Tax Returns - What a Load of Old Pants

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27 January 2017 | Updated 01 January 1970

Following the deadline, HMRC has released its latest list of the most outlandish items which have been claimed as expenses.

Flights for a Caribbean holiday was given as someone's Self Assessment expense claim in 2014-15

Glamorous holidays abroad, luxury watches and Friday nights out all feature in HM Revenue and Custom’s (HMRC) latest list of the most outlandish expenses that customers tried to claim back on their 2014-15 Self Assessment returns. With a week to go until the 31 January deadline, HMRC is releasing the strangest expenses to make sure other customers don’t make similar claims:

• Holiday flights to the Caribbean
• Luxury watches as Christmas gifts for staff - from a company with no employees
• International flights for dental treatment ahead of business meetings
• Pet food for a Shih Tzu ‘guard dog’
• Armani jeans as protective clothing for painter and decorator
• Cost of regular Friday night ‘bonding sessions’ - running into thousands of pounds.
• Underwear - for personal use
• A garden shed for private use - plus the costs of the space it takes up in the garden
• Betting slips
• Caravan rental for the Easter weekend.

All of the expenses above were rejected.

Ruth Owen, HMRC Director General of Customer Services, said: “Year after year we receive a number of ludicrous expense claims, ranging from international holiday flights to expensive designer clothing, which we would never uphold. Why should the honest taxpayer pick up the bill for others? HMRC will only accept those claims which are genuine, such as legitimate travel expenses or the cost of tools for the job.

Picture: 'Underwear - for personal use' 

Article written by Cathryn Ellis | Published 27 January 2017

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