Business mileage rules unfair?

techguy81

I work for a local authority and use my own car for business use. I claim mileage at 45p per mile.

The rules (not sure if company policy or HMRC) state that when submitting a mileage claim, you subtract the journeys between home and office, which is fair enough. Lets say I live 15 miles from the office, that's a 30 mile round trip which I cannot claim for.

However, my "permanent" office is more for HMRC purposes. It is literally my office "on paper", I'm hardly ever there due to the nature of my job, maybe a few times a week, if that. On a daily basis I can be sent, straight from home, wherever I am needed in the county. Often this is much less than the 30 mile round trip to my "paper" office. In other words, I am unable to claim any mileage less than 30 miles, even though it was purely for business use. This is happening on a daily basis.

I could sort of understand it if I was travelling straight to the office most mornings, but when it's more often than not elsewhere, it doesn't seem right.

I am not the only employee to feel this is an unfair system, but we are told "rules are rules" and there is nothing that can be done about it.

Is it really as simple as that?

tomtontom

You might not think it fair, but it is correct - you cannot claim for your commute. If you wish to claim from home your contract would need to be amended with your home as your office.

Southend1

Seems fair to me

Tiddlywinks

Oh for goodness sake - you are not a home worker, you have a base which is a 30 mile round trip... That is your normal liability.

So, anything less than that and you are actually quids in... Anything more and you can claim.

Seems very fair to me.

getmore4less

Always go into the office every day and start from there at your normal work start time.

Get rid of the car and have them pay for the alternative transport

Or move to Scotland or Cornwall whichever gives the best travel mileage

techguy81

Doesn't feel like normal liability if I'm hardly there?

Would it not be fairer for the meter to start running after I get to wherever my first job of the day might be? I believe that was the old way of doing it anyway.

Tiddlywinks

You asked for the position - people have given it to you.

Just because you don't like it doesn't make it unfair.

techguy81

Of course it's unfair - why should business mileage come out my own pocket?

My understanding of the word "commute" is travelling to and from a place of work. Most individuals' place of work is fixed, however mine changes daily. Of course I'm going to question it if my "base" is artificially fixed at a location I hardly visit. Saves the LA a tidy sum though.

laurel7172

"A few times a week" does not equate to "hardly ever there".

techguy81

laurel7172 wrote: »

"A few times a week" does not equate to "hardly ever there".

You conveniently left out "if that".

Spare a thought for my colleague, he lives even further away and visits "base" far less than me. 60 miles before he can claim anything. Nobody forces him to do the job, but still...that's a lot of free vehicle use the LA are getting out of him.

lakes17

techguy81 wrote: »

Of course it's unfair - why should business mileage come out my own pocket?

My understanding of the word "commute" is travelling to and from a place of work. Most individuals' place of work is fixed, however mine changes daily. Of course I'm going to question it if my "base" is artificially fixed at a location I hardly visit. Saves the LA a tidy sum though.

In your first post you quoted "that you were there a few times a week" which is completely different to hardly ever.


You also quote "saves the LA a tidy sum" which really should be "saves you a tidy sum" as you don't have to pay the full commute to work.

If it makes you feel better why don't you drive to your office before your first appointment, you will then be eligible to claim your business mileage. But you will be worse of as your 15 mile commute that you are currently saving by not going to your place of work first will come out of your own pocket!!