☀️✈️ “Business trip to Ibiza, mate - all on the company!”

You’ve probably seen the TikToks and Insta reels where accounting influencers reckon you can swan off on an all-inclusive, call it a “directors’ meeting,” and whack the whole holiday through the business. 🍹👔

Sorry to burst your beach ball… but HMRC ain’t that daft. Here’s the truth 👇

✅ What you can claim:

• The costs that are wholly and exclusively for business.

• Example: You’re on holiday in Devon, but you nip over to Exeter to see a supplier. You can claim the mileage for that Exeter meeting - not your full family holiday.

🚫 What you can’t claim:

• Flights for the kids, hotel rooms for the whole family, or your sangria tab by the pool.

• If the main purpose of the trip is personal (a holiday with the family), HMRC will treat it as private.

⚖️ The grey bit:
If there’s a genuine split, HMRC allows apportionment. For instance, if you fly to Spain purely for a supplier meeting, the business can cover your flight. The fact that you enjoy some sun on the side? That’s just an incidental private benefit - and still allowable.

📝 Top tips:

• Keep records (meeting minutes, tickets, mileage logs).

• Pay business expenses directly from the company account.

• Don’t try to sneak your partner’s flights through - HMRC will check.

💡 Bottom line: If you’re mixing business and pleasure, only the identifiable business bits are tax-deductible. The rest? That’s on you (and your holiday budget).