As an employee of my own company I’m trying to find out what the ‘tax free’ allowance is for midday subsistence (meal allowance).
I’ve had a look on the HMRC website and its a bit hit and miss !
It states on one page that ‘mobile workers’ can claim £2.00 per day subsistence (receipts have to be given if over £2.00).
On another page it states the ‘tax free’ subsistence allowance is £5.00 per day (receipts have to be given if over £5.00) but then goes on to say £10.00 can be claimed if the working day is over 10hrs but you have to start/finish at a time which is not your ‘regular’ start/finish time.
The £10.00 can not be claimed if on a night out as you will be already claiming night out subsistence !
If you can understand that, please comment as it could help a few of us out.
i,ve always claimed £5 a day and so does everybody else i know ,my accountant told me thats what i should be putting down and i,m fairly sure he knows what he,s talking about
As an ‘employee’ of your own company a good accountant is vital,they’l save you way more than(deductable)cost,asking on internet forum isn’t the answer mate,he said/they said doesn’t hack it with hmrc!
Hi.
I was getting £4.25 a day if i did over 25 miles in80/86. The tax man came after me for £1,700 odd,rang Mathew Parish,our local MP at the time,he sorted it,got a letter from the tax people saying sorry. When thanking mr Parish for his efforts,he tongue in cheek said,if you are that pleased,bung a £5 in the Conservative Party funds. 
hulltramper
We have paid £5.00 a day for over a decade and had a turnover by the tax and they never made any comment, or asked for proof that the driver was x amount of miles from base.
I have been told the following by a “man in the know” :
Away from HOME per shift as a “mobile worker” and NOT getting night out money,
5hrs to 8hrs its £5 shift
8hrs to 10hrs its £10 shift
10hrs to 12hrs its £12 shift
over 12hrs and its £15 shift.
Read on here that Stobarts drivers have had their daily tax free meal allowance increased from £13day to £15day? 
Big Truck:
I have been told the following by a “man in the know”Away from HOME per shift as a “mobile worker” and NOT getting night out money,
5hrs to 8hrs its £5 shift
8hrs to 10hrs its £10 shift
10hrs to 12hrs its £12 shift
over 12hrs and its £15 shift.
Read on here that Stobarts drivers have had their daily tax free meal allowance increased from £13day to £15day?
I will submit my HMRC P87 form 6th April 2014 and I’ve kept all food receipts for 2013/2014 tax year plus wife pays for weekly family groceries via debit card so have these amounts on my bank statements to show IF HMRC ask for same. 
lynchy:
As an ‘employee’ of your own company a good accountant is vital,they’l save you way more than(deductable)cost,asking on internet forum isn’t the answer mate,he said/they said doesn’t hack it with hmrc!
Yes I understand the he said/they said won’t hack it and my question wasn’t really aimed at asking what you guys claim, more trying to find out ‘officially’ what HMRC’s guidance is as I couldn’t find the info myself and was waiting for my accountant to get back to me !
I have now found out off my accountant that an agreement between the HMRC and the RHA in 1988 allowed for a midday meal allowance of £2.00. This amount has never been renewed and remains at £2.00 !! (So much for the RHA looking after drivers).
As a Company you have to apply to the HMRC (and they must agree) for a ‘dispensation rate’ which relates to the £5.00 - £10.00 allowances.
So anybody out there claiming more than £2.00 per day (tax free) without their Company using the agreed ‘dispensation rate’ is risking the HMRC knocking on your door !
Hope that may help ?
Big Truck:
Big Truck:
I have been told the following by a “man in the know”Away from HOME per shift as a “mobile worker” and NOT getting night out money,
5hrs to 8hrs its £5 shift
8hrs to 10hrs its £10 shift
10hrs to 12hrs its £12 shift
over 12hrs and its £15 shift.
Read on here that Stobarts drivers have had their daily tax free meal allowance increased from £13day to £15day?
I will submit my HMRC P87 form 6th April 2014 and I’ve kept all food receipts for 2013/2014 tax year plus wife pays for weekly family groceries via debit card so have these amounts on my bank statements to show IF HMRC ask for same.
Just remember that any food being claimed for must be bought during the course of your working day and can’t be claimed for if bought on a Sunday by the wife while you’re at home watching the football !