Question for accountants - would this be acceptable to HMRC?

There's an iPhone app called Receipt Catcher.  Looks quite good.  One feature is it combines all the receipts into a single pdf like the example below.
Question: When printed out this pdf is essentially a photocopy. Would this be acceptable to HMRC?

 

It should be but it needs to be readable. Not sure if you've deliberaly blurred some of the above. Here's a link on what HMRC say. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/factsheet/record-keeping.pdf

Is that App from Receipt Bank I think they do the same kind of thing.

Many thanks Brendan.
Yes that's a screen grab from the app details on iTunes, looks like they've masked some of business names in the receipts.

Yeah, digital copies of receipts are generally acceptable, provided as mentioned above all the information is clear, and also that you have some kind of system to get back to that receipt (eg HMRC say what makes up £2k travel expenses, you can provide breakdown, and find receipts to match individual transactions...so some kind of decent filing system required).

The bit I don't get is what's (except good old fashioned ethics of course) to stop someone giving the digital image of the receipt to all their mates to put through their businesses too?  For many generic things like train tickets, the receipt won't say who bought it, I imagine there could be quite a lot of fraud going on.  Sure it won't be long before someone creates a website (if they haven't already) with a load of downloadable receipts to suit every situation.

Now you have gone and done it. I won't be long before that website goes live!

So many receipts nowadays have date and times and in a full examination by HMRC they will ask for diaries. They will check locations and cash availability or credit card statements. No hiding place. Preparing papers for submission to HMRC takes a great deal of work other than pure collation to illustrate the bona fide of a persons paper work.

Thanks Nigel. I always delete expired entries in my electronic diary.  Your comment makes me think it's a good idea to retain them.

It will be better for thermally printed reciepts that tend to go blank! after a few years...

I used to work for HMRC (VAT) and the receipt is just the first step.  Credibility checks were carried out to see if the paperwork was (as the name suggests) 'credible'.  This is where the idea of copying receipts etc. can fall down.  There are secondary records such as diairies as already mentioned to back up any receipts, but to go a stage further the receipts have to be paid for and if by debit card there is an audit trail to substantiate receipt.  Cash becomes a bit more tricky, but even then the cash has to come from somehwere - bank customer etc. so there are further audit trails to follow.  Too many cash receipts raises a question over whether all cash sales/income has been declared if you can't show where the cash comes from.  Generally if the values are not great, you should be OK, but should there be a large number, even if they are legitimate, these are likely to attract attemtion and may be challenged.  In some ways a printed PDF makles it easier for the HMRC investigator to check as opposed to the fiddly receipts.

I hope this helps.

It is also worth noting that in my experience for an expense to be allowable for vat the actual receipt / invoice must be available. For income tax though the evidence of a credit card statement or bank entries for a debit card will be satisfactory for expenses below say £100.

Thanks Nicola, that's useful. Not my scan by the way. It's a screen grab from the blurb about the app on iTunes. The app developer has masked company names on the receipts.