Personal & Business Mileage?

[Ant]

Quite simple, what is the difference between the two. In what circumstances would I claim for either personal or business mileage? Thanks

[lethologica]

Business: Meeting a customer
Personal: Going to your parents for Sunday lunch.

Whether getting to work is personal is business depends on whether the company pay your commuting expenses which should appear on some sort of contract you'd have signed to have a company car.

[Oneeyedvic]

Going to a fixed place of work (ie an office) is always personal mileage. Business mileage is only mileage you do in conncetion with business.

[lethologica]

My dads commute used to be paid for by his company. Mind you, this was in the mid 90's, everything regarding company cars seems to have changed since then!!

[Ant]

Well in this instance my company are sending me on a course which i'm going to have to drive to and stay over night.

Is this personal mileage?

Also, do you think i'm in my rights to travel to the hotel during company time? Or does this then class as business mileage?

[dzug]

I'd start off with the position that you travel in company time and that it's business.

Something in the back of my mind says that courses are different though - as it's not part of your company's core business to send you on the course, they can't get full tax relief on your travel for it therefore might pay you at a lower rate or not at all. But I could be hopelessly confused on this. I'd still go in their time though.

[Oneeyedvic]

I'd certainly class that as business mileage - on the basis that your compnay is paying for the course.

[WoWo]

Just to confuse the issue further don't forget the triangle rule. You can only claim buisness milage from your main work address, so if say you live 100 miles from your office and the course is 1 mile futher up the road from your office you can only claim the 1 mile.....

In essence you can only claim the shortest route, so if it's closer to to you than your office thats all you can claim.

[Ant]

Hmm i'm thinking then. I'll go in business and claim it as business mileage. Another point is that i'm being sent on the course, i'm not chosing to go.

I'm at work now, and the course is tomorrow. As it's so far away they are paying for my overnight stay in a hotel nearby. Therefore i need to travel there tonight, go to the course tomorrow, and then drive back. What should i do/claim?

[WoWo]

Personally I'd just claim it in good faith. My view is that if it wasn't for your job you wouldn't be going there and therefore it's a buisness expense.

Unless it's 100's of miles away your not going to be claiming that much anyway.

[crgb14]

Definately business mileage...no question about it. The general rule is that if you travel to a fixed place of work that is expected to last for 2 years then your home to work becomes personal with anything in company time being business.

As my job can never predict this (building) every mile I do in company time from the moment I leave home to when I get back is business. Well, thats what I claim anyway.

[Ant]

Ok, i've been and come back. I did the journey in my own personal time and the distance (round trip) was 130 miles.