Travel Expenses Tax Relief Guide

Employed and use your own vehicle or public transport for journeys other than normal commuting?

We’ll help you to claim travel expenses, and get back some of the tax you’ve paid.

Lots of tax payers aren’t claiming back the travel expenses they’re entitled to and are missing out on valuable tax rebates.

Our travel expenses guide will bring you up to date so you don’t miss out on what you are owed.

What journeys can I claim travelling expenses for?

You can only make travel expense claims for journeys to a temporary workplace (not commuting to your normal place of work).

In general, if you have to go to a temporary place of work for less than 24 months, you should be eligible to claim back travel expenses.

What’s more, as part of your travel expenses claim you can also claim tax relief on:

  • Accommodation costs when you stay away from home
  • Subsistence for food and refreshment costs
  • Car parking and toll charges
  • Tools bought for work

How much tax back can I claim for travel?

How much you may be owed depends on a few factors including how much you have spent, how much tax you have paid and if your employer has reimbursed you.

If you have used your own car you can use our free mileage relief calculator to help you work out what you might be due.

What you’ll need to claim for travel expenses

You need to have some records to back up your claim. This could be:

  • Details of journeys made such as a diary of locations visited and dates.
  • Pay slips that show business mileage or lodging costs paid by your employer.
  • Receipts for accommodation subsistence and other travel expenses are also helpful.

What if I don’t have any travel expenses records?

A claim can still be without records in very specific circumstances. HMRC will normally always want to see actual records for your travel claim.

If you submit a claim that is not evidenced with insufficient records HMRC will ask for more information at which point you can explain to them your situation and HMRC can then make a decision on your claim.

What if my employer has paid me some travelling expenses?

You might still be eligible to make a claim for travel expenses if:

  • The allowance doesn’t cover your full costs.
  • The allowance paid by your employer is taxed.
  • You use your own car and your mileage allowance is less than the government approved rates.

Claiming your travel expenses

To make your claim for travel expenses you will need to complete a P87 form and possibly a self assessment tax return depending on the value of your travel claim.

The P87 and self assessment tax return forms can both be submitted online and by paper if you would prefer.

Travel Tax Relief Calculator

Use our travel tax relief calculator to work out how much you can claim

Just enter the rate at which you pay tax, and the number of business miles you've driven. The mileage tax relief calculator will let you know how much your claim is worth.*

Tax Rebate Calculator
How much could I claim? »

*This calculator only provides an estimate and doesn’t take into consideration any mileage paid by your employer.