Do I pay my nannies bus fare?

[GoldysMum]

Quick question as my children's new nanny is finally starting tomorrow. It's such a small thing but worrying me so thought I would ask what people thought as it will set a precedent and I want to start out on the right foot. I'm taking the day off to do settling in with her tomorrow and am planning to do all the regular activities that she would do normally. One of these is attending a playgroup a short bus ride away. Should I be paying her bus fare there and back. I know its only a few pounds but i know these things add up. It hasn't been discussed and I'm thinking it probably is my responsibility to pay it and perhaps I should provide her with an prepaid oyster card for work related travel? Is this what other people do?

Yes as it's taking them.

An oyster card will probably be necessary if she doesn't already have one. You don't need to pay for her to get to and from work though.

Yes you should, as you should be paying petrol if she was useing her car.

I think you should pay - she's only going to the playgroup in her capacity as a nanny. She wouldn't be going if she wasn't your nanny. Perhaps it's worth getting an Oyster card if you are London based - or similar type thing elsewhere.

Maybe a kitty would be best anyway for drinks, entrance fees etc?

Any expense that she incurs looking after your child must be reimbursed. The only expense you shouldn't expect to pay will be her travel to and from work.

I would say yes, you should. If I have to do any travel during the working day, as part of my job, my employer reimburses the expense. Not sure about the Oyster card as I don't know how they work, but you could either give her a prepaid ticket which I assume the Oyster card is, or she pays it and you reimburse her on production of the bus ticket/receipt. Prepaid might be less hassle though.

Thank you - I think an oyster card is the way to go - there will be a kitty too but I think fares are much more reasonable with an oyster so makes sence to provide a prepaid one rather than pay cash each journey. Even if she has her own Oyster card I think working out small amounts like that to reimburse could prove tricky.

Yes you should, although she will most likely have an Oyster card living in London, unless you live in say, Zone 2 but the playgroup is in Zone 1. She most likely has the weekly / monthly one which covers Zones x-x, so it probably would be covered anyway, but check with her. If it's not covered, then yes pay it.

When I lived in London, for my longest position I had to have the weekly all inclusive travelcard Zones 1-5 anyway due to commute as it worked out cheapest, so my bosses didn't pay me anything back. But when I lived in Zone 2 and worked in Zone 2, my bosses paid 50% of my weekly travelcard as I spent most of my days trekking round with LO.

Having a separate oyster card for work travel sounds a good idea to me, as then you can keep track of journeys done (I presume it itemises journeys, I don't live in London) so you have that info for accounting purposes.

Yes, you should pay all travel costs during your nanny's working hours.
Do you know that if the Oyster card is registered to you you can not only top it up online but also see all of the journeys that have been made (ie track what your children and nanny are up during the day). Not that you'll need to of course! (Big Brother hat on today).

Assuming the nanny earns £8500 or more
Would bus tickets fall under "General expenses allowance for business travel" section of P11D? Or would they fall under a different section, or not need to be declared at all?

I use my own car for work travel, so that goes on the P11D and I track all mileage. Does similar tracking need to be done for other kinds of 'business travel'?

I'm not fluent with P11D, so hope someone knowledgeable can say what sort of nanny expenses need to be put on P11D.

Good grief Nick, a P11D just for bus fares? Even the most compliance-mad inspector wouldn't raise that one I am sure, so all but the 'strict letter of the law' employers can stop reading now.

To answer your qestion, 'General expenses allowance for business travel' is something like '£5 a day for bus fares' and is taxable; reimbursement of actual expenses is reported under 'Travelling and subsistence payments' and is not taxable (but if reported on a P11D the employee will have to claim the same amout as expenses on their tax return).

Approved Mileage Allowance Payments do not need to go on a P11D (or P9D) any more.

If your employer applies for and is granted a 'dispensation', no expenses which are reimbursed have to be reported on P11D or P9D.

Thanks MrAnchovy, knew you would come along an explain it.

All I knew was that I need to track work mileage as I use my own car, so wondered how it applied to other forms of travel.

We have a nanny oyster card that she uses during the day. It comes in use for visiting relatives too.
(we dont pay tax on it).....

agree with MrAnchovy - you are going way over the top nannynick

the bus fares the nanny pays whilst going about her duties (NOT coming to or from her place of work) for your child and family are part of your costs in employing the nanny and you should pay them, they are not actually anything to do with her own tax affairs, so you either pay for her bus pass for use during her work or you re-imburse the fare from the kitty. it is your expense not hers

goldy - you need to pay her fares when she is doing something you have asked her to do, in the same way you would expect your employer to pay you if they asked you to go somewhere outside your usual place of work on their business

Thank you - yes, the prepaid Oyster is definitely going to be the answer, especially as she lives within walking distance so won't have her own for getting here. Kaoleanne I think I should have just asked your opinion directly as, if I'm correct I think you are one if my neighbours :-)