subject: Mileage Expense - scandal in Scotland [print this page] Mileage Expense - scandal in Scotland Mileage Expense - scandal in Scotland
On 17 February 2011 the Herald Scotland reported a mileage expense scandal in respect of officials in none other than a transport authority in Scotland, Strathclyde Connection for Transport (SPT).
Apparently two officials, David McLachlan and a Mr. Alistair Watson, claimed 17,544 and 10,756 for the 2006-09 period while another person David Fagan in a similar position stated only 1,355 within the same period.
Certainly the Scotland Herald creates this out as a major scandal. Even so, it may be that Mr McLachlan and Mr. Watson were following your guidelines and correctly claimed their charges wheras Mr. Fagan was not as persistent and didn't bother.
Though these statements do not appear excessive for senior business men over a three year period there appears to be outrage within a few commentators that stems generally from the proven fact that the officials were necessary to promote the use of public transport.
An SPT spokesperson stated the men had, normally, 3 or 4 meetings per week on SPT business at its headquarters in central Glasgow
www.mapmiles.com calculates the distance in between Mr. McLachlan's home town of Hamilton and also the SPT headquarters on 12 Georges St, Glasgow as 8.707 miles. A round journey is 17.415 miles. The mileage expense allocated on the actual foundation regarding less than 10,000 miles travelled within the year should amount to 6.97 assuming no passengers. Maybe there is a a few misunderstanding because in the UK no mileage expense statements are authorized in between a persons home and their place of work.
Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs website verifies that "Taxpayers can't claim the allowance for private journeys, such as travel at home to work, or for journeys that serve both a business and a private goal."
Additionally, the mileage rate does not cover expenses that are specific to some particular journey such as tolls, blockage costs and parking costs. These types of is going to be permitted like a deduction exactly where they're incurred exclusively for business functions. These types of costs may also happen to be claimed by the officials but certainly there would be no possible benefit element.
The article in Scotland Herald does not appear to go ahead and take HMR&C look at how the mileage rate is merely compensation for that devaluation and costs incurred by the officials.
