legalities about payment of expenses

[Fidgits]

Okay, an obscure one - but does anyone know the legalities surrounding the payment of 'expenses incurred while travelling on buisness'.

In a nutshell, I had to go to my company HQ in Europe for a week in June, come expenses time they decided they wanted to change the travel policy, and denied a quite reasonable claim sum (just over £10 a day on dinners only).

They have now brought in a voucher system for visiting the HQ, but i'm still out of pocket for that week, which while not a huge sum, is still something I feel they should legally pay.

I've never come across anything like this before, but I wondered if there were any laws or guidelines on this? Or is it a case of I just continue to argue on common sense (something I feel is a losing battle!)

[mmm-five]

Expenses should be paid on the basis of whatever expenses policy was in force when the expenses were INCURRED, not submitted.

But is the amount worth arguing over? If so how about taking time off in lieu and explain what you're doing to your line manager.

[Eric Mc]

What does your employment contract say about expenses?

[Fidgits]

never mind, just had a long conversation, the argument is going no-where (CFO & CEO put a stop to it) to i've resigned to accepting it.

[DucatiGary]

request a company card for all future company expenses or you are unable to afford to work for the company.

worked for me.

[Olf]

Take heart. The road is long.

[Don]

Olf said:

Take heart. The road is long.

Ohhhhh yes.

I used to run big consulting projects. As the weeks of Monday to Thursday night away from home went on and on and on you could see the expenses rising slowly but surely...

Used to have to put a stop to it - but I couldn't blame 'em.

Our expenses policy used to say "a glass of wine with your evening meal". Get real. The whole bottle's going and don't complain or you might find 'em less willing to drive two hundred miles every Monday morning, still get there for 8:30am, work ten to twelve hour days so they could leave by 4:00pm on the Friday to get back to their families.

If the mileage rate wasn't enough I know they'd simply claim extra miles "running about on Company business".

Legally expenses have to be incurred wholly and completely on behalf of the Company and it's business for it to be offsetable against profit. From the employee's POV it's whatever your contract says...and then it's whatever you and the guy signing it off are mutually agreeable to...

[Brown and Boris]

I just claim what I spend when I am waya but when I was in the public sector (left in 2001) there was s standard overnight allowance of £26 for lunch, dinner and bits and bobs like a phone call home. As long as you spent something you could claim the £26 in full. Alos a slifding scale for subsistence depending how long you were away from your work base, £3 or £ over 5 hours risijng to about £7 over 10 hours. Again you just had to prove you bought something to eat and you got the full amount.

Not sure how HMRC would view that but as they are all claiming it can't see how they can argue. I had thought about doing this for me but worried there might be a BiK involved .