Quick question re working away

mini_schnauzer

Hello

I am having to work 300 miles away from the office for 2 days (3 nights).
I have no family or neighbours that will be able to look after my 2 dogs. Is it allowable to claim for the cost there stay in kennels?

Thanks

Rachel

Not sure but if they were children I bet it wouldn't be

Rinske

You put your kids in the kennel?

Rachel

yeah all the time - great playhouse

Claire321

I think you should be able to claim especially if you don't normally work away from home.

T.C.

Are we talking self-employed here, or working for a company? Who are you claiming the expenses from, employer or HMRC? HMRC will always argue place of work rules.

mini_schnauzer

A small limited company, that I am a director.
I think it is a justified expense, but I do not want to put through this entry in reclaiming the cost if it is not allowed.

Dean

Do you need your dogs to perform your duties as an employee?

mini_schnauzer

No, which is why I am putting them into a kennel.

Dean

Ok, the delicate point I am making is that if you can answer that question with a straight no, why do you think the Revenue will allow you tax relief for the cost? You do not fulfil the conditions of wholly, exclusively & necessary.

You say you are the director of the company; are you also the shareholder? If you are just the director, you could have it specified in your contract of employment that your employer requires you to be away from home and will have to foot the bill for kennel costs but I fear that will only create a benefit in kind for you.

If it’s your own company and therefore also the shareholder, I’d forget the idea and increase the price of the work you do to cover the costs, if that’s what you wish to do.

Claire321

A director at the company I work for had to work away for one night, which she would never normally need to do, so it was a one-off.

She claimed was a childminder over night and for the two half days that she was travelling there and back, as she was required to work away when it's not part of her contract / a usual occurance.

Dean

She may well have claimed for it; the costs she would have incured would have been reimbursed in such a way as to be added to her gross pay. Therefore, she would have paid tax and national insurance on it or at least should have done.

Your company would then have had the deduction of "expenses" but actually it was additional gross pay - hence no benefit in kind on the employee.

Monsoon

I agree with Dean on this. There is nothing stopping someone being paid extra to cover incidental costs if the other party (employer or client) agrees, but these won't be tax free payments (if an employee)/ the incidental costs themselves (such as pet sitting) won't be a deductible expense.

coojee

This discussion reminds me of Gordon Brown and the cleaner. He said he needed a cleaner because his wife works and he's got children, therefore he feels the tax payer should foot the bill. I think most of us are in exactly the same situation that we have to go out to work and therefore feel that we might need a cleaner but we don't expect anyone other than ourselves to pay for it.

If your employer chooses to re imburse you then that's fine but it should go on your P11d as a benefit. It can't be tax deductible as it doesn't pass the wholly, necessarily and exclusively test.

Lots of people have to put their children in nursery in order to go to work but they aren't entitled to tax relief on the expense. (Although I do find this odd as I think it does pass the WEN test, why else would you put your children in nursery?You're wholly doing it because you're working, you're exclusively doing it whilst at work and it's necessary cos the law says you can't leave young children home alone)

deanshepherd

But it's not incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily 'in the performance of your duties'..

monkeypuzzle47

with regards to the mini schnauzer collecting mine in june.

this is purely for cpd purposes/stress management purposes.

can i claim against the tax? lol

mini_schnauzer

What you gonna call him/her?

Sure claim the cost of the dog against the tax - very honest reason, if it helps you to de stress...

(I am joking before you all launch at me)

monkeypuzzle47

thats funny,

and security for the home office.lol

mini_schnauzer

Yep, office security. Mine sleep under my desk whilst I work protecting me, and they are great when the office supplies delivery man comes to deliver - I feel very safe, so money well spent!

Unfortunately they would probably only lick them!

payrollpro

This looks clear to me, of course the payment can be made, but the real question is can I get it tax free!!

The answer is no, Dean is absolutely right, if it is WEN then its allowed but if not then no. Yes the position is slightly more relaxed if it is sole trader or simply shareholder but generally if you can argue WEN then it satisfies everyone.

The problem is that children in a nursery or animals in care are in order to put yourself in a position to work and not critical to the work itself. In this case there are exemptions, the travel to the temporary place of work, the specific exemptions for registered childcare and vouchers, but the key point is that HMRC are not going to allow it.

If it is really an issue, charge it to the company, put it on P11D and pay tax on it, or if you want the company to fund it all then try a PSA if HMRC will wear it.

Payrollpro