EIM32130 - Travel expenses: travel for necessary attendance: fixed term appointments and agency workers: agency workers

Sections 44 and 339(5) ITEPA 2003

Where a worker provides his or her services through an agency and the agency legislation in Section 44 ITEPA 2003 applies, each agency contract is treated as a separate employment, see ESM2000 onwards. Therefore, where there is only one workplace for an agency contract that workplace will be a permanent workplace for that employment. The agency employment is dealt with as a fixed term appointment, see EIM32125.

However, some agency workers undertake a number of different jobs on the same day. Examples include nurses or domestic workers. In these cases you can accept a deduction for the cost of travel between different jobs on the same day. You should not accept a deduction for the cost of travel from home to the first job of the day or to home from the last job of the day.

From 6 April 2016, new tax provisions for the treatment of travel and subsistence expenses for workers who personally provide services through ‘employment intermediaries’ apply. The employment intermediaries travel expense provisions mean that each engagement undertaken by a worker who personally provides their services through an employment intermediary will be considered a separate employment for the purposes of travel and subsistence. This will mean that generally no relief will be given for home-to-work travel costs and associated subsistence. Detailed guidance on the employment intermediaries travel expense provisions can be found in the Employment Status Manual at ESM5500.