Rain coat - business expense?

[mogs0]

I have just bought a rather expensive winter waterproof coat. I don't drive and have a long school run everyday. If I wasn't looking after other people's children I'd be able to get lifts to and from school during bad weather and wouldn't need a good quality waterproof so I feel the coat is a justifiable expense. Any thoughts?

Thanks

I don't think it is talking about clothes - just other stuff

Clothes are funny wrt tax - I wrote to them about it ages ago & I'm sure clothes were not on

The case in question is Mallelieu vs Drummond - there is some HMRC commentary on it here, which is quite definitive.

www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim37910.htm

Don't read it it's boring

But you can't claim clothes even if they are solely used for childminding

I read some of that but don't understand why the s/e interviewer can claim for a "lounge suit"!!

I wouldn't have bought the coat if it wasn't for the fact that I have to pick up childminded children from school 5 afternoons a week.

I think the reasoning is something like this:

Everyday clothes even if you wouldn't wear them normally cannot be deducted as a business expense because you could wear them normally. (Duality of purpose)

Overalls and uniforms etc that couldn't be worn in an every day context ARE a deductible expense because they can't be worn in an every day context. (No duality of purpose).

Sorry, got interrupted by phone before finishing the post and hit post accidentally.

The lounge suit is a bit funny because it's classed as a costume (rather like a clown's). It's a bit illogical in the context of a perfectly normal set of rules, but that's how it works.

But I don't understand why the tv interviewers clothes wouldn't have duality of purpose.

So I can't claim for the coat?!! !

x-post!

If I got a CM logo printed on it would it be classed as a uniform then?

Nope sorry. Not unless you wore it all day long looking after the children...

Just put the cost of the coats through your books as toys and equipment under £10 x however much it was - therefore no reciept needed

not likely a lowly CM would be pulled up for a full investigation anyway, but if you are worried put it through as that. You are going to get different answers from different places, although that link posted is a good basis to start from, as I said I was on a course/workshop wotsit and was told to put stuff like yours through.

Your model friend cannot claim gym costs or cosmetics, she'll be told to take a jump, I know, i tried it lol

Tax actually is my field Jura, although the number of times I have had to work out what is an allowable expense for a childminder is of course zero.

The principles are quite clear though, I am relieved to see.

I don't like the advice to claim it dishonestly btw, not one little bit. I know lots of people do stuff like this, but it's just not cricket, is it?

i was right of course

how do you do your tax?

hubby does it online ( well i do ) and there are several boxes to tick/claim items ie clothing/tools/car/petrol etc

could you get round it like that - not saying you want to break the law, but as mrsfluffle said put it under other exspenses, esp if you dont need anything under £10 to have a receipt?

Think I'll leave it off my expenses list, I certainly don't want to get in trouble with the tax-person!! Knowing me I'd have lost the receipt by the time tax return goes in anyway!!!!!!

Thought this might be the case... sorry have been lurking I've got the most gross waterproofs that I wouldn't even wear to walk a wet mountain in Wales...

But... as I work as a 'Steiner' Childminder/Kindergarten teacher I have to be outside in the rain, with children similarly dressed, whatever the weather decides to throw on us

I'm interested as to whether I could claim ds's waterproofs as a business expense

"Now then, children, gather round - not too close Sophie! - and take a look. don't tread on anything and keep nice and quiet. If you look carefully, you can see what happens when people turn into Accountants. Now then, hands up, who wants to be a fireman?"

I know, I know. After I posted to this thread myself somewhere at the start, I shook my head at the desperately sad realisation that these rules have been branded somehow into the hard-wiring of my brain. You can take the girl out of Accountancy, but...yadda yadda...