Alan Draper was recently subjected to a freedom of information request simply asking for details of all members of staff and any individuals who have received travel expenses from May 2019, This should include costs for:
- providing travel, reimbursing travel, accommodation (if an employee needs to stay away overnight), meals and other ‘subsistence’ while travelling
Subsistence includes meals and any other necessary costs of travelling, for example parking charges, tolls, congestion charges or business phone calls.
You can claim reimbursement for any trips you took for business/work purposes. Here are some examples of trips you can claim reimbursement for in 2022:
- Travelling to meet a client for work
- Travelling from your office to another work location to complete a job
- Travelling to a conference
You cannot claim reimbursement for trips such as:
- Commuting from home to work and back
- Personal trips such as picking up children from school
- The mileage rate is 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile after that for business-related driving. For motorcycles, the rate is 24p per mile, and for cycles – 20p per mile.
Apparently a large amount of claims have been made by one individual in particular.
Ferret would have thought this would be quite a simple request and the amounts received could be quickly located and reported back to the requester.
You have probably guessed that this was not the case and as we have come to expect the usual routine of asking for clarification and prevarication is taking place.
Apparently the usual routine way at Hemsworth Town council, is to make the payments in petty cash.
According to Alan Draper this is lawful and legal and done to prevent the recipient being taxed on the payment.
It may be lawful and legal but as for being done so tax is not paid on the amount by the recipient is a blatant lie.
All that is required is that it is itemised as a non-taxable payment on the pay advice slip.
The story will continue if and when the payments are released.
Travel Expenses: The Long and The Short Story?
Or Another Tall Story Perhaps?