Can I Claim Travel and Lunch Expenses

Hi Experts

I'm a little confused about what expenses I can claim through my umbrella company. I'm pretty sure I can say my travel to work is an expense, but what about my lunch?

1. Can I really say my sandwiches are an expense?
2. If I spend £6 can I claim £10?

I don't get a receipt because the place I go just don't do them? Thanks for any help you can give me.

D

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Hi D

First off you need to define whether the workplace is actually a temporary workplace for tax purposes (your umbrella company should do this by way of an appraisal of the associated circumstances). If you are new to umbrella companies see this helpful article.

Depending on the outcome you may be eligible to reclaim the costs of your valid business expenses including but not limited to meal subsistence.

Unfortunately, you can't take sandwiches to work and claim them as an expense.

Unless of course claiming meals under a scale rate dispensation for which you absolutely must incur the cost of a meal to qualify. Why would you claim £10 for a meal expense when only incurring a cost of £6?

If the umbrella company has a policy that says that you don't need to send receipts in to them, you should still retain ALL receipts for future auditing purposes. Be very wary of any umbrella company that says that you don't need receipts when claiming expenses as this simply is not the case!

10 questions to ask an umbrella company.

It will be down to you to substantiate your expenses claims with HMRC if ever required to do so, so its very important to ensure that you have ALL supporting receipts/documenation in this regard and only claim for the amounts you actually incur.

I am sure that if you ask the nice chap or chapess behind the counter at the place where you incur your expenses to write you a receipt they will, but if they won't go shop somewhere else that WILL provide you with a receipt.
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Ky Smith (MD)
GoUmbrella