Petrol money?

sevenhills

I sometimes take my sister to the airport, a round trip of up to 100 miles. She may give me £50
What would invalidate the insurance? I may take her three times per year.
I also cut a friend's lawn with my mower, he gives me £10

elsien

Parent gives me a share of the petrol money whenever I take her anywhere. 

You’re not doing it for a job, you’re doing a family member a favour. Different scenarios 

Herzlos

You're presumably not making a profit from it, so it's fine. You're doing someone a favour and getting expenses reimbursed.

Getting paid to mow a lawn would be a more gray area - it could be viewed as you working and using your car for work, but it could also be taken as you doing your friend a favour and them giving you expenses again.

Aretnap

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/150

sevenhills

I never ask my sister for money.

arrangements for the payment of fares by the passenger or passengers carried at separate fares were made before the journey began.

Bigwheels1111

Say you fill up your car with fuel, then she pays for it because you drove her.
You never then receive any payment.
Its not like hire and reward, or taking a friend to get lunch and them paying would be against the law.

I went to a boot fair about 25 year ago in Kent, the police were stopping every driver and giving fines for not having business insurance. As you make money at the fair. I thanked the idiot ( police officer ), and said I can’t wait to drag him to court and screw him over for his stupidity.
This somewhat confused his tiny little tyrannical mine. He had to call a Sargent over. They both could not understand why I was so happy and smug.
At that point the Sargent had a brain wave and for the first time during the stop asked me do you have business insurance ?.
It might have had something to do with the mini cab Ariel on the roof on my car.
I waved the hire and rewarded certificate at them.
They could not get away from me quickly enough.

Aretnap

sevenhills said:

I never ask my sister for money.

arrangements for the payment of fares by the passenger or passengers carried at separate fares were made before the journey began.

In which case it's a gift, not a payment, so it still isn't hire/reward.

Flight3287462

Well I hope you declare cutting the lawn to HMRC.  As a conscientious citizen you wouldn't dare dream of attempting to steal from the government, would you?  

user1977

Aretnap said:

sevenhills said:

I never ask my sister for money.

arrangements for the payment of fares by the passenger or passengers carried at separate fares were made before the journey began.

In which case it's a gift, not a payment, so it still isn't hire/reward.

That's not really how these things are analysed (e.g. "I'm not a taxi driver, I merely happen to gift people a free lift in my car after they gift me some cash"). But in any event I agree this example isn't one to get worried about.

Bigphil1474

Hire/reward isn't about whether it's a gift or not, or whether you get paid directly, indirectly or with some other benefit - otherwise people would use all sorts of loopholes to be basically paying hire/reward but claiming otherwise. As in the example above - if they pay for your fuel, they are still paying you just in a different way. 

Basically, you shouldn't be making a profit on the cost of the journey (using HMRC 45p a mile is a good starting point). If you are profiting then you could be seen as an illegal taxi service, or possibly your insurance may be invalid. As it's your sister, it shouldn't be an issue, but if you were for example posting on FB offering people a lift to the airport, then it would be a different matter.

If it is a 100 mile round trip, I'd ask her if she has to give you money, then no more than £45. As it's your sister, it's unlikely to come up, but if you had an accident and the police started asking questions it might. Slim chances but better safe than sorry. I occasionally pick my daughter up from the airport which is also about 100 miles round trip - if she insists on paying petrol money, I wouldn't take more than about £15, as that would be my petrol cost (even though my running costs would be higher). 

In terms of the lawnmower - a bit tricky. On one hand, it could be seen as a business activity as you are taking your lawn mower to cut someone's lawn and being paid to do so. How is what you are doing any different to what a commercial gardener would do other than they'd get paid more? On the other hand, you're doing a friend a favour and he is just making a gesture payment. In terms of your car insurance, I'd say it is business use. It would depend on the friend and on how formal the arrangement is.  

Belenus

Bigwheels1111 said:

......
It might have had something to do with the mini cab Ariel on the roof on my car.
......

Is that for cleaning your mini cab?