"Reasonable" mourners expenses

g6jns_2

comeandgo wrote: »

Maybe our understanding of the word wake is the problem? I take a wake to mean mourning prior to burial so not allowable?

A good point. I think the term has been mis-used, and I include myself, to mean a post funeral social gathering. In fact it refers to a pre funeral gathering. The word means to keep watch so it can also mean a vigil before the funeral.

ferger

I think that strictly you're right - but nowadays it seems to be commonly used to mean 'post-funeral session', which is how I meant it. But HMRC are never going to extend the words beyond 'refreshments for mourners after the service' :-)

My understanding - based entirely on hearsay - was always that funeral expenses were allowable, but nothing beyond that. I was quite surprised to read the words in the IHT400 guidance last night, hence the original question.

ferger

Heh. Snap, G6

troubleinparadise

ferger wrote: »

Well, the guidance notes for the IHT400 quite specifically reference as allowable:

"refreshments provided for the mourners after the service"

So it's hard to see that only costs directly attributable to the funeral itself will be entertained.

And the estate is over the IHT threshold, so it does matter!

I completed the IHT400 as the estate was over the threshold, and listed (with copy of receipts) the funeral tea costs - which weren't queried, although a couple of other figures were, elsewhere in the return - so it obviously the whole return had been scrutinised closely.

getmore4less

£13pp is reasonable a basic catered event with sarnies and tea would be £6-£10pp anyway.

picking a random caterer from a google search for funeral catering.

They offer £5-£13 so £13 with some alcohol is well within the norm

http://www.redcherrycatering.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=13


We used the single billing service out FD offered for no extra charge(no discount for not using it), they collect all invoices for catering, flowers etc. sending a single collated invoice for payment.

IF HMRC are not happy they will let you know

Probably reasonable to have the invoice mention numbers to put the total in context.

Mattygroves2

Claimed for the cost of the wake without any problems two years ago. It got listed separately in the "other costs" box in the funeral costs section (question 81 then) so very easily identifiable. The estate was well over the IHT level so someone would have looked at it.