Top 10 Most Imaginative & Bizarre Expense Claims 2020

Every year HMRC receives some imaginative excuses and expense claims following the 31 January Self Assessment deadline. This year HMRC has highlighted 10 of the most weird and wonderful tax return excuses they have received from customers who missed the deadline over the last 10 years.

The top 10 most bizarre excuses and questionable expenses claims for items, in reverse order, are:

• caravan rental for the Easter weekend
• I was up a mountain in Wales, and couldn’t find a post box or get an internet signal
• my dog ate the post … again
• claiming £4.50 for sausage and chips meal expenses for 250 days
• my hamster ate my post
• I’ve been cruising round the world in my yacht, and only picking up post when I’m on dry land
• a music subscription so I can listen to music while I work
• pet food for a Shih Tzu ‘guard dog’
• a DJ was too busy with a party lifestyle – spinning the deck….in a bowls club
• my mother-in-law is a witch and put a curse on me

All the tax return excuses and expenses listed above were unsuccessful. You have to admire the ingenuity and optimism!