SE34030 - Foreign travel rules: duties performed wholly abroad - employee’s board and lodging at the overseas workplace

Section 193(2) and (4) ICTA 1988

Summary

This page is concerned with the cost of board and lodging at the overseas workplace of an employee who works wholly abroad.

Conditions

The employee must:

  • Be resident and ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom (see SE34010)
  • Hold an office or employment
  • The duties of the office or employment are performed wholly outside the United Kingdom (see SE34010 for the relevance of “merely incidental duties”).

Other factors:

  • The cost is borne or reimbursed by (or on behalf of) the employer and
  • is an assessable emolument of the employee
  • The board and lodging is provided to enable the employee to perform the duties of the employment

If the emoluments from the employment are “foreign emoluments” (see SE40031 and SE34160) no deduction is allowed.

Nature of the deduction

Allow the cost of the employee's board and lodging outside the United Kingdom where all the above conditions are satisfied.

Board and lodging

The term “board and lodging” is not defined. It includes hotel expenses and the cost of rented accommodation.

Dual purpose of board and lodging

If the board and lodging is provided partly for another purpose, for example, private use for a holiday, you should limit the deduction to the amount properly attributable to the business purpose.