I've recently become self employed and have found that I can deduct pretty much anything to do with my work from my tax bill, bar childcare costs. Given that childcare is pretty much a fundamental to working, if you have children, easily as much so as petrol or car insurance or a printer cartridge or whatever it might be, why is it not allowed as a business cost? (Sorry if have the jargon wrong).
This is also linked to what I thought at the time of the MP expense scandals. They were claiming legitimately for all sorts of things - cars houses duck houses decorating you name it. There was a female MP though who got told off for claiming for her nanny. Claiming for her cleaner, or gardener would have been fine. But not the nanny, and no-one in the papers seemed to question this rule. Surely in terms of enabling a woman to work (or enabling both parents to work if we want to put it properly!!!), a nanny or other childcare is absolutely essential. But it's not allowed.
Does anyone know WHY?
My guess is tradition, systems being set up to serve men, and possibly expense.
Has anyone ever questioned these rules, and if so does anyone know what the official response is? Because when you look at it without the filter of current practice on, it is totally illogical. It makes no sense.