OT interesting side effect of covid

[Geoff Parkstone]

He’s an accountant, Adi...probably on ‘expenses’.

Its my own business, donut!! No such thing as "expenses" as it comes out of my pocket one way or tother But of course subsistence is tax deductible, but only to the tune of £5 of it - still that saved £ 2-10.

[Geoff Parkstone]

GP, get your lad to go into a local boozer. He might not have friends/acquaintances there now but he never will if he doesn't venture out.

Visiting local bars in the East of Amsterdam as well as City Centre ones was how I got to know a lot of people when I moved to Amsterdam some 36 years ago. Through those people I got to know people who played rugby or football or cricket and that got me to the sport clubs to play again. You get out of life what you put into it. If he stays at home he isn't going to get to know anybody local.

Meant as advice to, not criticism of, your lad.

I entirely agree with the sentiment MA, but I know from my own experience of London full time commuting that you tend to have your beers after work, before you come home, thus get home at 10pm and don't want to drink locally under normal circumstances. In these strange times your advice is sound but the boozers look toxic and the majority of his neighbours do not drink alcohol on religious grounds. Such is the result of diversity taken to an extreme, such that its not diversity

[ramAnag]

Its my own business, donut!! No such thing as "expenses" as it comes out of my pocket one way or tother But of course subsistence is tax deductible, but only to the tune of £5 of it - still that saved £ 2-10.

It was a joke...but ‘of course subsistence is tax deductible’...why?
Not something I know anything about, but it isn’t for everyone is it?

[Geoff Parkstone]

if you are working away from your normal place of work, then travel and limited subsistence is tax deductible against your business profits, but only "reasonable amounts" -no champagne and caviar. For instance if I were working in London, which is not where my office is, then I can claim tax deduction for getting to the client/place of work and the cost of any meals or overnight accomodation. You cant claim for entertaining though.

This would be so for any self employed person / sole trader. For employees then their employer would reimburse these "away from office"costs and claim tax deductibility in the company tax return.

If you are working in your normal place of work, neither self employed nor employed can claim cost of meals

So it is, in effect, not the same for everyone - you either pay your own and claim restricted tax deduction or your employer reimburses and claims it. Personally I'd sooner have an employer pay all of it, than foot the bill myself and only effectively get 42% back.

So yes, as you infer, the average "bloke with a job" is by and large better treated when working away from his natural place of work.

Although I guess teachers get to eat free school meals, every day, regardless of whether they are working away so they get the best of all worlds! Always assuming the school meals are tolerable? or were you taxed on the meal as a benefit in kind in your past career.

There you go, tax tutorial 1.01

[MadAmster]

Although I guess teachers get to eat free school meals, every day, regardless of whether they are working away so they get the best of all worlds! Always assuming the school meals are tolerable? or were you taxed on the meal as a benefit in kind in your past career.

Different country I know but I had to pay for my own lunch when I was teaching.........

[Geoff Parkstone]

quite rightly so, but I presume it was not forced on you and that you could bring a sandwich

[ramAnag]

if you are working away from your normal place of work, then travel and limited subsistence is tax deductible against your business profits, but only "reasonable amounts" -no champagne and caviar. For instance if I were working in London, which is not where my office is, then I can claim tax deduction for getting to the client/place of work and the cost of any meals or overnight accomodation. You cant claim for entertaining though.

This would be so for any self employed person / sole trader. For employees then their employer would reimburse these "away from office"costs and claim tax deductibility in the company tax return.

If you are working in your normal place of work, neither self employed nor employed can claim cost of meals

So it is, in effect, not the same for everyone - you either pay your own and claim restricted tax deduction or your employer reimburses and claims it. Personally I'd sooner have an employer pay all of it, than foot the bill myself and only effectively get 42% back.

So yes, as you infer, the average "bloke with a job" is by and large better treated when working away from his natural place of work.

Although I guess teachers get to eat free school meals, every day, regardless of whether they are working away so they get the best of all worlds! Always assuming the school meals are tolerable? or were you taxed on the meal as a benefit in kind in your past career.

There you go, tax tutorial 1.01

POI...teachers are only entitled to ‘eat free school meals’ when they are on ‘dinner duty’ (supervising a very large number of pupils over lunch time) or possibly - depending on the head - if they have run a lunchtime club...but thanks for the ‘tax tutorial’.

Officially I was also allowed to claim a mileage allowance when conducting home visits or attending meetings at Area Office etc...rarely did though.

[swaledale]

You might want to invest in some tupperware, you'll save a fortune!

I'm amazed, my daughter works in London and apart from the occasional coffee and after work drink makes all her won food and takes it to work, I've always done the same unless I could claim on expenses!

[Geoff Parkstone]

I think the key word here, Swale, is "work". When you are in your own office, wherever that may be, brown bagging it is fine. When you are freelancing, meeting clients at a high level in their offices / boardroom it doesn't look great to pull out your tupperware box of marmite sandwiches.

[macstheman]

Marmite, yuk yuk yuk!!
Give me a hot Bovril anytime!!