Disability Allowance

[passat]

I would like to ask advice on how income from Self Employment is worked out in the special formula used by DSFA regarding a means test for Disability Allowance. For example if the working spouse of the disabled person is making monthly repayments on a car loan, would the monthly repayment be allowed to be included as expenses? or would it only be the Interest on the monthly repayment that would be allowed as expenses? I am aware that you cannot claim the following as expenses: Income Tax, Prsi, or Vhi payments as a self employed person.

Thank you in advance of you answer to my query.

 

[gipimann]

From the Dept of Social & Family Affairs Website - Means Assessment for self-employment (either claimant or spouse/partner)

All expenses directly related to the self employment. In self employment cases the income is taken to be the gross profit less allowable work related expenses, but not drawings. Where the person has taken "drawings" from the business which are greater than the level of income thus calculated, the drawings are assessed as cash income.
There is no exhaustive list of all expenses allowed in self employed cases, since expenses vary with the nature and extent of the self employment. However the following are the main allowable expenses in most instances:

• Materials (supplies costs)
• Motor running costs (portion applicable to business)
• Depreciation of machinery or equipment
• Insurance relating to the business
• Telephone (portion applicable to business)
• Lighting and Heating (for business and not domestic use)
• Advertising
• Bank Charges
• Stationery
• Van Leasing
• Labour Costs
• Pension plan
• and any other costs associated with running the business.
• Household running costs are not allowed as deductions against business profit.
• Class S PRSI contributions (where paid or payable) (Note if payable but not being paid, a separate report should be made by the Social Welfare Investigator on this aspect.)

Link to the info here (scroll down to the headings "deductions from earnings self-employment claimant" and "deductions from earnings self-employment spouse/partner")