Interview costs through an umbrella company

[alm21]

Are the costs of attending interviews chargeable through an umbrella?

For example:
Petrol costs
Parking
Train

Another freelancer on site here says no as the umbrella company needs a contract to bill it to (and if you are between there isn't one to do this) whereas I see it as a legitimate business expense that allows me to do my work.

[JeffreyC]

My understanding is that you need to have a contract secured in order to claim costs.

Don't forget that you're an employee of the umbrella company, so the rules might be slightly different if you run your own limited. Ultimately, as your employer your umbrella company can decide what is a legitimate expense.

All I know is that we've never allowed it through our company. I stand by to be corrected.

[curleyted]

I'm by no means an expert, but I'm guessing it's up to the umbrella company and their individual policy.

Part of me can't see the issue, but the other part can because you could just claim for going shopping (although I suppose keeping a record of confirmation of interview dates and locations would help).

[Malvolio]

The issue is simple. The umbrella will only ever pay you your own money. If you're not earning, there's no money. Simples...

[Vaseline]

Originally Posted by Malvolio

The issue is simple. The umbrella will only ever pay you your own money. If you're not earning, there's no money. Simples...

yeah but can he / she then claim back the cost of that interview once they do start working? - now there's the question. Let's say an umbrella employee undertakes two assignments through the umbrella and is then out of work for 6 weeks. In that 6 week period he / she attends 3 separate interviews whilst still under employment with the umbrella. Surely they should be able to claim those costs back (expenses that have been paid out of their own money) once the income starts rolling in (to the umbrella) again?

V

[Malvolio]

Possibly. How do you prove they wre genuine interviews and not a trip to Bluewater? And would you pay a service charge to the umbrella to recover your own expenses?

[Beefy198]

Personally, I think once again it comes back to the old argument that you're claiming for tax relief that no other full time employee would receive relief from.

Don't forget you are a full-time employee.

Furthermore, it's not the umbrella sending you to interviews, you're going. Whether that is complicated by the overarching contracts umbrellas put you on (where you complete a number of temporary assignments for the umbrella) I don't know.

But personally I think it's a bit iffy to claim things like this when other can't, especially when the actually benefit to you isn't going to be that much

[JeffreyC]

Originally Posted by Beefy198

Don't forget you are a full-time employee.

That's what I keep telling people!

You're an employee, not a director... and it was you that chose to be that way

[curleyted]

I love it when the law is crystal clear...........

Or rather, clear as mud.

[PhilAtBFCA]

alm21

I am going to give this one a go as I think it is a very interesting question, I think I would post the question on the Ask an Expert page though and see what the Umbrella Chaps have to say.

My 2 cents worth is this.

In a Limited Company, no problem, the director is off looking for work for the company.

In an Umbrella Company, it would depend on the contractual situation which is where I think it gets difficult to answer without specific details. If this is the first contract you have completed for this Umbrella Company, then my answer would be no. If this is a second ( or more ) contract for the same Umbrella Company, and the Umbrella Company was paying you under a consistent Overarching Contract whilst you were looking for another assignment, I would say yes, and if the Umbrella Company ahd not paid you as you were not working I would say no.

I hope thats of some help....as a matter of interest, if you are with an Umbrella Company what did they say ?
Phil