Passport as a work expense

Recon

Can a passport renewal be claimed as a work expense if its sole use/reason for getting it, is for travel for work?

I have to go to the US over the summer for work, my passport is out of date next month so I need to get it updated before I can travel for work.

barneystinson

Recon wrote: »

Can a passport renewal be claimed as a work expense if its sole use/reason for getting it, is for travel for work?

I have to go to the US over the summer for work, my passport is out of date next month so I need to get it updated before I can travel for work.

Nice try but no cigar!

Are your clothes a work expense because you would otherwise choose to strut around in your birthday suit?!

syklops

Generally speaking, some things like that are not considered an expense, instead they are things you are just meant to have. I have to wear a suit occasionally for work. I don't expense its washing/dry cleaning, and when I need a new one, I won't expense it.

Hootanany

What if your suit was damaged in the course of your work.

syklops

Hootanany wrote: »

What if your suit was damaged in the course of your work.

Good question. Depends on the situation. Id most likely be wearing it away from the workplace so my travel insurance would cover it. Depending on the circumstances, I may or may not bring it to my bosses attention.

irelandrover

barneystinson wrote: »

Nice try but no cigar!

Are your clothes a work expense because you would otherwise choose to strut around in your birthday suit?!

I know people who managed to claim it as a work expense.

If your contract didn't state that you needed to travel then I think you have a good claim. However since you are renewing the passport then it is difficult to argue.

Tabnabs

Recon wrote: »

Can a passport renewal be claimed as a work expense if its sole use/reason for getting it, is for travel for work?

I have to go to the US over the summer for work, my passport is out of date next month so I need to get it updated before I can travel for work.

I have worked for companies that did class this as a legitimate expense. Travel was the basis of the work however. Just ask the company, they can only say no.

Tabnabs

barneystinson wrote: »

Nice try but no cigar!

Are your clothes a work expense because you would otherwise choose to strut around in your birthday suit?!

What about safety clothes? PPS to give it the correct title. They are supplied by the company. Uniforms as well. Not such an outlandish concept.

barneystinson

Tabnabs wrote: »

What about safety clothes? PPS to give it the correct title. They are supplied by the company. Uniforms as well. Not such an outlandish concept.

OK just to be clear, I was talking about being allowed the cost of a passport as a tax-free reimbursement.

An employer can reimburse an employee for whatever both parties agree - but the tax legislation imposes a "wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred" test in determining whether for tax purposes the payment/reimbursement can be made tax-free or should be treated as pay.

What I'm saying is that an employer paying for an employee's passport would not pass this test and therefore PAYE should be operated on whatever amount is paid by the employer.

The items you've listed above will pass the test, as they are specifically for work purposes, and may in fact remain the property of the employer. In the case of a passport, it belongs to the individual (or the issuing State?), and the company has no right to hold or keep it or prescribe when or how the employee may use it.

Recon

Thanks for the replies, just thought I'd ask.

When interviewed for the job I was told that there would be travel, but only the UK and Europe were mentioned, so I would not need a passport to travel there.

No harm in asking anyway.