HMRC SA: can I claim gifts and cash as an expense?

bp1234

Hi,
I am nearing the end of my tax retrurn online for 2010-2011 and there are a few things I'm not sure if I can claim. I've looked through the other posts but not sure.

Unfortunately when my last tennant moved out of my rented property, he left the garden full of rubbish - it took me, my husband and friends over 4 weekends to clear, he was a builder and never threw anything away so there were bricks, metal frames, mattresses, etc.

The same happened with the flat, it was left in an awful mess, so many trips to the dump and decorating etc. He also didn't pay his last months rent and in the end I was just pleased to be rid of him.

As friends ie some who are decorators etc. were helping me out I ended up giving them all about £150 each as a gesture and one couple helped so much I bought them away weekend in bath - hotel etc.

I obviously don't have any reciepts for any of this, apart from maybe the hotel in bath, can I claim? I probably paid out about £800 in cash to people. Looking back on it maybe it was a mistake on my part and should have paid tradesman but things needed to be done quickly and friends jumped to the rescue, there really was a lot of time put into, over 6 weeks work and my father a good few hours every day.

Can I claim any of it with no receipts?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

le_loup

Gifts and entertainment are not normally tax deductible. If they invoiced you for work done, that would be.

bp1234

oh goodness, really? so I can't claim for any of it. that's the last time I ask friends to help me out and then give them something as a gesture, probably would have been better paying out a bit more for tradesman, getting an invoice so I can claim it back.

Something to remember next time i suppose.

thanks anyway.

ManicMum

Can you get them to invoice you?

BoGoF

ManicMum wrote: »

Can you get them to invoice you?

Then they would need to declare it as income.

bp1234

yes, did think then they'd need to declare it as income and can't imagine none of them did as they were helping me out and I gave them the money as more as a thank you for helping get it done so quickly. did think maybe the hotel in bath for the weekend present could be used as i have a receipt for this but maybe not then.

have learnt from this i suppose.

le_loup

So, you thanked them.
Did you want the rest of us to thank them too ... by way of a tax refund for which we pay?
Better to feel good about rewarding 100% of their help rather than 80% 0r 60%.