CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Why should my employer pay a bicycle mileage rate?

(43 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Greenroofer
  • Latest reply from wee folding bike
  • This topic is not resolved

  1. Roibeard
    Member

    There are approved rates for business mileage, presumably companies stick to these, or give a maximum of these, for tax liability reasons.

    Bicycles are 20p per mile.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-travel-mileage-and-fuel-allowances/travel-mileage-and-fuel-rates-and-allowances

    Robert

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. twq
    Member

    I'd love my work to pay 20p/mile for commuting. Makes commercial sense - would have paid me a bit over £300 last year, but I didn't have any sick days, so net gain.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. chdot
    Admin

    "but I didn't have any sick days, so net gain"

    Unfortunately corporate/government minds don't work like that!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. chrisfl
    Member

    twq - sadly for tax purposes, the government allowance only covers journeys that form part of employment duties (for example, visiting clients), or journeys to a temporary workplace.

    Commuting to a permanent place of work does not count.

    So even if you could convince your employer to pay for your commute then you would have to pay Tax and NI out of the £300.

    But if an employer pays for car mileage, then there really isn't any excuse not to pay for bicycle miles.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. Roibeard
    Member

    Unfortunately mileage allowances specifically exclude your daily commute, to and from your usual place of work, instead just cover the journeys on work time.

    Robert

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. paddyirish
    Member

    My employer, the generous fellow, has been paying me 20p per mile cycled for the last 3-4 years.

    Unfortunately the employer isn't a large financial institution (just the 1 member of staff), though it has returned a profit in each of the last 10 years *cough*

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. SRD
    Moderator

    @greenroofer I suspect I would struggle to claim more than about 80p, but may have to measure it. Certainly cheaper for them than a taxi

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. gembo
    Member

    First/last journey of the day, if to/from your regular place of work not claimable though some wiggle if you are going somewhere else and swing by the office first to pick up something, or if your employer happy to judge the difference between your normal commute and the longer more novel journey (these are exceptions)

    CEC pays 20p

    Scot Gov used to pay 25p

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. Luath
    Member

    Scottish Government currently has a Pedal cycle allowance of 20p / mile. (Motor cycles get 24p / mile and motor cars 45p / mile, with an extra 5p / mile if you take a passenger)

    Time spent filling out the form for each journey made costs the Scottish Government significantly more...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. Greenroofer
    Member

    @Luath. Thank you. I agree about the cost thing, but this is really about the principle, isn't it? It's about recognising that cycling is a valid alternative tot he car.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. newtoit
    Member

    I have never actually claimed (never used my bike for business mileage) but at my employer we do have the option in our expenses portal to claim cycle mileage at 20p/mile. It is there in our expenses policy.

    I imagine I may get some funny looks the first time I put in a claim - don't imagine it is that widely used in Scotland...

    As a rule we pay the HMRC approved rate for any means of travel. I never understand when places pay more than the HMRC rate - just brings in bureaucracy, corporation tax issues, personal tax issues etc.

    Will drop you a note of who I work for - not a bank, but financey in a way.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. douglaswaring
    Member

    Used to get 10p per mile when travelling for meetings in a previous job working for the Lothian arm of a National Service providing Health. Didn't claim for the money, but so that they would have evidence that employees were using bikes instead of public transport/taxis/own cars (which were reimbursed at much higher rate). Journeys often took less time on bike than driving/bus too.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  13. wee folding bike
    Member

    I've got an SQA meeting at Hampden next month. I've never claimed bicycle mileage from them but it might be fun. I'd get about £5 for the return trip.

    Posted 9 years ago #

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