What is mess expenditure?

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Quick Summary

Mess expenditure includes costs of providing meals to workers at sites like construction projects, covering food, cooking, and staff costs. It differs from canteen expenses, which are for office or factory setups. Mess costs are treated as labour welfare or project expenses.

bala ganesan

bala ganesan (Querist)
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11 February 2013 Hello Sir,

This is balaganesan cwa, i am working in construction company, i want to know what is mess expenses, what are the expenses are we considered as mess expenses and what is the difference between mess expenses and canteen expenses, and how we have to consider the this spend for labour and office staffs
Please answer me as soon as possible

Thanks & Regards
S Balaganesan

Aashok Kumar Sharma online

Aashok Kumar Sharma online

(Expert)
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03 August 2025 Hi Balaganesan,

Here’s a clear explanation about **mess expenses**, their nature, and how they differ from canteen expenses:

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### What is **Mess Expenditure?**

* **Mess expenditure** refers to the costs incurred for providing **food and related services** primarily to employees, usually in an organizational mess setup.
* This typically applies to **construction sites, factories, or remote locations** where workers and staff are provided meals on-site.
* Mess expenses cover costs like:

* Raw materials (food ingredients)
* Cooking fuel (gas, electricity)
* Salaries of mess workers/cooks
* Utensils and cleaning costs
* Other related overheads

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### Difference Between **Mess Expenses** and **Canteen Expenses**

| Aspect | Mess Expenses | Canteen Expenses |
| --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| Location | Often at remote or on-site locations (e.g., construction sites) | Usually at permanent office or factory premises |
| Purpose | Provide meals, mainly to workers staying on-site | Provide food/snacks to office staff or factory workers |
| Operation | May be more informal, often managed by contractors or in-house | Usually a formal setup with billing, subsidized food |
| Coverage | Focus on full meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) | Can be snacks, meals, beverages |

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### How to Consider Mess Expenses for Labour and Office Staff

* For **labour (especially at construction sites)**, mess expenses are considered a **necessary overhead** or part of the site running costs.
* For **office staff**, usually **canteen expenses** are recorded separately and may be subsidized by the company.
* Mess expenses for labour can be **charged to project/site expenses** or included in **wages and welfare costs**.
* Proper accounting should segregate mess expenses from general administrative expenses.

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### Summary

* **Mess expenses** = food and related costs for employees/workers staying on-site (especially in construction or remote sites).
* **Canteen expenses** = food/snack costs at office/factory premises.
* Consider mess expenses as part of **project costs** for labour welfare and productivity.

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If you want, I can help draft an accounting treatment or cost allocation format for mess expenses. Let me know!

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