Help with being victimized by account dept in work

deefadog

Hi all, hope some one can guide me in the right direction,

All out business trips are expensed in work on our credit cards, now my account team has turned around and said because i lost the itemized recipe for a business lunch that i will have to pay for it out of my own pocket! (All this was done verbally with no HR present, so can be all denied if needed)

This has never bee a rule in the past and you provided itemized recipes whenever you can and i have.

We were told about this and 2 days later an email was sent around the company stating this rule! - A bit coincidental if you ask me

Now if we are forced to pay this back how do i fight this or make sure that i am not being singled out and everyone else has had to pay theirs? How can i arrange an internal audit?

ILW

deefadog wrote: »

Hi all, hope some one can guide me in the right direction,

All out business trips are expensed in work on our credit cards, now my account team has turned around and said because i lost the itemized recipe for a business lunch that i will have to pay for it out of my own pocket! (All this was done verbally with no HR present, so can be all denied if needed)

This has never bee a rule in the past and you provided itemized recipes whenever you can and i have.

We were told about this and 2 days later an email was sent around the company stating this rule! - A bit coincidental if you ask me

Now if we are forced to pay this back how do i fight this or make sure that i am not being singled out and everyone else has had to pay theirs? How can i arrange an internal audit?

They will be required by HMRC to produce receipts if required. If you cannot produce them you could well be liable to pay tax on the expense anyway.

It is standard procedure so stop being paranoic.

cr1mson

I would have always expect to have to provide itemised receipts on request for any expense claims whether on company credit card or not. Some places I worked I didn't have to provide them they just had to be available on request although given accounts noticed was missing clear that you are expected to provide them too.

Sounds like a standard procedure to me that maybe they have been lax in enforcing in past but certainly wouldn't be taking it personally.

trailingspouse

If you used your credit card then there should be a record of the transaction on the credit card account. This is proof that the transaction took place, which might be all you need. However, you'll have to approach them calmly, acknowledging the fact that you lost the receipt, and suggest it as an alternative form of proof. You'll have to get past the person in accounts whose job it is to stick to the rules and only deal with receipted expenditure.
Or alternatively, they really are out to get you...

Wywth

You are Paul White and I claim my £5 :cool:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9681109/Lord-Hanningfield-spent-public-money-at-luxury-hotels-in-India-China-and-Bahamas.html

Jox

Can you ask the restaurant for another copy of the receipt?

Mistral001

deefadog wrote: »

Hi all, hope some one can guide me in the right direction,

All out business trips are expensed in work on our credit cards, now my account team has turned around and said because i lost the itemized recipe for a business lunch that i will have to pay for it out of my own pocket! (All this was done verbally with no HR present, so can be all denied if needed)

This has never bee a rule in the past and you provided itemized recipes whenever you can and i have.

We were told about this and 2 days later an email was sent around the company stating this rule! - A bit coincidental if you ask me

Now if we are forced to pay this back how do i fight this or make sure that i am not being singled out and everyone else has had to pay theirs? How can i arrange an internal audit?

Was it entertaining customers/clients? If it was, it would not be tax deductable so might have needed clearance first from firm.

ILW

trailingspouse wrote: »

If you used your credit card then there should be a record of the transaction on the credit card account. This is proof that the transaction took place, which might be all you need. However, you'll have to approach them calmly, acknowledging the fact that you lost the receipt, and suggest it as an alternative form of proof. You'll have to get past the person in accounts whose job it is to stick to the rules and only deal with receipted expenditure.
Or alternatively, they really are out to get you...

That would not be good enough for HMRC in terms of possible in income or VAT.

cannyscot_2

I'd agree probably someone just being a jobsworth and no victimisation .

The anser is simple-if it was communicated to you prior to you incurring the expense that you needed the receipt then you need it, if not the you don't. We put all this info in our company handbook which everyone is obliged to read -they don't always pay attention! so just check what you have /nadbook etc /look at expense fomrs info etc and check it was not communicated prior to meal and then polite note stating this and you expect to be paid should suffice.

trailingspouse

Agree, it wouldn't be enough for VAT purposes - but it simply means that VAT couldn't be reclaimed (and HMRC are hardly going to mind you not reclaiming the VAT). The OP is simply trying to get money reimbursed which he paid out on behalf of his employer - and yes, the employer would prefer the VAT receipt so that they could reclaim the VAT, of course. But in the absence of that, and if the OP approaches things in the right way, they might be prepared to accept his credit card statement as proof that the money was spent. It costs nothing to ask.

zzzLazyDaisy

I'd agree with checking your contract and employee handbook.

Very often companies send out memos to remind staff what is required of them, not because it is a new instruction, but because despite it being in the company documentation, employees are not doing what they are supposed to do.