SE31985 - Travel expenses: general - overseas conferences, seminars and study tours - spouses on business trips - when to allow a deduction

General guidance on the conditions that must be met before a deduction can be permitted for the expenses of an accompanying spouse is at SE31980. Normally a deduction should only be given in the following circumstances.

• The spouse has some special skill or qualification associated with the employee’s job that is needed on the trip, although not necessarily full time. An example is where the spouse is a competent linguist and acts as an interpreter at business meetings.
• The presence of the spouse is essential to host a series of business entertaining occasions that the employee is required to organise as part of his or her duties. It is not enough that the couple merely attend functions at which other guests are accompanied by their spouses.
• The employee’s health is so poor that it would be unreasonable for him or her to travel alone. This is specifically permitted by Extra-Statutory Concession A4, the text of which is reproduced in Booklet IR1.