Reply With QuoteAre you asking if the government will pay you the full cost of you renting an office?
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Last edited by jmitch; 10th February 2021 at 19:48. Reason: embarrassed to have asked to be honest. a lack of understanding on my part
Are you asking if the government will pay you the full cost of you renting an office?
I think many people are desperate to get some semblance of order back in their lives.
You’re choosing not to go into work, and not to work from home, so you think the tax payer should rent you an office? Interesting.......
No I think he is asking if he can claim the full rental as a business expense. Not entirely sure but a quick call to HMRC would clarify I’m sure.Originally Posted by Devonian
Ask your employer or consider the difference it would save you versus a commute.
It reads that way. But surely that is not what is being asked. Is it OP!?
I think it will be a matter between you and your employer.
I don’t think there is an employee route to tax relief to that extent.
As in the full cost, not just getting 20% back via a tax code change.
No, he really does seem to want all the money back for renting an office from the tax man.
Well,to begin with,I would’ve thought that a call to your local tax office would be more useful than asking a bunch of random strangers.
Or talk to your employer.
A friend complained to his work that him and his wife couldn't cope in a tiny London 1 bed both working from home and he was going to crack. They gave him a membership to a WeWork in London and he goes there 5 days per week. Might be worth asking work what they're able to do re share working spaces if there are any not to far away.
Reads to me as if he’s asking for the full cost back as he said ‘full cost’.
The OP wouldn’t be entitled to tax relief for the cost of renting himself an office.
The best that could be hoped for would be a sympathetic employer.
If others have returned to the office (with appropriate safeguards) then they are unlikely to want to pay out.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
In my limited experience, you are far more likely to get a sensible answer from random strangers.
No offence intended to those who work there but there are no local tax offices these days and HMRC call centres are not staffed by tax specialists just people with computer screens and scripts.
To be fair, it's the norm these days on here to ask strangers for (free, quick and normally quite contradictory) advice on a whole host of things (health, wealth, relationships, you name it) rather than seek it professionally. Maybe its always been thus. Let's just be thankful it's not Rolex for a change.
Thanks for the answers so far, they are appreciated.
Just to clarify...
My employer will not entertain contributing at the moment. If they make an exception for me, they will have 1000 staff asking for the same thing. They may offer some help down the line but not yet.
I will not be able to return to the office ever again in the same manner. It's going to have a vastly reduced capacity and will be hotdesking only. I won't be with my team and I will only be able be there a few day a week max, so it hardly seems worth going at all except for meetings.
It's also going to be struggle to focus if I'm stuck next to some loud salesperson while hotdesking. I would also prefer to have a routine.
Due to the complexities of my role (financial analyst) I need large screens etc and a powerful computer for modeling. this is not something that can be done out of a Costa coffee on a 13" laptop. I also need to be able work late into the night at certain times.
Yes I would like the taxpayer to pay. Personally I think it's a legitimate expense, just like all those companies who rent offices...
Since I have never claimed a single day of support in the three decades of my working life I don't see why I shouldn't get a bit of help once in a while. It's not like I am asking the taxpayer to subsidise children I can't afford or anything like that.
If I was only able to get a small tax relief, I may think of subletting a few days a week to help cover the rent, but wanted to try and understand it it was a legitimate deductable expense first.
Alas I didn't buy my home with even the slightest consideration for home working. My wife is also currently at home and as she need total confidentiality for her role I can't even be in the same room.
It may not be a long term solution, but it's something I am considering for the next 6-9 months, then I will reapraise
Last edited by jmitch; 14th December 2020 at 22:06.
I'd agree with that statement.
Are you saying there are 1000 staff in the exact same circumstances as you? It sounds to me as though your reasoning has a fair amount of merit. Have you had the discussion at that depth? Having worked at a reasonably senior level in Financial Services with influence in matters such as this I would be looking at situtations like this on a case by case basis. In my experience there can be ways and means to achieve an outcome.
The numbers you are proposing are pretty modest.
It's not a legitimate expense as an employee unless your employer agrees (as already posted).
