Season ticket

Satyakrishna23

Hi Everyone, 
Thanks for allowing me to be part this wonderful forums. 
I am Satya relocating to UK. My wife got a job in london and myself in Oxford. We plan to commute from reading. However, we find that the season train tickets were super expensive. May I know if i can claim these (or atleast in part) from my taxes?
Alternatively, please provide me of any other options?

I have travel 5 days a week while my wife have to travel 2 days a week. 

Thanks in advance.

martindow

Yes, I'm afraid that public tranport in the UK including season tickets are very expensive, but from Reading to London train is the only sensible transport option.  It is very fast at around 25 minutes for 36 miles plus your onward journey by tube.  Reading to Oxford has more options by train or bus and a lot of people drive there so it may be possible to arrange a car share, possibly with a colleague from work.  Buses are relatively cheap but very slow.

I'm afraid that commuting costs cannot be set off against your tax.

anotheruser

No.
You cannot claim this from your taxes in terms of a rebate or anything.

There are flexible season tickets now for those travelling less than 5 or 7 days, but generally the more you buy the more you save per journey.  Many people start with a weekly and save until they can afford a monthly.  Keep saving and you'll be able to  afford an Annual season ticket.

It may be worth checking how much daily tickets are for your wife as that may be cheaper.

Check with your employer.
Sometimes, some employers will give you a loan (deducted through your payslips) to allow you to purchase season tickets.  I believe this comes out before tax is taken, so there can be a little saving there but it's not really a lot.

martindow

The flexible season tickets do not seem very good value from all reports.  With season tickets, you can save a little by buing them for odd lengths of time provided they are for longer than a certain minimum (one month I think).  With a bit of planning you can buy one that ends on your last working day before a bank holiday weekend or some annual leave you are taking and then buy the next one starting on your first day back at work.

Satyakrishna23

martindow said:

Yes, I'm afraid that public tranport in the UK including season tickets are very expensive, but from Reading to London train is the only sensible transport option.  It is very fast at around 25 minutes for 36 miles plus your onward journey by tube.  Reading to Oxford has more options by train or bus and a lot of people drive there so it may be possible to arrange a car share, possibly with a colleague from work.  Buses are relatively cheap but very slow.

I'm afraid that commuting costs cannot be set off against your tax.

Thanks for letting me know Martindow

TheAble

Worth exploring if Reading to London is cheaper by Oyster, especially if travelling off peak. Depends on which station you're travelling to.

https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/single-fare-finder

martindow

You can pay with a contactless card at Reading but not using an Oystercard.  It is not necessarily cheaper than paper tickets according to this page

https://www.gwr.com/your-tickets/choosing-your-ticket/smart-tickets/contactless-payments

TheAble

martindow said:

You can pay with a contactless card at Reading but not using an Oystercard.  It is not necessarily cheaper than paper tickets according to this page

https://www.gwr.com/your-tickets/choosing-your-ticket/smart-tickets/contactless-payments

Fair enough - I thought possibly there might have been an angle with oyster off-peak combined with cheapest annual gold card for 1/3 off but if they don't accept Oyster there it rules that out. 

martindow

I am afraid that there are really no cheap options for Reading - Paddington.  The only bargain is for London Freedom Pass holders who can travel to and from Reading free provided they use the TfL Crossrail trains.