What Constitutes a Valid Expense Receipt

CelticStar

Just doing my husband's (fairly simple) tax return but wondered if someone could clarify something for me.


In his stack of receipts he has included a few that are just PIN machine receipts - ie they don't give any breakdown of the goods/services purchased although it's clear from names of the shops he's bought from that they sell items related to his business. Am I right in thinking these can't be put through as expense deductions because there's no real 'proof' of what he's bought like there is with a proper printed till receipt? He isn't VAT registered so VAT isn't an issue.


Thanks in advance.

chrismac1

No you should claim for these as they are valid business expenses, especially as you have PIN receipts not just cash chits. Having said that, some HMRC numpties do go all the way to the Tribunals and even higher Courts attempting to disallow expenses not backed up by paper.

Like many of their colleagues such numpties stilll operate in the nineteenth century. The Tribunal judges operate in the 21st. HMRC lose these cases. Would they bring them if they had to risk their own personal money and not just taxpayers? I doubt it somehow.

agrinnall

If they are valid expenses then certainly claim for them, and hopefully you won't have any problem. But having recognised that there could be an issue perhaps you should impress on your husband that asking for a proper receipt will make life easier in the future.

CelticStar

Thank you both very much, that's really helpful.


That's interesting about the tribunals chrismac1.

Agrinall, rest assured my husband has had the need for proper receipts impressed upon him very firmly!

zygurat789

CelticStar wrote: »

Thank you both very much, that's really helpful.


That's interesting about the tribunals chrismac1.

Agrinall, rest assured my husband has had the need for proper receipts impressed upon him very firmly!

If he ever becomes VAT registered, then, every £24.00 business receipt which is not kept and filed is a loss of £4.00 in real money.

Savvy_Sue

I don't know if this is 'valid', but at work I sometimes submit receipts on which I have written what I bought if it's not clear from the bit of paper. Or if it's a claim from the petty cash tin then the 'chit' which goes in the tin will have a note of what it was for.

Most of our local shops only print the values of items purchased, rather than exactly what it was, and I'm not sure they'd be thrilled to be asked for a full receipt for every pint of milk, loaf of bread and lb of mince!