# Claiming mileage (when calling on the Plant on my way home)



## sinead76 (9 Jun 2006)

I always have a small mileage claim, never goes over 100 miles a month but recently I changed jobs within the company and will have slightly more miles due to there being a service industry subsidiary. I am based in admin at the group HQ about 7 miles away from the plant so everytime I have to go there its 14 miles on my expenses.  However it happens that the plant just off the main road on my drive home and sometimes I just leave work early and call into the plant on my way home.  Should I still be claiming mileage for this?  I never bother cos I'd be going home anyway and only go about a quarter of a mile out of my way


----------



## rkeane (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*

You have to think like your company thinks.  They would claim off you given the chance and they do when they can for things like sick days and whatever else.  If I were you I'd even ask them for a car as you'll be running your own into the ground.


----------



## ClubMan (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*



			
				rkeane said:
			
		

> They would claim off you given the chance and they do when they can for things like sick days and whatever else.


Can you explain what you mean by this? How can you know that this is the case without being au fait with the original poster's contract of employment?


----------



## rkeane (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*



			
				ClubMan said:
			
		

> Can you explain what you mean by this? How can you know that this is the case without being au fait with the original poster's contract of employment?


Well, I was generalising.  Not a crime.


----------



## ClubMan (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*

But what do you mean by employers *in general *"claiming off" employees for things?


----------



## rkeane (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*



			
				ClubMan said:
			
		

> But what do you mean by employers *in general *"claiming off" employees for things?


I didnt mean anything illegal.  Just meant they will pay you what they have to and no more.  Not having to pay you for a sick day when they dont have to.


----------



## legend99 (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*



			
				rkeane said:
			
		

> I didnt mean anything illegal.  Just meant they will pay you what they have to and no more.  Not having to pay you for a sick day when they dont have to.



In fairness, most salaried jobs do pay you for reasonable sick days at full pay.


----------



## ClubMan (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*



			
				rkeane said:
			
		

> I didnt mean anything illegal.  Just meant they will pay you what they have to and no more.  Not having to pay you for a sick day when they dont have to.


That depends on one's contract of employment. I don't know what happens in general but I have never worked for an employer that didn't pay me for sick days.


----------



## rkeane (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*

Yes, I have already said I was generalising.


----------



## sinead76 (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*

Yes I get paid for sick days when I take them which isn't often.  I'm not really running my car into the ground its never over 100miles a month, its a good company with lots of little perks so I'd feel bad claiming extra mileage when its not actually costing me any extra to drive there i.e. I'm passing on my way home.  It actually suits me better cos I leave the office half an hour earlier in the evening and avoid the rush hour traffic.


----------



## rkeane (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*



			
				sinead76 said:
			
		

> Yes I get paid for sick days when I take them which isn't often.  I'm not really running my car into the ground its never over 100miles a month, its a good company with lots of little perks so I'd feel bad claiming extra mileage when its not actually costing me any extra to drive there i.e. I'm passing on my way home.  It actually suits me better cos I leave the office half an hour earlier in the evening and avoid the rush hour traffic.


Well, I remember thinking the way you do until I realised things like overtime get overlooked or having to skip lunch most days.


----------



## CCOVICH (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*



			
				sinead76 said:
			
		

> Yes I get paid for sick days when I take them which isn't often. I'm not really running my car into the ground its never over 100miles a month, its a good company with lots of little perks so I'd feel bad claiming extra mileage when its not actually costing me any extra to drive there i.e. I'm passing on my way home. It actually suits me better cos I leave the office half an hour earlier in the evening and avoid the rush hour traffic.


 
Looks like you have answered your own question in that post.


----------



## redracer (9 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*

Hi Sinead76 I think if the site is actually on the way home Revenue states that you can't claim mileage.  I'm not sure how the 1/4 mile would affect this but would imagine not much.  As you say if you are happy with the company that there is a bit of give and take I would say you are on the right track re not claiming the mileage.  (If you get home a little earlier by going to the site on way home you might be happy that this would cancel out the mileage claimed?)


----------



## lukegriffen (10 Jun 2006)

*Re: Claiming mileage*

Hope i'm not going off-topic here, but the issue of claiming mileage seems to be widely abused. I'm not suggesting it's the case for the OP, but I know a few companies who place employees off-site (from 2 months to 2 years +)  & allow these employees to claim mileage from their home to temporary/semi-permanent place of work (within Dublin).  
I'm self employed and my accountant said I could only claim mileage expenses if I suddenly had to go to a different location, ie. not my normal place of work.  Which makes sense, but most other self-employed I've spoken to seem to be claiming for this, and I think I recall seeing another post on AAM  saying as long as travel expenses were below x%, the Revenue would never query it.  There must be a huge amount of revenue loss to the government through this mileage allowance.  I hope they don't increase the mileage allowance in line with the rise in petrol costs.


----------



## ajapale (10 Jun 2006)

Revenue inisist that expences are only paid where they are incurred _solely and exclusively_ in the course of your work. So if you are dropping into the plant on the way home you can only claim for the _additional _miles (from the main road up to the plant).

My company has recently reviewed its expenses policy with the result that employees who start (or finish) from home are only entitled to claim for the shorter distance (home to remote site, or work base to remote site).

aj


----------



## sinead76 (10 Jun 2006)

Just on the subject of mileage, I remember in a company I used to work for I had to write a cheque for mileage for the FC, something like 140 miles for a round trip.  I remembered her talking about going to the particular meeting the day before it was on, I happened to have a days holiday booked for the day in question and passed her on the road 30 miles up the country - and saw her driving one of the company cars


----------



## shipibo (13 Jun 2006)

Sinead,


        He is info from DoF , maybe of some use.

http://www.finance.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=2877


       You should discuss your request with your manager, and seek his opinion , did your predecessor claim this ???, did you get increase in salary for job move, if so, did employer take into account this task ....

The distance is quite small, but on a regular basis maybe company could reimburse you for this.

       If you did not have a car, how would you get there .....


----------



## ajapale (13 Jun 2006)

As a rule employees cannot claim mileage expences incurred (wholly or partially) travelling to and from work.

The relevant circular is [broken link removed]



> Business Kilometres involving travel direct from/to        home        Where an employee proceeds on a business journey directly from home to          a temporary place of work (rather than commencing that business journey          from his/her normal place of work) or returns home directly, the business          Kilometres should be calculated by reference to the *lesser* of -
> 
> The distance between home and the temporary place of work or
> 
> The distance between the normal place of work and the temporary place            of work.



aj


----------



## rkeane (13 Jun 2006)

But she's not claiming for her journey home.  Just to get somewhere within working hours.


----------



## Purple (13 Jun 2006)

rkeane said:
			
		

> But she's not claiming for her journey home.  Just to get somewhere within working hours.


 But she is going home after the visit so she is on her way home.


----------



## rkeane (13 Jun 2006)

Purple said:
			
		

> But she is going home after the visit so she is on her way home.


I sometimes have to go to Cork.  When I'm done, can I not claim mileage for the trip home?  Also, the OP is not heading home until they are finished on that site.  It just happens to be closer to home than their main office.


----------



## Purple (13 Jun 2006)

rkeane said:
			
		

> I sometimes have to go to Cork.  When I'm done, can I not claim mileage for the trip home?  Also, the OP is not heading home until they are finished on that site.  It just happens to be closer to home than their main office.


You're not on the way home from your normal place of work on your return journey from Cork so yes, you can claim mileage.


----------



## rkeane (13 Jun 2006)

Purple said:
			
		

> You're not on the way home from your normal place of work on your return journey from Cork so yes, you can claim mileage.


But neither is the OP


----------



## ajapale (13 Jun 2006)

As I understand it. If he drops into the plant on the way home revenue allow him claim for the additional milage incurred. Revenue dont allow him claim for a journey or part of a journey which was not solely related to business.

His employer might allow him claim expenses for his journey to and from work but any payments are taxable in the normal way through PAYE.

If, however, he drove from his base to the remote plant and then returned to base. Revenue allow him claim for the entire round trip. This now becomes an issue for his employer.

At the end of the day Revenue determine what expences can be paid tax free and which cannot.

aj


----------



## Kiddo (13 Jun 2006)

IMO if the OP travelled to the plant and back during working hours they would be entitled to claim mileage.

As the OP is travelling from their place of work to the plant and then on home I'd be inclined to argue that mileage should be claimed from the place of work to the plant only. 

A quick call to Revenue should clarify the matter.


----------



## ajapale (13 Jun 2006)

The revenue phone numbers are included in the [broken link removed]  circular referred to above.

There are two similar and overlapping issues here.

1)Claiming tax free expenses for journeys not solely associated with business.

Strict interpretaion of the revenue rules would dictate that only the miles done solely on business can be claimed.

Recently I had a business meeting with a client in Kilkenny on the Friday afternoon of a long weekend. I took the family with me and we made a weekend of it. I confirmed with the HR Manager that I was not entitled to claim expenses as the trip was not solely undertaken for the purposes of business.

2)Claiming tax free expenses for journeys to and from home to work (base or remote site).

Long standing practice would dictate that these journeys never attract tax free expenses. Many companies pay employees 'call out' miles but these are taxed fully in the normal way through PAYE. Some companies may even 'gross up' these payments so as the employee is not out of pocket.

aj



> IT51
> Payments by an employer which are no more than re-imbursement of allowable          expenses actually incurred by         an employee, may be paid free of tax in certain circumstances in accordance          with legislation.
> 
> The law         provides that employees’ expenses qualify for deduction by them only          where they are incurred *“wholly, exclusively and necessarily”*          in performing the duties of the employment.
> ...


----------



## RainyDay (18 Jun 2006)

ajapale said:
			
		

> As a rule employees cannot claim mileage expences incurred (wholly or partially) travelling to and from work.
> 
> The relevant circular is [broken link removed]
> 
> ...


This policy discriminates against those who don't normally drive to work. For instance, I had to attend a training course in Drogheda recently. My milage claim could only cover the distance from my normal office to Drogheda, which is about 15 miles shorter than the distance from my home. Presumably, the logic for this is that I would normally have been driving from home to work, but this is not the case. I would normally have cycled to work, and I only took the car as cycling to Drogheda for a 9am start would be a bit OTT.

So non-car-users are treated unfairly.


----------

