary place of work rules, which HMRC would be able to clarify. See Below:

EIM32356 - Travel expenses: travel in the performance of the duties: home to work travel

Section 337 ITEPA 2003

The Courts have established as a clear general principle that the cost of travelling from an employee's home to his or her normal place of work is not travel in the performance of the duties, see EIM31650. The expense merely puts the employee into a position to perform his or her duties.