Claiming mileage expenses for shorter trips than my commute

[Theoneandonlyone]

I have recently been promoted with my employer. My commute is an 80 mile round trip but I have mostly worked from home with 1/2 days a month in the office. My new role basically calls for a lot of travelling / supplier visits etc. 2 / 3 times a week. I’m told I can’t claim mileage for these as most of them are under my office commute. I don’t get a company car or allowance. AIBU to think that given that I’m using my own car, require business insurance etc. that I should be able to claim for fuel? Especially given how expensive it is at the moment? It basically wipes out my increase in salary?

No almost all companies deduct your home to work mileage from a travel claim, very very few operate a lesser than rule. If your base office isn't your home you won't be able to claim anything under 80 miles, this should've been a consideration when applying for the job

I think your employer is correct, presumably you agreed the 80 mile commute when accepting the role and in doing so, accepted any associated costs. If you are driving less than this, surely that is in itself a cost saving.

Pretty standard if your place of work is considered to be the office

Employer is correct. You can only claim if journey is more than office commute

My understanding is the same as @TheCurious0range. Am assuming that your office base is set out in your contract, Op?

Yeah unfortunately OP that's exactly the same as where I work! I think your going to have to accept that as the policy.

How on earth did you not realize this when applying for that type of role 🤔

That's pretty standard I think

you have to deduct your home to base milage before making a claim. If you wanted to be petty about it drive into work first and then claim your mileage driving to/from your visits from the office. Your employer will then be paying your mileage for everything but your commute but you won't gain anything because you have still had to pay out for the commute and you lose the gift of time.

Same as my work. You cant claim for journeys shorter than normal commute. In fact you should deduct normal commute from mileage.

Look at it another way round, people who live closer to the office and are going in and starting their work journeys from there aren't getting paid for their commute in either. It's your choice to live as far away as you do from the office, and sometimes you get the perk of having less far to travel due to visits being closer to you than the office is.

I’d take this up with your line manager in the first instance. It’s understandable that you are frustrated that your promotion is costing you money. See what your manager suggests as a resolution - for example they could change you to a remote contract that sets your home as the normal place of work, and that will enable you to claim your travel expenses.

If they believe in you enough to promote you then they should work with you to find a solution.

Have to agree with others as it's the same thing where I work... Mileage only paid from usual place of work to destination...in your case if it's a shorter distance I guess it's something you have to accept... Not sure how you'd miss that when discussing terms of your promotion, knowing you'd need to travel more often.. 🤦🏼

I’m pretty sure it’s an HMRC rule - we have to deduct the home office mileage first too - we do get 10% of our salary paid as an extra for using our own cars though.

These are Hmrc rules, nothing to do with your employer.

Yes sorry, unless you can get your employer to change your contract to your base being your home, this is correct. It’s been the same in every company I have worked for.

Agree with PP, this is an HMRC rule, don't look stupid by having it out with your manager, it has nothing to do with them. It's about your "normal work location" as stated in your contract of employment, which HMRC takes to be your commute.

the only way round this is to ask your employer if they are willing to make you a homeworker contractually. Warning, they are unlikely to agree because it would mean they have to reimburse you the mileage every time you go to the office.

Is having a car a condition of having the role? If not how do they expect you to visit these sites?

Last job I had that required this we used hire cars, but having a car wasn't a requirement of the role, I know the manager level above me were expected to use their own cars, but had a car allowance added to their salary.

It’s pretty standard but do check your company’s written policy.

That’s quite normal. The intention of paying mileage is to compensate you for having travelled further than your usual distance to work. If you don’t travel further than your usual distance, you don’t get extra pay, as you would have paid for your journey to work anyway.

@Theoneandonlyone what is your place of work in contract? If using personal vehicle you should be able to claim mileage from place of work address to supplier. If employer doesn’t give the mileage put it through self assessment

It is rubbish but pretty standard. However if you are only expected at the office once or twice per month your expected mileage is no more than160 miles per month. If it was me I would try to negotiate that I add up my mileage for the month, including office days, subtract 160 miles from that total to calculate excess mileage incurred by work and claim for those miles. You could also just ask for a pay rise based on the additional expenses

But it is a negotiation so who knows what you will get, good luck

Completely normal. My office is 93 miles from home and I never claim anything.

This isn't costing you any money. If you weren't driving to customer premises you would be driving to and from work costing you the same amount of money in fuel, wear and tear etc.

Ok there is the cost of changing your car insurance to include business use but usually that is only a few quid a year extra.

I think your only options would be:
Travel to the office and do all work trips from your base then return to your base afterwards. But you’re then shelling out for the cost of the commute anyway.

Negotiate that you are a designated home worker. This would mean you permanently work from home as I don’t think (but check) that you can have two work bases assigned.

Ask for a pool care/hire car but you’d again still have to get to your place of work which defeats the object.

I understand it’s frustrating @Theoneandonlyone but these are standard rules and any miles you claim for outside of this would be taxable.

Of course you can’t claim for them. It’s cheaper to go and see a supplier than go into the office. You need to suck it up or look for another job.

Exactly this. Same everywhere OP.