Claim childcare as an expense?

[solveproblem]

I'm probably being stupid but thought I'd ask anyway.

I have to travel sometimes with work and when I do my DC's have to be dropped of at childcare provider earlier.

I can claim for all costs incurred such as mileage, food etc. I've never claimed for the extra childcare that is needed.

Would you be able to claim for this as an expense with your employer? After all it is a cost I don't normally have when I'm in the office.

I don't want to ask my employer if this can be seen as an expense as it will make me seem entitled etc.

Short answer - no not claimable.

Long answer work does not require you to have children as part of your job therefore you cannot claim expenses to do with children you 'choose' to have. :0) am an accountant so know these things.

I used to jobshare. Occasionally my jobsharer and I were both asked to be at work on the same day (training, big meeting etc) if we could arrange childcare, and our boss would pay our extra day's childcare.

Thanks for your replies.

If your boss pays your childcare this was be seen as a benefit in kind and would be taxable. Very unusual.

For out-of-hours babysitting, eg because of travelling or evening events, I can claim babysitting costs, with an audit trail.

Whether you can claim it from your employer is entirely up to them. It's not a legal thing whether it's claimable or not.

But if your employer does decide to pay it, it would be a taxable benefit.

flowery, even if it's work outside of your normal hours? How is it different to it being ok to get a taxi home late but not being able to claim Day to day commuting costs without being taxed?

I think the taxi home is also a 'perk' - i.e. something a good employer might do, but discretionary. And I reckon it would also be a taxable benefit (but Melissa/someone else better informed than me will confirm/refute).

non taxable benefits, see page 8 for work to home travel when working late etc

That's interesting flowery, thanks. I've never had to work after 9pm, so that's why this tax exemption hasn't applied for me.