How much would you charge for petrol?

[Hollylou]

Just wondered how much you would normally charge for petrol? I'm looking after a 3 yr old who goes to preschool on a Monday morning only at the moment although will go 5 mornings a week from Sept and she lives in the next village (about 4 or 5 miles away), which is where her preschool is. I've already told mum that I will be charging for petrol once I start to pick her up from there after Easter and she is fine with this. Dad drops her off there in the morning - I'm required to do just the pick up at lunchtime. Just wondered what you all think is reasonable per journey?
Thanks!

My childminder charges £1 per trip anywhere in the local area approx 2-3 miles. So maybe £1 - £1.50 per trip.

I don't charge, just claim the mileage off expenses

Same as looney I take it off expenses, worked well for me as I didnt need to pay much tax this year because of it.

If you want to to sound official, try the inland revenue approved rates

As childminder we can claim 40p per mile against tax.

I was pretty sure that you couldn't actually charge parents for petrol as such, because you are supposed to charge for your "time". ?? If you charge for petrol, I think it would invalidate your business-rate vehicle insurance.

Good point TP, it's something about being more like a taxi or something if I remember correctly

The Inland Revenue accept that 40 p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles and 25 p per mile thereafter as being the true cost.

It's not just petrol you need to think of, but wear and tear, and presumably insurance to cover busines use.

If you claim the petrol mileage in your expenses, you can't claim for anything else to do with your vehicle (MOT, service etc). If you do choose to claim for everything, I think it's a whole different "claim" system (and one which I don't know). You can't do both.

Thanks - understand what you are saying about claiming against expenses rather than charging the parent. To be honest I didn't intend to be charging parents petrol in the first place but as I've picked up mindees who live outside my area. As I need to take trips to and from pre-school I wanted to make sure I was covered for this. I guess this is something I need to just reflect in my fees for future rather than make an actual charge for petrol. I don't want to be doing something I shouldn't be!

Charge from when you leave home? Other minders do this as routine for any nursery or school runs.

Agree with TP. I had a parent round for a school run recently and said I'd charge 50p more an hour (it was a terrible school run in the sticks) plus said I'd charge from when I leave the house. They were fine with this.

I've spoken to NCMA at length and my car insurers - its perfectly fine to charge parents a mileage/transportation fee in addition to your hourly rate- you will not normally be classed as a taxi for doing this.

We're not considered the same as taxis because we are not for hire to the public - we only transport minded children as part of our day to day activities or as requested by the parents of the children we care for - we don't offer a service to the "general public" as taxis do.

I charge 40p per mile for the round trip plus my time as a childminder.

Charging the parent reflects that they've booked your time not only to care for their child but to sit in traffic jams/negotiate roadworks and deny other parents drop offs/pick ups during your journey. The journeys may affect mindees nap patterns and you will have to organise your activities, meals etc around the times of the journey.

Claiming 40p per mile as expenses as already posted, covers not just your petrol costs but other vehicle related expenses that reduce the profit you receive from the charge you made to the parent. You can either claim 40p per mile OR capital expenses for the cost of the vehicle and each individual receipt for petrol, service, repair & valet. The latter is far too complicated for me!

HTH

Ayla - thanks so much for looking into this. This is really helpful!

HL

I think you still have to be very careful about all this - different insurance companies will tell you very different things.

There is a very fine line before you may regarded as "being" a taxi, and waiting for something to happen and the insurance company backing down on what they've said to you can prove a real problem (it hasn't happened to me personally).

I was told that you must never make a charge for "petrol" as such.

im a nanny and i charge 40 p a mile for taking child out on trips or collecting to and from nursery.