'Have you ever fiddled your expenses?' poll discussion

Former_MSE_Lawrence

This week's poll: Vote here or discuss below

Have you ever fiddled your expenses?

If you get expenses from work (or self employed people using expenses for tax returns), are you always scrupulously honest? Which of these is closest to your situation?

Couldn't if I wanted to. I’ve never worked in a job with expenses

Work in the public sector (ie NHS, teacher, civil servant)

Yes. I've used false receipts, worked the system, got the max.
At the edges. I've bumped up the odd taxi receipt and similar.
Very minor. I may have taken a few pencils home without permission, but not much more.
Never. I've always been scrupulously honest on it – unless specifically permitted I don't do it.

Work in the private sector (for a company big or small)

Yes. I've used false receipts, worked the system, got the max.
At the edges. I've bumped up the odd taxi receipt and similar
Very minor. I may have taken a few pencils home without permission, but not much more
Never. I've always been scrupulously honest on it – unless specifically permitted I don't do it.

Please vote here, or click 'post reply' to discuss below. Thanks

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Saucepot

I had one job where my boss took me to one side and asked me to fiddle my expenses. My monthly claim looked the odd one out so he showed me how to revise it upward. I hadn't been in the job long.

It's easier for the accountants if you round things up, by all accounts.

Bazey

I've voted....what do I win???

jnrm24

There wasn't a button for claiming less than you are entitled to. I would have chosen that one and I'm sure others would have as well.

DrZoops

I once had a taxi-driver offer to give me a falsely inflated receipt so that I could claim extra expenses. I politely declined. I am an honest person so it wouldn't have felt right.

foreign_correspondent

jnrm24 wrote: »

There wasn't a button for claiming less than you are entitled to. I would have chosen that one and I'm sure others would have as well.

yes, me too - I have often either forgotten to claim, or the amount has been so small that I haven't bothered, or I have bought bits and bobs and just thought of it as a donation.

luxor4t

jnrm24 wrote: »

There wasn't a button for claiming less than you are entitled to. I would have chosen that one and I'm sure others would have as well.

I'm in the public sector (school) and have to buy equipment eg pens, pencils, display material, etc which is not refunded and there is no procedure to claim a refund.

Nessynoo

I work in Local Gov and have voted "never". Not when I'm a Fraud Investigator!!! No way. not worth it.

Tupperware_Queen

I voted very minor. Last year I had some paperwork to print off, with a very short deadline, I printed it off at work

(I did ask my boss, and as she pointed out, we often do work at home so it's only payback)

As for travel expenses, if anything I probably claim under. I often do several visits in a day, but there is never enough room on the form, and I am never quite sure of the actual mileage, so I usually just put the first and last on. Also, I only ever claim parking if I have the receipt, but one carpark I reguarly have to use swallows the ticket on the way out, but doesn't give an option to retain a receipt.

I work for the NHS btw

crystalsinger

I work for a government department, if I fiddled expenses I would be sacked, just not worth it! Besides which, like above, I investigate fraud, it just wouldnt be right.

Unicornucopia

I've worked in both sectors but have now taken early retirement (prudent pension planning!). As a manager I never dreamt of fiddling my expenses but I did take pens, pads and paper home from work - after all, I usually spent three or four hours a night of unpaid overtime and so needed the materials to get the work done! I used to have the option of taking Time Off In Lieu for unpaid overtime but I never found time to take it and after three years with three months worth of accumulated untaken TOIL I decided it wasn't even worth recording something I would never benefit from.

Oh, and like others posting on here I also had many instances of never bothering to claim for mileage and work-related expenditure. Makes me mad when I read of politicians and others who are all more highly paid than I ever was yet claiming for every last penny!