HMRC allowable foreign travel expenses?

HMRC allowable foreign travel expenses?

0:08 AM, 30th July 2024, About 4 months ago 5

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Hi, I am considering selling a number of foreign BTL properties. Unfortunately, the paperwork involved will require multiple trips to the countries they are located in.

I have been struggling to find what qualifies as a tax deductible expense for this. Is there a HMRC document that applies to my circumstance i.e. a private landlord?

There are plenty of documents setting out what an employee may claim when traveling abroad (apparently quite generous) but it is not clear if I can use this as a guide for my claim.

Thank you,

Alan


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Hitesh

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11:13 AM, 30th July 2024, About 4 months ago

No experience of this personally
First stop speak with your accountants surely…?
But as you have portfolio I suspect you will have been visiting regularly to manage or good practice.
Reasonable costs would be allowable as would reasonable accommodation costs and expenses too.
Nowadays lots of documents can be signed of electronically and same as when you purchased the BTL’s ..?
Or use courier special delivery fedex etc ….?
If like me I’d prefer to do face to face with solicitors but life has moved on …..and Covid changed things…

Disillusioned landlord

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11:23 AM, 30th July 2024, About 4 months ago

HI,

We held a rental property in Poland for about 20 years. Our accountant told us that if the trip was necessary for the purposes of say legal matters or even a regular inspection to check on condition and to arrange essential maintenance, then it could be a tax deductible expense, however HMRC have a catch all for all business expenses, which is the the wholly and exclusively in respect of business activities. This could probably be justified if you were travelling for say 1 or 2 days to complete legals, but a 1 or 2 week trip is likely to be treated as 'mainly' a holiday no matter what you do.

We had a great agent on site who dealt with most things but when we did need travel there to do a condition inspection or legal work, maybe every 2 or 3 years, we would extend the visit and we were advised that a reasonable claim would be of 50% of the travel costs, but food, entertainment and accommodation costs where not claimed, but on a short trip whose only purpose was business, the accommodation costs could be claimed I think, but most times we were able to stay at our rental and we did not test this! There might be some other items you could claim for, but we didnt, but I am sure there are others on this site with better knowledge!

Cathie

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11:36 AM, 30th July 2024, About 4 months ago

Travel, reasonable accommodation and subsistence can be claimed ONLY if the whole trip is wholly and exclusively for the business purpose. Don’t try tacking a few days holiday on the end or even a sightseeing excursion or the whole trip will not be claimable.

Learned from HMRC inspector and not our accountant who advised us (who went to prison for fraud).

Disillusioned landlord

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Disillusioned landlord

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12:51 PM, 30th July 2024, About 4 months ago

HMRC inspector is not usually the best person to advise about saving tax, their goal is maximizing the tax take of course. Always consult a specialist if you have any concerns about offsetting costs and other tax saving measures as a lot of accountants only know how to add up figures and not a lot about all things tax!

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