Self Employed Locum - can I add transport costs to my expenses

RKO1

For example

If I travel to different locations each day of the week or same location twice a week. If I use public transport can I add this to expenses?

If yes, in London. What's the best way to claim receipts when using contactless?

DullGreyGuy

Speak to your accountant?

It's not as simple as it used to be and HMRC look at these things closer now. Used to be you declared home as your permanent office and as long as you weren't sticking with a client for over 2 years their offices were temporary and so you expensed travel. Now advice is that if all the clients are in the same area even if not the same building then HMRC is likely to treat them as one and so also your permanent office. How widely different the address need to be to be considered independent isn't clear.

As to evidence... a colleague, retightening of the rules used to a "work oyster" and used the receipts for topping it up in a tube station as the evidence

RKO1

DullGreyGuy said:

Speak to your accountant?

It's not as simple as it used to be and HMRC look at these things closer now. Used to be you declared home as your permanent office and as long as you weren't sticking with a client for over 2 years their offices were temporary and so you expensed travel. Now advice is that if all the clients are in the same area even if not the same building then HMRC is likely to treat them as one and so also your permanent office. How widely different the address need to be to be considered independent isn't clear.

As to evidence... a colleague, retightening of the rules used to a "work oyster" and used the receipts for topping it up in a tube station as the evidence

I plan to do my own taxes so I don't have an accountant

Marcon

RKO1 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Speak to your accountant?

It's not as simple as it used to be and HMRC look at these things closer now. Used to be you declared home as your permanent office and as long as you weren't sticking with a client for over 2 years their offices were temporary and so you expensed travel. Now advice is that if all the clients are in the same area even if not the same building then HMRC is likely to treat them as one and so also your permanent office. How widely different the address need to be to be considered independent isn't clear.

As to evidence... a colleague, retightening of the rules used to a "work oyster" and used the receipts for topping it up in a tube station as the evidence

I plan to do my own taxes so I don't have an accountant

Suggest you get one, at least to set you up on the right path. Looking at your other threads eg https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6510275/first-time-as-self-employed-optician-locum-any-tips-before-starting-how-to-declare-tax-etc#latest you are completely out of your depth (as are many people when they first go self employed!) and sorting out the mess at a later date will be far more complicated and expensive than getting it right from the outset.

amanda1024

I download my contactless journey/payment history from TfL as the receipt - highlighting specific journeys where necessary. But I only generally claim for travel to/from Heathrow as part of an international trip rather than to/between different parts of London

mybestattempt

I see from your earlier thread that you will be starting as a locum optician next month.

At this stage I would agree that you get some initial advice from an accountant which should include how to keep precise records of all business related expenses as well as dates and address of each engagement with each client.

The rules about what travel expenses are allowable will depend on how the business operates so at this stage it isn't possible to be precise about you will be able to claim.

Consequently, having an accountant to help with and/or prepare your first tax return would be advisable.