Travel expenses for bikes.....

....I occasionally use my bike to go somewhere for work, the airport in this case (I know someone who lives near so I could leave bike & gear at his).
Then I submit the mileage into expenses.

Private vehicles generally get 40p per mile to cover petrol, wear & tear etc. etc.

When I submitted my expenses the rate was queried as it should have been 24p per mile as opposed to 40p for a car, this in spite of more regular and more expensive servicing. The MPG difference isn't that huge and diesel cars don't get penalised!

Apparently this is set by the Inland Revenue, and I thought the government were trying to encourage more environmentally friendly modes of transport?!

Is it me or is this unfair?!
From now on I'll just get a cab each way, costing the company more and being less environmentally friendly etc. etc.
Where's the sense in that?!

This is one that has annoyed me for years. I work for a Local Authority and mileage payments for cars are far more realistic.

When I first started with the Council (20 odd year ago) I was asked to use my bike often, I did a lot of courier type trips. I queried the mileage rate presenting all the evidence produced by the AA and the RAC at the time. I was told I was the only person in the authority to claim mileage for a motorcyle, thus I had no support from others. I later found out that others who used bikes would claim mileage stating they used their cars. I had no car so like it or lump it. I refused to do anymore delivery runs. Nothing has changed and is unlikely to do so in the near future.

A Smart car gets a higer mileage rate.


Be environmentally friendly, take the bus even if a 1/2 hour meeting means you are gone all morning.

[embee]

....not wishing to dampen anything, but check out your insurance cover too.

A colleague who uses a sensible BMW 750 sports-tourer (forget the model) and does all his own servicing says he reckons he loses a couple of pence per mile, on petrol alone, on the 20p we get here for bikes. Even a push bike is meant to be 20p!

My bike isn't much more fuel efficient than my Pug 106, why the distinction in allowance? My biggest gripe is that companies benefit from employees using bikes (not going to get caught in jams, less travelling time, so less OT, etc.) for roles where they don't need to be dressed smartly or carry anything particularly bulky.

[BillyC]

Hmmm I always used to claim back at the 40p/mile if I popped to another office. No one ever queried it.

My SV typically does 45mpg... and the 106 that belonged to my old housemate would average near 56mpg!

The 'Inland Revenue' rates are not limits to what you can be paid at all. But if you are paid any more than their approved rates you will be liable for income tax on the balance. If you are paid less, you can claim tax relief! The IR rates for cars drop for 40p/mile to 24p/mile after the first 10K miles. Bikes start at 24p/mile and stay there. Ride a bicycle and you can claim 20p/mile, Fer F*cks Sake!

Originally Posted by embee

....not wishing to dampen anything, but check out your insurance cover too.

It doesn't happen very often and in the event that something did go wrong I'd say that I'd finished early & was out for a ride or whatever. 1/2 a dozen times a year if that.

Originally Posted by BillyC

Hmmm I always used to claim back at the 40p/mile if I popped to another office. No one ever queried it.

Yep, same here until my c-nut expenses approver queried it, this from the man who stays in a hotel on the Strand if we're out in town for work, rather than sit in a cab to Twickenham, all on expenses, naturally!

Maybe something to get the BMF onto if enough people get hit by this regularly.

[northwind]

Every so often somethign goes wrong at another branch, and I get to go on courier mode... I say "Fiver for the petrol" and get to go on a ride when I should be stuck in the branch. Sorted

our rate in US is 40.5¢ per mile for cars, or 27.5¢ per mile for motorcycles. I use my cage in the winter, and bike in summer, but I just claim miles and don't specify vehicle so I get reimbursed at 40.5¢ rate

I wish I could ride my SV as cheap as I can my bimmer, everybody thinks of saving on gas... but it really ain't that much, I get 38-42mpg on my SV, I get 28-32mpg in my 320i tires is the big difference, $250 for 4 tires mounted & balanced on the bimmer lasts 50,000 miles $325 for 2 tires mounred & balanced on the SV only goes 7,000 miles, I spend as much or more on tires as I do gas

I get car rate... but very rarely use bike for business