Can I claim back the cost of my travel card while working as paye?

PollySouthend

For a paye job I'm starting soon I will travel around London using my travel card during the working day. I also use it to travel into work. Can I offset this against tax?

Ozzuk

I'm sure accountant will be along shortly but I don't think you can. Well, you can claim for travel during the day if its for work - but that would be from your employer. To commute to single place of work, no, otherwise we'd all be doing it. If the employer decided to pay for your travel to work it would likely be a taxable benefit.

shortcrust

Have a look at this. You can claim for public transport if you're travelling for work rather than just to and from. I don't know how it would work with a travel card though. I suppose there's no additional cost for the work related travel so there are no costs to claim.

https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/travel-and-overnight-expenses

I'm not an accountant (obviously:)).

agrinnall

I would suggest that this is only feasible if you have a travel card that is only used for the travel undertaken for work. If you use the same card for your commute to and from work then I'd say that would make it ineligible for any sort of tax relief as it's no longer 'wholly and exclusively' for business use (and that would also apply if use use the card for travel on non-working days).

Doshwaster

PollySouthend wrote: »

For a paye job I'm starting soon I will travel around London using my travel card during the working day. I also use it to travel into work. Can I offset this against tax?

If you could do this then everyone on PAYE would be offsetting their commuting costs by tax.

You can't claim for costs to/from your permanent place of work (usually stated in your contract) but you can if your employer requires you to visit other sites, customer locations etc - and even then only for costs above your usual commute

The basic rules:
https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/travel-and-overnight-expenses

though the full rules are very complicated if you want tor read 73 pages of tax regulations:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/685996/490_0418_final.pdf

Savvy_Sue

Is it possible to get a second travel card only used for work? Not a Londoner and no travel cards here...