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Sounds like a fuck-all cost to the employer and frankly to you, unless you are living walking distance from the office surely your (lack of) commute will offset this cost? Add a few coffees and lunches on that (Guessing you’re London based with that role)
Edit. Me and my partner are saving £300 in commute and add to that the random lunch out, drinks etc easily £400-500 in savings every month. With that in mind I have not for a second complained about having to buy new desk etc.
Edit 2. I’d personally pay more than 50 quid a week to avoid commuting!
Last edited by jonasy; 14th December 2020 at 22:01.
I think there are many people that have been forced to adjust to working conditions that are less than ideal. I also think there are many people (myself included) that have never sought anything off the government and wouldn't see that as an option when there are other priorities that the government may need to be spending on for the foreseeable future. many have lost their jobs and many others will be losing their jobs imminently. It appears that you are in an employed position and as such need to be discussing with your employer around what resources they can offer to support you with your role. Alternatively, if your role is reasonably well paid, a few hundred pounds per month for separate office space may be money well spent if it allows for no distractions, routine and more flexibility for you and your partner....
FTFY
I really think your employer is your best chance of compensation, as they are the main beneficiary in a number of ways.
Presumably you benefit financially already by living in a smaller space? If you chose a nice house in the country far away from the office would you ask your employer (or the tax payer) to subsidise your extra transport costs? It’s kind of the same thing.
This ‘claiming it from hmrc’ doesn’t sit well with me, you’re wanting to claim it from me, and every other tax payer in the UK, not the HMRC
Allowable expenses for employees are very limited and broadly prescribed by law. What may or may not seem reasonable is just not relevant. Certainly saying I've never claimed X so I should get Y will get you nowhere.
Ultimately, it's up to your employer to ensure you have a suitable place to work (assuming, as seems to be the case, you didn't take a WFH job).
Not a short term solution but if you are going to be working from home permanently then you need to trade in the one bedroom flat for a bigger property somewhere less expensive. I think that's probably a trend that has started and will continue. A friend is paying £1,000pm for a small two bed 10th floor flat to be near his new job; he's been working from home since March. He could rent a 3 bed semi with a garden and garage for the same amount 20 miles away in a leafy suburb.
Unfortunately, even that isn't sufficient to make it tax deductible/non-taxable.
Can't you use the argument that having a dedicated office space has made you more productive and use that as leverage to get a pay rise? The amount is tiny, £600 a year is less than 4 Starbucks lattes a week.
Unless I'm misunderstanding your statement, you have enough spare space in your residence to sublet - in order to rent space elsewhere? Why not simply utilise that space that you're considering subletting?
Edit - you must be talking about subletting the office space you'd be renting. Apologies
Last edited by Halitosis; 14th December 2020 at 22:21.
Indeed - the best case is the employer pays for the facility. This clearly is not an option.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Looks like it's not an option but thanks for the opinions anyway.
I think I will look at possibly sharing the space with others.
Commuting savings are pretty much non existent, it was never an expensive one. As are savings from lunch and coffee which I never paid for.
.
Yep.
That's exactly right.
Just the same as every bit of gift aid etc does but people still think that's a good thing for some reason.
I appreciate your sentiments as I feel the same about many of my immediate neighbors, but that's a whole other topic.
However, given the government happily p***es billions up the wall on their idiotic schemes, claiming a few months office rent won't be causing me any sleepless nights. It's probably the only help I would get from the government in any form unless SHTF.
- - - Updated - - -
#neverbeentostarbucks
And £50 a week does not equate to £600 per annum.
But the point on the pay rise leverage is a good one, thanks
Last edited by jmitch; 14th December 2020 at 22:53.
With the usual caveats about the tenancy allowing subletting and the potential for creating taxable income from the sublet!!
Last edited by David_D; 14th December 2020 at 23:02.
Are you feeling OK? You seriously expect us to pay the rent so you can enjoy your own private room for the next 6-9 months?
How about you pay for my next holiday because I need a break? I never planned to work from home either, and with two kids being bounced in and out of school in a government-sponsored game of covid pinball, I can't actually NOT be in the same room as them.
Jesus H …
It sounds like it is your wife who should be claiming from her employer.
I she a spy?
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Thanks, some interesting points.
No, there was no WFH at all available when I took the job, in fact they were dead against it.
The idea of moving would actually be the opposite for me. I would need to move out of the countryside and into the town to make any kind of savings and gain space. In the long run I would probably think of either moving or extending though if this became the new normal.
