Claiming business mileage from HMRC

rainbowchaos

I'm hoping somebody with more knowledge than me can confirm whether I would be entitled to claim business mileage relief from HMRC. I've read everything I can but I'm still unsure.

I live in Crawley and the office I'm based in is in Woking, which is 29 miles away. I'm out visiting clients a lot and only cover East Surrey so not the area that the office is in. I go to that office twice a month, work from our nearer Reigate office once a week (which they won't change my workbase to) and work from home the rest of the time. 

I'm unable to claim pretty much any mileage as the company policy is that I have to subtract the distance to and from the office I'm based in first, yet I do about 100 miles a week visiting clients.

Would I therefore be entitled to claim the mileage from my home to client visits directly with HMRC?

Despite constantly pushing home/agile working there's little enthusiasm for updating the mileage policy to reflect this and with the price of fuel ever increasing some reimbursement would be appreciated.

Grumpy_chap

You cannot claim mileage directly with HMRC, only ever tax relief on the mileage to the extent that the amount reimbursed by the employer is less than the permitted maximum within HMRC rules.

Jeremy535897

Read https://www.litrg.org.uk/tax-guides/employment/employment-benefits-and-expenses/what-travel-expenses-can-i-claim

rainbowchaos

Grumpy_chap said:

You cannot claim mileage directly with HMRC, only ever tax relief on the mileage to the extent that the amount reimbursed by the employer is less than the permitted maximum within HMRC rules.

Yeah sorry, I'm aware of that, I just worded it badly

Albermarle

I was in a similar scenario, although my area of travelling was much wider.
If part of your job is visiting clients, then on the days you do that, you should be fully reimbursed for any travel/driving expenses you incur. 
Your employer should not be making you deduct the home to office mileage first. So the initial problem is with your employer, who is maybe misinterpreting the HMRC rules on this issue.

jefaz07

Albermarle said:

I was in a similar scenario, although my area of travelling was much wider.
If part of your job is visiting clients, then on the days you do that, you should be fully reimbursed for any travel/driving expenses you incur. 
Your employer should not be making you deduct the home to office mileage first. So the initial problem is with your employer, who is maybe misinterpreting the HMRC rules on this issue.

We have a similar rule with regard to home to office. If I travel south I pass the office and as such must take my mileage from there so I essentially subtract 16 miles. 

If I’m going north I will claim mileage from home. 

I don’t know if the OP means this and worded it badly. 

rainbowchaos

jefaz07 said:

Albermarle said:

I was in a similar scenario, although my area of travelling was much wider.
If part of your job is visiting clients, then on the days you do that, you should be fully reimbursed for any travel/driving expenses you incur. 
Your employer should not be making you deduct the home to office mileage first. So the initial problem is with your employer, who is maybe misinterpreting the HMRC rules on this issue.

We have a similar rule with regard to home to office. If I travel south I pass the office and as such must take my mileage from there so I essentially subtract 16 miles. 

If I’m going north I will claim mileage from home. 

I don’t know if the OP means this and worded it badly. 

Yeah, I would understand if I were passing the office, but my visits are in the opposite direction. We have to subtract the return office journey regardless of where we're going. It's outdated policy from when we had to be in our designated office everyday but they won't provide any timeframe for when they plan to update them to reflect agile working policies. I have very little arguing room on the interpretation since I work for the council.

Andy_L

Albermarle said:

I was in a similar scenario, although my area of travelling was much wider.
If part of your job is visiting clients, then on the days you do that, you should be fully reimbursed for any travel/driving expenses you incur. 
Your employer should not be making you deduct the home to office mileage first. So the initial problem is with your employer, who is maybe misinterpreting the HMRC rules on this issue.

The employer can impose whatever rules/restrictions they want on claiming mileage from them (subject to contract  & staff retention)

Albermarle

Andy_L said:

Albermarle said:

I was in a similar scenario, although my area of travelling was much wider.
If part of your job is visiting clients, then on the days you do that, you should be fully reimbursed for any travel/driving expenses you incur. 
Your employer should not be making you deduct the home to office mileage first. So the initial problem is with your employer, who is maybe misinterpreting the HMRC rules on this issue.

The employer can impose whatever rules/restrictions they want on claiming mileage from them (subject to contract  & staff retention)

Yes you are right in that respect.
However having worked in five different similar jobs with different companies, I have never been asked to deduct home to office mileage, when I have not actually been to the office, and would consider it very unfair of an employer to do so. Also it is not good management as it breeds resentment.

penners324

Hmrc will only offer the tax on the balance paid.

Don't see a problem with having g to deduct home to office mileage before claiming. If they didn't do that wouldn't that breed resentment in the workers who travel to the office every day?

Albermarle

penners324 said:

Hmrc will only offer the tax on the balance paid.

Don't see a problem with having g to deduct home to office mileage before claiming. If they didn't do that wouldn't that breed resentment in the workers who travel to the office every day?

If you have a job in sales or similar and have to drive around the country and visit clients, then its part of the territory that you get paid for travel costs. HMRC fully recognise this.