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Travel advice for new contract

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    Travel advice for new contract

    Hi.
    Just secured a 3 month contract starting 25th June which is 50 miles from home and looking for most effective way to claim for travel or expenses or peoples thoughts on the below:

    Option 1 - Train 50 mins with a weekly travel card £110 or monthly £520 (direct train to location and a 6 min walk to client site)
    Option 2 - Car - 1 hr 20 with a 140 mile round trip (Longer journey with potential traffic and finding parking in city close to client site also fuel costs running a 2.0l petrol )
    Option 3 - Mixture of both above possibly 3 days train and 2 days car or vice versa.

    Option 1 is the easiest and most relaxing where as option 2 will be most stressful but with more options to claim. Option 3 will this raise issues from HMRC about choice of commuting and using the most cost effective way ?
    If I decide on option 1 is it better to pay through my LTD on a weekly or monthly basis or pay from my own pocket and claim back those expenses later ?

    Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on this and their suggestions ?

    Thanks...

    #2
    Originally posted by jayjay69 View Post
    Option 1 is the easiest and most relaxing where as option 2 will be most stressful but with more options to claim.
    What does "more options to claim" mean?

    You claim the journey, whatever that is (on the assumption that the travel is a genuine business expense). Nothing more.
    I'm not fat, I'm just fluffy.

    Comment


      #3
      You want us to advise the best way to get to your client? Really?

      Option 3 will this raise issues from HMRC about choice of commuting and using the most cost effective way ?
      No.

      If I decide on option 1 is it better to pay through my LTD on a weekly or monthly basis or pay from my own pocket and claim back those expenses later ?
      In no particular order - Read the newbie guides, use google to search for expenses, ask your accountant.
      'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

      Comment


        #4
        You've been contracting since 2016. Why do you need to even ask this?

        Why haven't you asked it in the Accounting section?
        'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

        Comment


          #5
          Even Doohg manages better than this.

          OP - it sounds like taking the train would be best in your circumstances.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by PhiltheGreek View Post

            OP - it sounds like taking the train would be best in your circumstances.
            But he hasn't got his own train like you.
            'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

            Comment


              #7
              You say option 1 is the least stressful, so the answer seems like a no-brainer to me. Stop fussing over the finer details of tax relief and trying to obtain the "maximum".

              Comment


                #8
                Option 4 - Cycle to work scheme and get a free bike.

                PWND
                'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

                Comment


                  #9
                  Train without a doubt....

                  Been in similar situation and driving that far every day will slowly kill you. Of course, assuming you can get seat on train or that could be just as bad if you're standing up all the way.

                  Work out best season ticket to get. I found it saved very little getting 3-monthly as opposed to monthly. Buy one for month+days as well its cheaper. i.e. If one season ticket finished on friday, buy next one to run from monday for a month plus however many days to the friday of that week it ends (i.e. if wed is 31st of month, buy month+2days to take it to friday - monday after rinse and repeat).

                  Dont worry about contract getting canned and wasting season ticket. All they charge is £10 admin fee to refund it pro-rata (although they work out how much it would have cost you - i.e. if you cancel a one month one after three weeks, you'll get a refund minus the cost of 3x weekly season tickets).

                  Did train for over 2 years. 10 min drive to station, 50 mins on train, 15 mins walk to client. Pretty much 90 mins each way (unless you want to get to train station as train pulls in). Easy enough when you can get a seat (I could 99% of the time and probably 80% of the time seat on my own). Time for kip or whatever.
                  Rhyddid i lofnod psychocandy!!!!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Train, ticket paid for by limited debit card, job done.

                    Out of interest, how is a client 50 miles away requiring a 140 mile round trip, surely it should be 100 mile round trip?

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