Yes.
Well I used to joke about her being one.
It involves law enforcement..
Last edited by jmitch; 14th December 2020 at 23:08.
Alas, the government are even less likely to assist than my own employers.
Why not move to said office allowing your wife to have the whole house?
You could have a nice little bed sit set up
You could then benefit from a reduction in council tax on the main dwelling as single occupancy
You could run extensions from the office windows allowing local EV owners to charge their cars at reduced rates (ie to you)
So many savings...... ffs everybody is struggling working from home
If it is THAT bad - pay up or shut up
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I accept you point on my maths, I was thinking months rather than weeks. :) I don't believe you've never been in a Starbucks, but I'm surprised on a daily basis
You can currently claim £6 per week tax relief for additional expenses incurred if you are required to work remotely. The same applies to your wife. You and you wife can also independently negotiate pay rises to cover some of the other costs. As another poster mentioned, ig her job requires total confidentiality, then whoever she works for should consider contributing towards supporting that.
https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-em...0council%20tax.
Otherwise your options are:
New job.
New house.
New job for wife.
New wife.
A combination of the above
I'm struggling to comprehend how I "benefit" from living in a small house to be honest?
I pay for the best house I could reasonably afford, as I guess all of us do.
Lol, it's true, honest.
They have built a drive through one 5 miles away though, but I doubt I will be visiting.
I haven't been to Nandos either for that matter.
I'm vaguely disappointed that no one has suggested an MX5 yet.
Or a new watch.
The reason being - and I’m just hazarding a guess here - that maximising funding for cancer research, hospices, beneficial community activities, prevention of animal cruelty, guide dogs, lifeboats etc. is complimentary to the Government’s community responsibilities and a slightly more pressing need than providing you with your own office.
Given your wife has a need for total confidentiality can she not ask her employer to subsidise the rent on the office. I doubt the landlord is going to mind who uses it and her role sounds likely to have success with the request?
Sorry OP I find the whole post bizarre. There are tens of millions of people struggling in the world we currently find ourselves in that I’m sure would love to be able to claim for this or that because they feel entitled to, I’m sure many of them have never claimed support either so that makes them more entitled I guess. Imagine if everyone working from home said they couldn’t and expected the government to pay for an office for them as they couldn’t go back to work as they may end up working next to a loudmouth.
Maybe I’m alone here but I honestly thought this post must have been a wind up. Clearly it’s not. At least you’ve been up front with what you want instead of going round the houses.
Couldn’t agree more - I also assumed it was a wind-up initially. Depressing to see it’s not to be honest.
To all the people shocked and appalled and the mere suggestion of claiming this office back as tax relief, please never look into what self employed or MPs claim expenses...
Total confidentiality and working from home are not compatible.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
There is a surprising amount of umbrage being taken by various people. this being TZ i probably should have expected that. At least it's still better info and a less vicious response than I would have got over at mumsnet I suppose.
I haven't said I 'expect' the government to pay. I was enquiring if such costs are a claimable expense somehow.
My understanding is that if I was a freelancer and used a room at home as an office I could claim 25% of reasonable and relevant home costs. Also if I was a freelancer using a managed office service I think that would be claimable as well.i would like it if they were.
Hence, I wanted to find out if there was any way PAYE staff could claim for a similar set up.
I guess there must be a lot of people who work away from their HQs a lot of the time and some of them must not be able to work from home effectively. So as lurking in the local coffee shop and taking advantage of their WiFi isn't an option for me, I wondered if there was any other way to offset some office costs.
I understand that millions of people are *****d at the moment and millions more set to join them when Brexit hits. While I have a huge amount of sympathy for them, (including both my siblings and their partners who find themselves in that boat) that doesn't really change my situation. At least i can be glad I don't work as a chef any more though but if I don't manage to be productive I will be out in my ear as well and I would kind of like to avoid that.
I guess I will just suck up the cost for a while and see how it goes.
Last edited by jmitch; 15th December 2020 at 00:09.
If I had said "I'm self employed and can't work at home so can I hire an office" would I have got a similar response?
Maybe just buy a bigger home? Things are changing as you admit regarding office working so could be a bit of future proofing :0)
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