MPs Expenses - Tax Deductible?

[Emigre]

OK, so we've read all about the claims these MPs have been making and being paid for ultimately by the taxpayer BUT...are all these expenses able to be set off against income? Are they tax deductible? Or do we once again have one rule for them and something else for the rest of us?

How are they recorded on their SARs?

[NeverGoPermy]

OK, so we've read all about the claims these MPs have been making and being paid for ultimately by the taxpayer BUT...are all these expenses able to be set off against income? Are they tax deductible? Or do we once again have one rule for them and something else for the rest of us?

How are they recorded on their SARs?

I'd have to say it's be one rule for them another rule for us.

I work in Norway, and bought a bike to cycle to and from the office, but I can't claim that as a business expense.

I bet you that a politician has, or has done something similar and claimed it successfully.

[Emigre]

I'd have to say it's be one rule for them another rule for us.

I work in Norway, and bought a bike to cycle to and from the office, but I can't claim that as a business expense.

I bet you that a politician has, or has done something similar and claimed it successfully.

In Uk you can claim 20p per business mile for using a bicycle! The obvious politicians who use bikes here are Boris Johnson and David Cameron - must be a Tory thing.

[NeverGoPermy]

In Uk you can claim 20p per business mile for using a bicycle! The obvious politicians who use bikes here are Boris Johnson and David Cameron - must be a Tory thing.

Yeah, I'm offsetting the milege.

But, I only use my bike for business travel (as I live in the UK and travel to Norway soly to work). The reason I can't claim it on expenses is I can't prove it's soley for business use, which is rubbish really, because how can you prove that I'm not?

You can off-set your phone bill(s), which could be used for business as well as non-business reasons, and no-one bats an eyelid.

And what about MP's claiming that they need to refunish their second homes with lavish expensive wallpaper, TV's and whatnot?

I can gaurantee you that if I tried to offset say for example some new bedding for my temp. accomodation out here in Norway, or a new TV that I would be shafted by the taxman.

Double standards.

Ooops, sorry that was a bit of a rant!!

</rant>

I'm going home soon, then taking best part of 10 days off, think I need it!!!

[Emigre]

Watching porn movies on a 42" plasma in the back room of your sisters house is clearly wholly, exclusively, and necessarily required for the proper performance of an MPs duties.

Sorry, but wallpaper is wallpaper - lavish or not

[ASB]

OK, so we've read all about the claims these MPs have been making and being paid for ultimately by the taxpayer BUT...are all these expenses able to be set off against income? Are they tax deductible? Or do we once again have one rule for them and something else for the rest of us?

How are they recorded on their SARs?

Parliament has it's own pages in the SA forms..

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/sa102mp.pdf
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/worksheets/sa102mp-notes.pdf

There is also a booklet which they don't publish except on request.....

[Emigre]

Parliament has it's own pages in the SA forms..

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/sa102mp.pdf
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/worksheets/sa102mp-notes.pdf

There is also a booklet which they don't publish except on request.....

So they get their own "don't look too closely at my expenses" tax return or the "I'm your boss, if you know what's good for you, you will just accept my tax return".

I'm looking for the "Puke" emoticon...

[Little'Old Me]

So they get their own "don't look too closely at my expenses" tax return or the "I'm your boss, if you know what's good for you, you will just accept my tax return".

I'm looking for the "Puke" emoticon...

Its all Civil Servants! A few years ago, I was responsible for checking and paying certain "Crown Employees" (easier term than Civil Servants), expense claims. During this time I had a client "investigated" by HMRC. During one conversation, the HM Inspector decided to disallow all the subsistence records which did not have a receipt. My Client had paid for them with his "delta card" and thought having the bank statement record of each transaction was good enough. (Each transaction was under £5 and could be tied to a "job" due to the location etc)..... Also I knew the Crown Employees received fixed allowances, based on location and timings. They were only required to keep receipts if they exceeded the amount of the allowance, so as the amounts involved where small I was happy to claim the transactions for him. (He was self-employed). I pointed this out the the HM Inspector, only to be told, that it is not relevant. Just because they (HMIT) are allowed to claim without receipts it does not mean other can too!!!

The HMIT did not get away with that argument, but it cost my client for me to fight such a petty argument!

Does anyone remember a certain senior Civil Servant who claimed her family holiday just because she took a day out to do some "govt business". She repaid what she considered to be the personal part - but if she had been a Company employee, the whole lot would have been a BIK as the holiday had been booked first and so the "business part" would have been incidental. For that reason it should not have been allowable! (Has anyone tried to claim for a partner accompanying them on a business trip? MP's, Civil Servants etc are allowed to claim for them too.)

[ASB]

Has anyone tried to claim for a partner accompanying them on a business trip? MP's, Civil Servants etc are allowed to claim for them too.

Yes sucessfully. Mrs ASB came to SAF for 3 weeks with me years ago. I happened to have a few meetings there at the time. I put down the extra cost of hotels as a BIK and ot went through an investigation. If you don't try you never know your luck....

[Little'Old Me]

Yes sucessfully. Mrs ASB came to SAF for 3 weeks with me years ago. I happened to have a few meetings there at the time. I put down the extra cost of hotels as a BIK and ot went through an investigation. If you don't try you never know your luck....

You said the extra costs as a BIK?

She didn't accompany you and give you support when you had to go out with the people you had meetings with?

I have yet to see anyone except Crown Employees allowed it as totally tax fee. In theory anyone should be able to claim it, if its essential your partner accompanies you and its not polite to go without them! But then it only seems to be Crown Employees that have to attend events that they can't go to alone and need to have their partner with them.