your questions answered

Food. Can I Expense It?

Auditions, tours, early trains and airport sandwiches — when does food count as a business expense? A really good question, and a tough one to answer. Let's untangle it.

annie asks

The Question

Are food purchases an allowable business expense? If I flew to Germany for an audition and had to pay for food whilst I was out there, could I count that as an expense? And what about buying a coffee on my way to an audition in London? I might've bought a coffee in London anyway!

the short answer

Sometimes — When You're Travelling on Business

As self-employed people, we can claim 'reasonable' costs of food and drink when travelling on business — but only in two situations. Everyday eating, even on a work day, doesn't count.

when it's allowable

The Two Situations

1

Occasional Journey Outside Your Normal Pattern

An 'occasional business journey outside the normal pattern' — flying to Germany for an audition, a one-off casting in another city. Reasonable food costs on that trip are allowable.

2

STAYING OVERNIGHT 

Overnight on a business trip — touring, a far-away contract? You can claim accommodation AND meals. 

back to annie

So… Germany vs the Coffee

The Germany audition — yes. An occasional business journey well outside your normal pattern. Reasonable food costs while you're out there are an allowable expense.
The London coffee — it's a grey area. Early audition and you're picking up breakfast en route? That's probably fine. Just grabbing a coffee in the middle of the day? Probably not — you might've bought that anyway.
Your normal routine — no. If you're literally just doing what you'd normally do — lunch on a regular working day, your usual flat white — that isn't allowable, even if work is happening around it.
the magic word

It All Hinges on 'Reasonable'

You can't head to the most expensive restaurant in town and claim it as a business expense — sorry! But keep things sensible and you shouldn't raise too many eyebrows. As a rule of thumb:

~£15
per meal on a day trip
~£40
per day when staying overnight
Whatever you claim, keep the receipt — snap it before it fades, note what the trip was for, and log it the day it happens. Our Record Keeping guide has the habits, and the Expenses guide covers everything else you can claim.
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