Can travel costs such as car mileage, parking undertaken to complete CPD be classed as a Tax Deduction, similar to the Accountancy Body Annual Subscription?
I require my Accountancy Membership for my job, hence require to undertake CPD.
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No
If your employer pays for your CPD, and reimburses those expenses, the amounts aren't taxable as a benefit on you as they fall within the work-related training exemption.
However, to the extent that you incur these expenses yourself, they need to be incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of the duties of the employment.
Albeit that you need to undertake CPD in order to be able to perform the duties of employment (and maintain your accounting qualification), undertaking CPD is not a duty of your employment.
Of all the cases on this point that have ever gone to the tribunals/courts, only one has succeedeed thus far. See this Taxation article.
Your professional subscription itself is specifically allowable under the legislation, with out needing to satisfy the wholly, exlusively and necessarily in perdormance of the duties test.
I'd suggest that the approxiamte quantum of the costs can be predicted, and it might be more beneficial for you to agree with your employer that they pay these and you take a reduced salary. NB. A formal salary sacrifice potentially breaches one of the requirements of the work-related training exemption (that the purpose of the training should not be to remunerate).