Value of expenses when staying away on business?

trailingspouse

Sandwiches from the service station, eaten on the move. 5 course meal in Milan with all the trimmings, plus the taxi from the hotel and back (40 miles each way). All perfectly fine. What matters more is whether you can justify the cost yourself, as a director of your own Limited Company. It all comes off your bottom line, and if you can't afford it/can't justify it then you shouldn't do it, regardless of the tax position.

paddyrg

Not terribly MSE but I will tend to stay at whichever decent (4*-ish typically, not bothered about the stars themselves, just the facilities) hotel is closest to where I need to be (not on some outskirt, but ideally right in to of the job), and can justify it - on work days I may be doing 14-16hrs so don't want to add travel time, and I don't want to be woken by stag parties more common at cheaper hotels, I may need a rem service meal in the middle of the night, and hunting for vending machines isn't really the same.

What's appropriate for one person/job may be wholly inappropriate for others. If I was having a lunchtime meeting somewhere cheap with a nearby holiday in express, that would be appropriate. If I'm doing 14h days for a month in zone 1, every waking moment will count!

cazziebo

paddyrg wrote: »

Lol - but if for instance you've no choice but to eat in a restaurant as you can't be expected to cook for yourself in a hotel room...

Mind you I'm sure there are people on this site who'll boil kippers in a hotel kettle!

And I'm sure I've stayed in the room next to them! :rotfl::rotfl: