Claiming mileage expenses - should I?

lazer-zxr

Hello fellow forumites,
I usually cycle to work.
Tomorrow, because I need to take a particular bit of equipment to work, I need to take the car. It'll cost me £10 in fuel and tolls.
I'm not sure I should ask if I can expense it at work, it might seem a bit tight, or minor? But it's important to me ... what would you do? Expense the toll and mileage or not?

elsien

Does your contract with work allow you to add commuting expenses? Most don’t - The cost of getting there is usually your problem. 

Woodstok2000

Need a bit more info really. Is it your own equipment or does it belong to your work? Why do you have it at home? Is this a regular occurrence or just a one off? What would happen if you didn't bring it in - could someone else bring it, or would it need a courier/taxi?

noitsnotme

Does carrying this equipment make it not commuting?  If it’s classed as business travel make sure you are insured for more than just “social, domestic and commuting”.

lazer-zxr

We need to move something tomorrow. I’m bringing a sack barrow to help move it easier. It’s a one off. No reference to this kind of thing in contract.

BikingBud

Sack barrow, have you ow decided to wheel ti to work?

No reference in contract but who has asked you to move it? And why?

Surely that was the time to confirm that mileage could be claimed, or not, and suggest correct route would be to use a courier.

lazer-zxr

No, you misunderstand.
 Something at work needs to be moved. In my garage I have a sack barrow that would make it easier. I am bringing the barrow to work to use to transport something across site at work.

Grumpy_chap

Don't take your sack barrow to work to move something in the office.

Take a professional approach and ask for, or write, the RAMS for moving the thing in the office.  Mention the weight and bulk of the item to be moved and the need for appropriate mechanical assistance (trolley).
Then let the company provide (hire) suitable equipment.
That avoids you having any liability (thing too heavy for your barrow or wheel coming loose or whatever).
It also avoids you needing to drive to work as you can cycle as normal.

Direct answer to the original question.
No.
It would be normal commuting.  Rarely allowed in company expense policies.  If it is allowed by the company, the money received will be subject to income tax.

monkey-fingers

noitsnotme said:

Does carrying this equipment make it not commuting?  If it’s classed as business travel make sure you are insured for more than just “social, domestic and commuting”.

So am I not allowed to take my laptop from work to home?
And occasionally, I used to take a monitor. And during covid, I was told to take my chair home.

And so on.

No, it's commuting if the equipment fits in a car. Now, if it was stolen or broken in an accident, the insurance company wouldn't cough up for anything that's not yours. But that's standard anyway.

ButterCheese

I would not make the expense claim even if I could.  You presumably chose to live where you live and work where you work, which includes mileage and a toll in the middle.  The fact that your commuting choice is (free) cycling is neither here nor there.  If your bike broke and you had to drive in, you would have no case for claiming travel expense if you had to use the car or public transport at your own cost.  This (one-off) situation is no different.  In my job description it states that I may be required to transport boxes or equipment between home and base, or between sites at my convenience.

MyRealNameToo

lazer-zxr said:

Hello fellow forumites,
I usually cycle to work.
Tomorrow, because I need to take a particular bit of equipment to work, I need to take the car. It'll cost me £10 in fuel and tolls.
I'm not sure I should ask if I can expense it at work, it might seem a bit tight, or minor? But it's important to me ... what would you do? Expense the toll and mileage or not?

If you are going to your normal place of work it's commuting and so your employer cannot treat it as an expense. In principle they can pay you but it will be taxable but many dont want the time/effort of setting up a different set of processes for taxable expenses