Claming expenses back from the employer how old they can be?

columb

Hi,

I have some old unclaimed expenses (travel, meals etc). What's the maximum time I can claim them from my emplyer? A year? 6? 1 month? I'm guessing as I can't find anything on google

Would that be employer specific? Btw, I'm full time employee.

Many thanks!
Chris

jazabelle

I believe it's employer specific, as we have a month to claim ours back, and with a very good reason and management approval - two months.

Sambucus_Nigra

They have to be put against the tax year, so if they don't go past last April then there's no reason why they can't - apart from it will really annoy the accountants as they like to tot it up as they go and having a last minute claim [which should have been in last week] really sods up the accounts.

So, the answer is either 'it should have all been in by last week' or try and put them in tomorrow and see if you get them.

Usually, the process is monthly to allow for accurate accounting.

DCFC79

What does your contract say

Sambucus_Nigra

I've never had a contract that states expenses policy - there would probably be a policy available to the OP. It's about tax years so they need to be in before the year end.

DCFC79

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

I've never had a contract that states expenses policy - there would probably be a policy available to the OP. It's about tax years so they need to be in before the year end.

oh i didnt know that, i thought that would be in contract,

thanks

DVardysShadow

Legally, up to 6 years - in that if you can prove that you incurred an expense on behalf of your employer and that they should pay you back, then a court would rule in your favour up to 6 years later, regardless of employer policies.

columb

Thank you all very much. I will check tomorrow what's the policy is and if it differs to 6 year (which I heard somewhere before) I will ask them about it.
Not planing on the court drama, though

Where I could find some legal stuff about 6 years rule?

Kind Regards
Chris.

DVardysShadow

columb wrote: »

Where I could find some legal stuff about 6 years rule?

google statute of limitations - and be sure that you are looking at UK only sites.

Mudd14

I can only agree with DVS an Employment Tribunal would only look at contractual matters in regards to anything that is in the contract and any breach. A civil court would look at anything in the last 6 years, but you would have to pay the court fees (which could be added onto the claim amount if sucessful) where as an ET would not incur any fees under the current system.

Savvy_Sue

Make sure you've got a darned good reason for not having claimed them earlier. I can't think of one off-hand ... used to really p me off when my colleagues were 'too busy' to get their claims done in good time and I was being hassled to get the monthly figures done!

However, doing it by the end of the tax year isn't a strict necessity, because there's something called 'accruals', which means that income received or expenditure incurred in one financial year can be recorded in the accounts for the one before or the one after the one in which it actually happened. But generally the finance people prefer not to have to mess about that way if they don't have to!