Self employed- Petrol expenses

Hollieldee

Basically, I'm a freelance equine groom. I don't earn the correct amount in order to pay tax. Obviously (as far as I'm aware) I can't claim back my petrol expenses because I'm not paying tax on my earnings.

I have recently got a new client- 25 hours per week. It's 12 miles away from my other clients. Do you think it would sound cheeky if I asked them for 45p per mile? This would be £25 per week for me in petrol costs. The thing is, they were advertising for a freelance groom and I got in touch with them. If I was advertising and they asked me then I would feel more able to ask for the 45p per mile as they approached me.
What do you think? Am I being rude in asking for it?

p00hsticks

I have no experience of the profession, but personally I'd be calculating the hourly rate I was asking to include all my overheads such as travel

Icequeen99

Hollieldee wrote: »

Basically, I'm a freelance equine groom. I don't earn the correct amount in order to pay tax. Obviously (as far as I'm aware) I can't claim back my petrol expenses because I'm not paying tax on my earnings.

I have recently got a new client- 25 hours per week. It's 12 miles away from my other clients. Do you think it would sound cheeky if I asked them for 45p per mile? This would be £25 per week for me in petrol costs. The thing is, they were advertising for a freelance groom and I got in touch with them. If I was advertising and they asked me then I would feel more able to ask for the 45p per mile as they approached me.
What do you think? Am I being rude in asking for it?

Are you filling in a self-assessment? Do you deduct your mileage when working out your profit? Self-employed people don't claim back their mileage expenses in the same way employed people do.

As the other posters have said, your rate should take the travel costs (and other costs such as insurance) into account.

IQ