Hmrc Question

[Ant_h18]

Heating & lighting say you can claim 33% off, is that together or sp

and same for water, rent and counil tax 10% is that one whole thing or is it


33% Heating (gas)
33% Lighting (ele)
10% water
10% Council Tax
10% Rent

hope it makes sense

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim52751.htm

[Mummits]

I think the question makes sense, but I think the answer is that it doesnt make any difference. Say your heating was £90 a third would be £30, and if your lighting was £60, a third would be £20, but if you added them together at £150, a third would still be £50.

I have a different bills-related question though (I think this is called shameless hijacking!). If you usually work 40 hours plus a week, except when you are on holiday or some of your children are, do you just claim the full allowance off your annual bills, or do you work everything out week by week? This is what I have been doing but suspect I may be going a bit OTT as it takes ages and probably doesn't make that much difference.

[rickysmiths]

Heating & lighting say you can claim 33% off, is that together or sp

and same for water, rent and counil tax 10% is that one whole thing or is it


33% Heating (gas)
33% Lighting (ele)
10% water
10% Council Tax
10% Rent

hope it makes sense

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim52751.htm

Those % apply if you are working 40 hours a week or more. If you are working less then you have to reduce the % in proportion.

[Ant_h18]

I think the question makes sense, but I think the answer is that it doesnt make any difference. Say your heating was £90 a third would be £30, and if your lighting was £60, a third would be £20, but if you added them together at £150, a third would still be £50.

I have a different bills-related question though (I think this is called shameless hijacking!). If you usually work 40 hours plus a week, except when you are on holiday or some of your children are, do you just claim the full allowance off your annual bills, or do you work everything out week by week? This is what I have been doing but suspect I may be going a bit OTT as it takes ages and probably doesn't make that much difference.


Haha yeah i was having a very stupid moment, i get it now. To you shameless hijacking question :laughing: , i dont have a clue

[alwaysright]

I think the question makes sense, but I think the answer is that it doesnt make any difference. Say your heating was £90 a third would be £30, and if your lighting was £60, a third would be £20, but if you added them together at £150, a third would still be £50.

I have a different bills-related question though (I think this is called shameless hijacking!). If you usually work 40 hours plus a week, except when you are on holiday or some of your children are, do you just claim the full allowance off your annual bills, or do you work everything out week by week? This is what I have been doing but suspect I may be going a bit OTT as it takes ages and probably doesn't make that much difference.

i work mine out based on the previous years bills. when calculating i add up gas and electric bill costs (keep all bills in my expenses folder once paid) together divide it by 52 and then work out 33% of that iyswim, so this way its the same every week as its actual costs from the previous year and although energy prices have risen drasctially it gets taken into account just a bit later. this was the best and quickest way i got to work it out.

[loocyloo]

I have a different bills-related question though (I think this is called shameless hijacking!). If you usually work 40 hours plus a week, except when you are on holiday or some of your children are, do you just claim the full allowance off your annual bills, or do you work everything out week by week? This is what I have been doing but suspect I may be going a bit OTT as it takes ages and probably doesn't make that much difference.

hello!

i carry on claiming as if i was working 40hrs a week, as i am available, its the parents choice not to send children. seeing as how i usually work about a 55hr week, i think its probably evens out!

[Kiddleywinks]

i work mine out based on the previous years bills. when calculating i add up gas and electric bill costs (keep all bills in my expenses folder once paid) together divide it by 52 and then work out 33% of that iyswim, so this way its the same every week as its actual costs from the previous year and although energy prices have risen drasctially it gets taken into account just a bit later. this was the best and quickest way i got to work it out.

Might be worth putting this thread in the Book Keeping/Accounts board so Mr A or Debbie can correct me if I'm wrong but I think you're claiming incorrectly......
The tax year runs from Apr to Apr so any costs you're claiming for SHOULD be for the CURRENT tax year, not the previous one because costs are expenses offset against the income received during the same time period.

Now I agree that it probably cancels itself out, however, it could make the difference to you paying tax one year or not eg if your earnings were low enough (quiet year due to redundancies etc) that had you claimed the right years bills (as the costs increased) you would have had no tax to pay....
Plus, as far as HMRC are concerned - what's stopping you from doing that with other expenses? Maybe more high value costs? ifyswim

I also believe that you claim percentages on actual contracted hours worked, so if you have 2 children, both normally full time, but both on holiday for a fortnight, you can't claim utilities for that time period.
Time spent on paperwork, outside of contracted hours is also currently not allowed to be included in calculations (see here: http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=85536 )

Have a look on the other board, it makes for interesting reading ;-)