Received this in the post today, obviously covered up my name and address!!! Basically we now have to keep receipts for the meal allowance that is paid to us tax free, although we do not have to hand them in, we need to keep them for 12 months just in case HMRC decide to check them. My question is, how can they now say that this meal allowance is part of the wage structure? I do not spend £15 per day on meals!!!
Leaving aside the fact that it shouldn’t concern you as you stated that you’ve already left the Co 
the simple fact is that the receipts do not have to add up to the amount of expenses you receive. We have to do the same, sometimes I put receipts in for £2 for the day and sometimes (after I’ve been through the bins at an MSA) I put receipts in for £40+.
They tell us it’s so HMRC know we were legitimately on a night out, my counter argument is that a receipt from a truck stop for food merely proves that I was hungry at that time, not that I was on a night out.
Love how they put the meal allowance in inverted commas,shows even they know it’s a load of BS to try and make up for their ■■■■ hourly rate.
It won’t concern me soon of course, but the daily meal allowance they use against your wages to bump up your hourly rate. I wasn’t told until now that I need to keep records or receipts. It is ridiculous as I do my shopping from home which will not count, I will now be like a flamin raccoon rummaging in bins in MSAs like you say. That is of course if I was staying with them.
It was never part of wages its always been dinner money, and quite rightly HMRC wants to see some proof that the allowance is justified, and not, as someone could infer, that it’s £15 a day tax free which you should otherwise pay tax on if it were actually classed as pay.
The country is teetering on a knife edge, we have an unpayable national debt, we have record personal debts (mostly self inflicted), and the magic money tree is near enough finished, so the treasury is quite rightly looking to close loopholes to keep as much tax revenue as possible coming in to delay the day it all goes ■■■■ up, obviously its hard work going after the very rich and the unregistered illegal alien economies but stopping what could appear to the man with the clap on the omnibus to be an unjust tax free daily payment is simple enough.
the maoster:
Leaving aside the fact that it shouldn’t concern you as you stated that you’ve already left the CoThey tell us it’s so HMRC know we were legitimately on a night out, my counter argument is that a receipt from a truck stop for food merely proves that I was hungry at that time, not that I was on a night out.
When did you leave? Thought you’d just started there.
Juddian:
It was never part of wages its always been dinner money, and quite rightly HMRC wants to see some proof that the allowance is justified, and not, as someone could infer, that it’s £15 a day tax free which you should otherwise pay tax on if it were actually classed as pay.The country is teetering on a knife edge, we have an unpayable national debt, we have record personal debts (mostly self inflicted), and the magic money tree is near enough finished, so the treasury is quite rightly looking to close loopholes to keep as much tax revenue as possible coming in to delay the day it all goes ■■■■ up, obviously its hard work going after the very rich and the unregistered illegal alien economies but stopping what could appear to the man with the clap on the omnibus to be an unjust tax free daily payment is simple enough.
It should start with those big corps who evade taxes and the ones like Branson not those at the bottom
Juddian:
It was never part of wages its always been dinner money, and quite rightly HMRC wants to see some proof that the allowance is justified, and not, as someone could infer, that it’s £15 a day tax free which you should otherwise pay tax on if it were actually classed as pay.The country is teetering on a knife edge, we have an unpayable national debt, we have record personal debts (mostly self inflicted), and the magic money tree is near enough finished, so the treasury is quite rightly looking to close loopholes to keep as much tax revenue as possible coming in to delay the day it all goes ■■■■ up, obviously its hard work going after the very rich and the unregistered illegal alien economies but stopping what could appear to the man with the clap on the omnibus to be an unjust tax free daily payment is simple enough.
The thing is, Stobart do indeed add this extra £75 per week to your wages and although they call it a “meal allowance” they add this to your hourly rate to bump it up. Wrong as it is, what is the next step. Are we going to have to show HMRC our mortgage payment to prove you need to earn a decent wage or perhaps keep your gas bills etc. It is as you say easier to go for the working man than it is to go for Lord Sugar.
bobbya:
When did you leave? Thought you’d just started there.
Not left yet bobbya but I will say, it isn’t for me. I tried it and won’t knock them as it could be for others and I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone for trying it. It is like any job, it suits some but doesn’t suit others. That is all I am willing to say.
tommy t:
Juddian:
It should start with those big corps who evade taxes and the ones like Branson not those at the bottom
These individuals and companies are not flouting the law, they, quite rightly in my opinion, are arranging their finances legally in order to stop the taxman from plundering their ■■■■■, maybe if our nation employed the same accountants as they these loopholes and work arounds wouldn’t have been left available for exploitation.
Ironically many lefty liberal celebs have been exposed as using such ways of avoiding paying too much tax, and some labour controlled local authorities to the tune of £millions too, i don’t blame any of them mind you, if our leaders and so called betters hadn’t been so addicted to the magic money tree for the last 40 years, ■■■■■■■ money up the wall like it grew on trees we wouldn’t be up national crap creek without an unborrowed penny to our name.
