Conflicting advice from accountant on PCP

[ckms]

My accountant advised me earlier this year that in addition to expensing 45p per mile for travel to client co offices that I can put the monthly amount through the company as a business expense.

Now, 5 months on a different accountant at the same firm has emailed to apologise for her colleague's mistake.

I'd have thought this was a simple "Yes/No" answer to whether or not I can claim. Who is correct in this instance - my accountant or my accountant('s colleagues)?

[northernladuk]

A personal lease isn't a business expense surely.

[fatJock]

I read it as invoicing customer on one hand as billable but then personally expensing and reimbursing via an expenses account or similar. As far as I'm aware that's totally legit.

Edit: my bad, re-read, putting through personal PCP. I lease and just expense business miles - some I can invoice, some I can't. OP would have to lease via company and attract BIK etc.

[l35kee]

My accountant advised me earlier this year that in addition to expensing 45p per mile for travel to client co offices that I can put the monthly amount through the company as a business expense.

Now, 5 months on a different accountant at the same firm has emailed to apologise for her colleague's mistake.

I'd have thought this was a simple "Yes/No" answer to whether or not I can claim. Who is correct in this instance - my accountant or my accountant('s colleagues)?

Yeah you can't do that. You leased the car, not your company. If the lease had the business name on you could, but that would incur NI I believe, and I don't think you could claim mileage back (disclaimer: someone else should probably confirm this though).

[washed up contractor]

Change your accountants. If they cant get basic stuff like this right, I dread to think what they'd make of your accounts.

[ckms]

Incidentally the name of the accountant is Boox. I've been with them since I started contracting 3 years ago. Anyone else use them?

[northernladuk]

Surely after three years you should know the difference between a personal and a business expense enough to question it back then?

[ckms]

Of course I questioned it back then. A colleague of my accountant was covering and noticed the error

[Patrick@Intouch]

The cost of leasing the car is a personal one and is most likely the most efficient method of paying for the vehicle, not incurring a taxable benefit in kind by having the company pay for the car...

As you are leasing this personally then you can claim the mileage at HMRC's approved rates of 45p per mile for the first 10,000 mile and 25p per mile thereafter.

You can claim the mileage from your company, this will be a cost to yourco and in addition recharge this expense to your client, assuming there is an agreement in place to do so. In this way yourco will have matching turnover and costs and you avoid your client repaying expenses directly to you.