EIM10000 - Employment income: travelling and subsistence payments: general

Sections 62 and 72 ITEPA 2003

Mileage allowance payments for business travel using employee's own vehicle or bicycle - 2002/03 onwards

From 6 April 2002, mileage allowance payments that employers make to employees who use their own vehicle or bicycle for business travel are not chargeable to tax if they do not exceed the appropriate approved mileage allowance payment (AMAP) limit. Payments that exceed the AMAP limit will be taxed to the extent that they exceed the limit. Additional tax free payments can be made to employees who carry business passengers.
Full guidance on the AMAP scheme is at EIM31200 onwards.

Mileage allowance payments for business travel using employee's own vehicle or bicycle - 2001/02 and earlier and other travel and subsistence payments - all years

Subject to the special rules that apply to mileage allowance payments for 2002/03 onwards (see above) payments made by employers to employees in respect of travelling and related subsistence expenses may be taxable as earnings under Section 62 ITEPA 2003 (see generally EIM00520 onwards) or, more usually, be treated as earnings by Section 72 (see EIM20601).

In general, if a payment for travelling expenses does no more than reimburse the cost of expenses for which a deduction would be due under Section 337, that payment is not earnings within Section 62. But, unless the employee is in lower paid employment, the payment is treated as earnings by Section 72. Where a payment for travelling expenses is earnings, or is treated as earnings the employee or director may then be entitled to a deduction under Section 337 or 338.

Full details of the rules on employee travel expenses are in EIM31800 onwards.

The following table shows you where to find guidance about particular kinds of travelling and related expenses payments.