You can’t expense your breakfast just because you were ‘working on the business’ 😋
Enjoy your cinnamon swirl and vanilla latte, but don’t expect HMRC to pick up the tab.
Here are the rules…
❌ Everyday meals = not subsistence, unless travelling for work – see below
❌ Working from a local coffee shop = not a business expense
✅ Subsistence – meals/snacks when you’re travelling for work away from your usual base
✅ Overnight stays – evening meal, breakfast, etc., while away on business are all legit
✅ Staff entertaining & trivial benefits = sometimes a legit way to cover meals
Basically, when you’re away from your normal base/home, HMRC allows “reasonable” food & drink costs – because those are extra expenses you wouldn’t have had if you weren’t travelling for work.
The keyword is reasonable (so, dinner at a restaurant is fine, but not a 5-course blowout with champagne every night 😅)
So yes, you can enjoy the occasional meal on the business, but you can’t expense every full English just because you were strategising over your bacon butty. 😉