Travel Expenses

[zeidman]

I have just started a limited company and have a question about travel expenses. I work out of my home office but regularly visit clients. Are all my train/tube fairs deductible? I was told that regular travel at commuting distances could not be claimed as an expense.

If this is true then is it not left up to a lot of interpretation? I mean a 1 hour tube journey to an office where you regularly work is clearly a commute but one off journeys to a client's site?

Thanks

David

 

[Red Eye Media]

If it is a business expense, I would say it's deductable.
You should get an accountant who can clarify this for you.
A train ride to see a client should be fully deductable but if you are driving a car that you use for personal use, your accountant will work out what sort of percentage of the cars use is for work and work out what's deductable.

I think this is how my accountant does it for us.

 

[RAL]

You should get an accountant who can clarify this for you.

It is good advice. I am not sure whether OP has an accountant as I have seen his post asking various questions from incorporation to vat etc in other forums.

 

[Maslins]

In short, your travel to the client should be an allowable expense. The client's premises is not your regular place of work (your home office is in this instance).

 

[taxattack]

I have just started a limited company and have a question about travel expenses. I work out of my home office but regularly visit clients. Are all my train/tube fairs deductible? I was told that regular travel at commuting distances could not be claimed as an expense.

If this is true then is it not left up to a lot of interpretation? I mean a 1 hour tube journey to an office where you regularly work is clearly a commute but one off journeys to a client's site?

Thanks

David

The company can reimburse you for the cost of travel a) incurred in the performance of your duties, or b) in travelling to or from a place you have to attend in the performance of your duties.

It therefore depends on your place of work being your home office, so that visiting client sites falls under b) above, which sounds as though it is the case.

It is correct that commuting to a regular place of work is not a deductible expense, unless it is a temporary workplace. For more (much more!) information and guidance, see HMRC booklet 490 http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/helpsheets/490.htm especially para 3.28.

Chris