UKtramp:
bobbya:
When did you leave? Thought you’d just started there.Not left yet bobbya but I will say, it isn’t for me. I tried it and won’t knock them as it could be for others and I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone for trying it. It is like any job, it suits some but doesn’t suit others. That is all I am willing to say.
Christ, even I managed 5 months 
Juddian:
tommy t:
Juddian:
It should start with those big corps who evade taxes and the ones like Branson not those at the bottom
These individuals and companies are not flouting the law, they, quite rightly in my opinion, are arranging their finances legally in order to stop the taxman from plundering their ■■■■■, maybe if our nation employed the same accountants as they these loopholes and work arounds wouldn’t have been left available for exploitation.
Ironically many lefty liberal celebs have been exposed as using such ways of avoiding paying too much tax, and some labour controlled local authorities to the tune of £millions too, i don’t blame any of them mind you, if our leaders and so called betters hadn’t been so addicted to the magic money tree for the last 40 years, ■■■■■■■ money up the wall like it grew on trees we wouldn’t be up national crap creek without an unborrowed penny to our name.
+1
UKtramp:
bobbya:
When did you leave? Thought you’d just started there.Not left yet bobbya but I will say, it isn’t for me. I tried it and won’t knock them as it could be for others and I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone for trying it. It is like any job, it suits some but doesn’t suit others. That is all I am willing to say.
Despite…
Flocks of Stobbie spotters all wanting selfies with you, planners saying what a fantastic driver you are, your own stories of free drinks at Appleton, all the rubbish you typed about the place and all the hype you gave it.
You’re quitting?
you are such an arse
eagerbeaver:
UKtramp:
bobbya:
When did you leave? Thought you’d just started there.Not left yet bobbya but I will say, it isn’t for me. I tried it and won’t knock them as it could be for others and I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone for trying it. It is like any job, it suits some but doesn’t suit others. That is all I am willing to say.
Christ, even I managed 5 months
I could hang on in there beaver but the outcome would still be the same. I know where I am more suited and at this stage of my career I simply don’t need to stick at something that doesn’t suit. If I needed to work then I would stick it out. As I say it is only a matter of time and there is little point in dragging it out.
UKtramp:
bobbya:
When did you leave? Thought you’d just started there.Not left yet bobbya but I will say, it isn’t for me. I tried it and won’t knock them as it could be for others and I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone for trying it. It is like any job, it suits some but doesn’t suit others. That is all I am willing to say.
At least you gave it a go, too many people stick at it then moan like ■■■■,good luck with your next job.
yourhavingalarf:
Despite…Flocks of Stobbie spotters all wanting selfies with you, planners saying what a fantastic driver you are, your own stories of free drinks at Appleton, all the rubbish you typed about the place and all the hype you gave it.
You’re quitting?
What have the spotters got to do with anything, or a drink at Appleton. I have not said I hate it or anything negative about it. It isn’t for me. End of, anyway what problem is it to you? You stick at your job if your happy with it, I stick at nothing if it doesn’t suit me. that’s because I have a choice. I can do whatever I please and go wherever I want.
UKtramp:
Received this in the post today, obviously covered up my name and address!!! Basically we now have to keep receipts for the meal allowance that is paid to us tax free, although we do not have to hand them in, we need to keep them for 12 months just in case HMRC decide to check them. My question is, how can they now say that this meal allowance is part of the wage structure? I do not spend £15 per day on meals!!!
0
It’s not just haulage. This exact process is happening in other roles. They’re after subsistence allowance everywhere. Where I work we’ve had to do exactly as that stobart letter says. Keep receipts. All this comes from HMRC, not the employer. They’re after our subsistence allowance. We currently pay tax on it but it’s a low rate. hmrc have already carried out one audit and said people weren’t spending enough to justify the tax relief. They’ve given an intermediate tax rate whilst they carry out another random audit period. People are photographing receipts like billio. It’s a right pain. Word on the street is HMRC are going to tax it fully as wages anyway, they just need to build a case. The thing is we’ve had it as part of our wage structure for years and it’s spent out of the country anyway.
As one guy at work said, what chance do we stand? When some jealous little office Waller at HMRC paying full tax on his 9-5 existence would love nothing more than to stick one over on us. It’s jealousy mixed with robbing the working man, again.
bobbya:
At least you gave it a go, too many people stick at it then moan like [zb],good luck with your next job.
Exactly bobbya, if something isn’t to your liking then move on, my happiness and job satisfaction is worth more to me than any job could ever be. Give things a try or regret them, I never regret, I simply try things out. I won’t go to my grave wishing I had done something.
UKtramp…a genuine question if I may.
Was you promised/assured the earth which then turned into anything but once your out on the road and under the command of the planners??
xichrisxi:
UKtramp…a genuine question if I may.
Was you promised/assured the earth which then turned into anything but once your out on the road and under the command of the planners??
No it is was just the whole regime, the company, the contracts they have the sheer size of it, not knowing who anyone is, it’s all a bit faceless. Majority of the drivers are foreign, that to me was the biggest part, I have nothing against foreign drivers, but I would like to be feeling I am working for a British company when working in the UK.