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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

no, everyone does not commit mileage fraud and it isn't acceotabe

33 replies

Mumof4worried · 24/04/2015 15:49

Just had a chat to my brother, he works in another city and work provide a flat. He can either come home at the weekend or stay in the flat.

He has just said he regularly stays there for the weekend but sends in petrol receipts to pretend he drives back. If he does this every weekend that would be almost 1000 tax free earnt!

He justify s it by saying everyone does it and there is the budget so no one is out of pocket.

I'm horrified. Surely this isn't acceptable at all, he could get caught and it is serious fraud?

OP posts:
Original poster
Mumof4worried · 24/04/2015 15:50

Ahh why didn't auto correct change the acceptable! Fat fingers :(

OP posts:
ginmakesitallok · 24/04/2015 15:51

I'm surprised his work pay him home to base mileage, not very common?

IvyWall · 24/04/2015 15:51

It is fraud and he would most likely be sacked if caught

PuntasticUsername · 24/04/2015 15:58

YANBU. Yes, it's a serious fraud against his employer and if he's caught, he could lose his job, be prosecuted and have to repay all that he has stolen (assuming anyone, even he, could find out exactly how much that is). Idiot.

GGabcd · 24/04/2015 16:02

He is going to get himself and his employer in a lot of trouble when he gets caught.

And he will get caught.

LurkingHusband · 24/04/2015 16:31

I'm surprised his work pay him home to base mileage, not very common?

Homeworker ? I get the same, although I don't have a "base". We have several offices, so I can end up all over the country. HMRC get a little sniffy if you only ever travel to one office, and can claim you are based there (and therefore will be taxed on the expenses).

YDdraigGoch · 24/04/2015 16:36

Very many MPs lost their jobs recently for doing just that kind of thing. It's stealing.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 24/04/2015 16:36

Not only is he defrauding his company, I'm not sure HMRC would recognise this as a legit expense - it's not home to base mileage, it's home to home mileage surely? It's not up to the revenue to fund his trips home if he choses to live away from his work.

Original poster
Mumof4worried · 25/04/2015 07:02

Thanks, glad others see this as serious too.

He says its all fine from hmrc and its impossible for them to find out as its just petrol receipts he has to submit. But surely it just takes a speeding ticket and then he could have to pay back a 5 figure sum!

OP posts:
exLtEveDallasNoBollocks · 25/04/2015 07:17

How does he do it? If he isn't travelling back, how is he getting the petrol receipts from his home town?

I think he's just winding you up.

Original poster
Mumof4worried · 25/04/2015 07:34

He does it by getting most of the petrol receipts from up in Edinburgh before the weekene, but also has a friend who he buys weekend receipts off in London and also collects them and trys to fill up when he's in London.

OP posts:
PowderMum · 25/04/2015 08:29

I think it depends on the employer, I worked for a short time with a company that encouraged this as a firm of income as they paid shit wages, didn't stay long.

daisychain01 · 25/04/2015 09:11

A so-called victimless crime, into which your DB and friend are colluding. All very grubby and dishonest.

I'd just leave him to it, nothing you can do really.

peggyundercrackers · 25/04/2015 09:15

Hmrc would be fine with the claims - he's travelling from work to home. Work is his rented flat - home is in Edinburgh.

Not sure his company would be pleased though if caught.

YDdraigGoch · 25/04/2015 09:51

Its not victimless daisy The taxpayers (us) and the company he works for are both victims.

ScOffasDyke · 25/04/2015 10:03

Taxpayers are losing nothing. The "victim" is the employer who is paying mileage for trips that haven't been made. He'll only be caught if his employer sees him in the "wrong" city at the "wrong" time

Hissy · 25/04/2015 11:26

Wow! I was expecting this guy to be adding on a few miles here, rounding up there, but the BUYING receipts is a whole other sphere!

He is defrauding his company, and in a calculated and conniving manner.

If I were his employer, I'd be requesting photos of his odometer to verify the mileage he's claiming.

I hope he gets caught and they fire him.

Hissy · 25/04/2015 11:27

I think hmrc would be interested as he's receiving income he's not entitled to, and as its expenses he's not being taxed on it.

I could be wrong though, am no expert Smile

DrElizabethPlimpton · 25/04/2015 11:32

His employer would be well within their rights to call the police if he is caught. Fraud by any method is illegal.

FirstWeTakeManhattan · 25/04/2015 11:42

He truly is being an idiot. And dishonest.

He will probably get fired when he is caught.

cozietoesie · 25/04/2015 11:50

No 'probably' about it.

After many years in total of family experience in all sizes of organisations, I've seen that the one thing you can't do is fiddle expenses on a long term basis and hope to keep your job if something goes awry. They would have him down cold and there would be no wriggle room.

He's not only acting immorally, he's acting stupidly.

Original poster
Mumof4worried · 25/04/2015 11:59

Right still whatsapping him.

He says his company don't care as the client is paying for the exspenses, and a few hundred a week is nothing anyone cares about as he's charged out at over a grand a day (consultant).

He's now saying he's doing them a favour as he's entitled to fly home every weekend and that would cost even more!

Thank god for some common sense on here! Glad I'm not the only one that feels very uneasy about this

OP posts:
Hissy · 25/04/2015 12:04

His client company would FIRE HIS FIRM if they knew.

He's lose his job, and if it were a big enough contract, he could put his colleagues out of work too!

Hissy · 25/04/2015 12:05

If his company does not care... Why doesn't care... I assume he's sanctioned this expenses procedure with them has he?

sanfairyanne · 25/04/2015 12:43

he's probably right though, the company charge the client, its just another way of upping the price they charge and they turn a blind eye.
maybe not a great idea to tell people about it though

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