Underwear among ludicrous expense claims

Betting slips, underwear, designer watches and pet food feature on HMRC’s latest list of the most outlandish expenses customers tried to claim back on their 2014-15 self assessment returns.

With a week to go until the January 31 deadline, HMRC has released the strangest expenses as examples of how not to fill out your forms.

HMRC director general of customer services Ruth Owen said: “Year after year we receive a number of ludicrous expense claims, ranging from international holiday flights to expensive designer clothing, which we would never uphold.”

Holiday flights to the Caribbean, luxury watches as Christmas gifts for staff – from a company with no employees, international flights for dental treatment ahead of business meetings and pet food for a Shih Tzu ‘guard dog’ were all rejected expense claims.

Claims for Armani jeans as protective clothing, thousands of pounds worth of regular Friday night ‘bonding sessions’, underwear – for personal use, a private garden shed and caravan rental for the Easter weekend also fell into the category of rejected expenses.

Ruth added: “Why should the honest taxpayer pick up the bill for others? HMRC will only accept those claims which are genuine, such as legitimate travel expenses or the cost of tools for the job.”

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