Expenses: Self employed

Keensaver

Hi,

Are you able to claim food/accomodation costs (purely for myself)for trips associated to your business...such as courses for professional development?

Thanks

PlutoinCapricorn

I would say no, because you are not actually performing your business.

Professional development is voluntary, and is not wholly and exclusively in connection with your trade.

chrismac1

I would say - maybe. Let me give you two clear-cut examples.

I have an electician Domestic Installer client who spends a lot on maintaining and refreshing his knowledge. This is allowable. But as another clear-cut example, the costs of exam fees and courses of someone training to qualify as an accountant are not.

Broadly, costs spent maintaining an existing qualification are fine, costs spent developing yourself into a new qualification or field of work are not. In the middle there is a potentially big grey area, which is why there have been a lot of these cases at the tax Tribunals. Where I have clients claiming such "grey area" costs:

1. They are aware of the risk.
2. They are aware of the main arguments we are relying on to class them as valid expenses.