Travel reimbursment

parosfan

Hi all,

I work for a company in full time employment with our office in West London. My permanent place of work in my contract also states that this is my main place of work.

However, we are contracted out to another company based in the city. And I am pretty much there 4 days a week if not 5.
Sometimes however, I have to be in the client site and then need to travel to our offices during lunch.

Now, I use a prepaid Oyster as generally my travel is only during the week and sometimes I use the bus which is cheaper than tube etc.
I know I can't claim travel expenses to and from my permanent place of work as that is regular commuting. But I thought I could claim the cost of my travel between the client site and office from my employer and they have said no I can't.
Should I be able to claim the cost of travel between home and the client site? Client site and office?

Appreciate any help

agrinnall

It sounds like in practice that your normal place of work has become the client site (although in the weeks when you are only there 4 days where are you on the 5th day?), so you probably can't claim the cost of travelling there. But I do think that the cost of travelling from the client site to your employer's site should be an allowable expense that you can claim against your tax, if your employer won't pay it themselves (which I think they really should).

InsideInsurance

How long have you been going there/ will you continue going there?

HMRC talks about regular place of work and doesnt state that you can only have one. If you are going to be working at the clients site for 2 years or more then as soon as you know this (not when you've actually hit the 2 years) then you can no longer get the expense reimbursed tax free.

Ultimately expense reimbursement comes down to company policy/ contracts. HMRC rules only define if you have to pay tax on the reimbursement or not

parosfan

Thanks both.
It may land up being 2 years at client site but not sure.
When I do 4 days at the client, the other day its at our office.
Regardless, I really can't believe that they won't pay for travel between the two locations.
I'm paying for travel to/from the office/client in the morning/evening.
Anything in between is additional and really they should cover that is my feeling and how its been everywhere else I've ever worked...

jobbingmusician

Be aware that you and others in this thread are talking about two different things. You are talking about claiming back expenses from your employer. (Yes, I agree you should be able to, but only YOU can judge whether you are likely to get these and whether it's worth 'rocking the boat'.)

Some others are talking about the fact (or at least implying) that if your employer DOESN'T reimburse this cost, you should at least be able to claim it back by filling in a tax return and claiming this as a necessary expense.

LittleVoice

jobbingmusician wrote: »

Be aware that you and others in this thread are talking about two different things. You are talking about claiming back expenses from your employer. (Yes, I agree you should be able to, but only YOU can judge whether you are likely to get these and whether it's worth 'rocking the boat'.)

Some others are talking about the fact (or at least implying) that if your employer DOESN'T reimburse this cost, you should at least be able to claim it back by filling in a tax return and claiming this as a necessary expense.

Expenses not reimbursed are not claimed in full from HMRC. What is claimable is the tax that would have been paid on the nett sum involved.

jobbingmusician

Sorry, yes, I did not express that at all clearly!

InsideInsurance

jobbingmusician wrote: »

Some others are talking about the fact (or at least implying) that if your employer DOESN'T reimburse this cost, you should at least be able to claim it back by filling in a tax return and claiming this as a necessary expense.

Presumably that would depend on if either is considered a temporary place of work. On the basis the OP admits that it is likely to be for a total of more than 24 months then HMRC may not see it as a temporary work place

agrinnall

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Presumably that would depend on if either is considered a temporary place of work. On the basis the OP admits that it is likely to be for a total of more than 24 months then HMRC may not see it as a temporary work place

Yes, I agree, but in that case travel to the other location, either from home or from the 'normal' place of work, should be allowable.

parosfan

Quite often I'll go from Home to Client site then to Office and then home. Or the reverse...
Nothing in my contract / handbook about this. Only international travel!

I don't think it will be 24 months at the client thinking about it a bit more...