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Claiming certification exam fees as expenses

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    #11
    Originally posted by TheFaQQer View Post
    So, what do you do and what are you trying to expense?
    I'm helpdesk/desktop support, and I wanted to take (at least some of) MCSA Windows 7, MCSA Server 2008, Comptia Linux+ and Network+.

    The Win 7 and the Linux would basically just be a rubber stamp of things I know now, whereas the Server and the Network+ would take more study, but I would still be filling gaps in my existing experience as opposed to starting from scratch. So as far as I can see, none of the exam fees would be capital spending because I'd just be certifying skills I already had, at the point when I sat that exam. Whereas taking a course or buying a textbook would be, so I'd only try to expense the exams.

    As far as I understood from Malvolio, I could only legitimately expense them if they were listed as requirements by my next client, and I'm still not sure if it makes a difference if I take the exams before hearing about that particular piece of work, or before setting up my company.
    Last edited by moyabrit; 29 January 2015, 17:36.

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      #12
      Personally, I don't think looking at single contract requirements in isolation is helpful.

      You need to look at the bigger picture. What is your business? If it's providing software development services and you already know language X, then language Y starts getting popular and lots of work is coming up I'd have no problems claiming for a course on language Y if it helped bring in more business.

      On the other hand, if I decided to branch out and offer something completely different, say, photography, then I don't think a photography course would be claimable - it's not yet part of your trade. But if, having paid for a course personally, I ended up getting lots of business, I would then have no concern about putting further training or photography courses through the business.

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        #13
        Originally posted by moyabrit View Post
        I'm helpdesk/desktop support, and I wanted to take (at least some of) MCSA Windows 7, MCSA Server 2008, Comptia Linux+ and Network+.

        The Win 7 and the Linux would basically just be a rubber stamp of things I know now, whereas the Server and the Network+ would take more study, but I would still be filling gaps in my existing experience as opposed to starting from scratch. So as far as I can see, none of the exam fees would be capital spending because I'd just be certifying skills I already had, at the point when I sat that exam. Whereas taking a course or buying a textbook would be, so I'd only try to expense the exams.

        As far as I understood from Malvolio, I could only legitimately expense them if they were listed as requirements by my next client, and I'm still not sure if it makes a difference if I take the exams before hearing about that particular piece of work, or before setting up my company.
        I think it would be a particularly narrow view which says not to claim them - the things you are talking about are all related to your business, so I would have no qualms about claiming the training and certification if I was in your position.
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          #14
          I've only ever did one training course about 17 years ago and claimed the cost back as the point was to make myself more marketable. In hindsight, it didn't bring any more business and I realised shortly afterwards that experience on the job was more effective than any amount of training courses.

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            #15
            Originally posted by Batcher View Post
            I've only ever did one training course about 17 years ago and claimed the cost back as the point was to make myself more marketable. In hindsight, it didn't bring any more business and I realised shortly afterwards that experience on the job was more effective than any amount of training courses.
            I went to Goa for three weeks for my training
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              #16
              Every technical consultancy company trains their staff in new technical skills and pay for those courses, of course it will be allowable. Most of us are multi-skilled consultants.

              Also I once took a training course before the incorporation of my company and my accountant (one of the reputable ones) told me I could back claim for such expenses. There was a time limit I think about how far back you can go (maybe 3 months) but cant remember for sure

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                #17
                Originally posted by JoJoGabor View Post
                Every technical consultancy company trains their staff in new technical skills and pay for those courses
                You're not comparing like with like, though - in the case of larger organisations, it's much easier to show that they already have the work so therefore training a new skill isn't a problem.

                When I was permie, I did a load of Java training because there was lots of Java work around. I never used it, but I was trained because the company already had the work and might have needed me to pick some of it up.
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