Are motoring expenses allowable for unpaid charity work?

Are motoring expenses allowable for unpaid...

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When a person is reimbursed by a charity to cover motoring expenses incurred in voluntary work, the mileage allowance is the same as for business expenses (now 45p! At last). If the voluntary worker is not reimbursed are motoring expenses incurred still considered an allowable expense to reduce taxable income from other paid work?

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the sea otter
By memyself-eye
23rd Mar 2011 20:51

Good question

As I do both.

Don't know is the short answer but if your charity cannot even meet legitimate travel costs it should not be in existence?, as even charities need to (or should) cover their volunteer costs.

Too many don't, which is why there are too many charities.

I speak as one who is treasurer of several.

 

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By stephenkendrew
24th Mar 2011 10:02

No

Expenses can only be set off against employment income if the expense was incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily for the purposes of that employment.

The travelling for the charity would not be wholly, exclusively and necessarily for the employment(s) from which income is received and cannot, therefore, be set off against that income.

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By flurrymc
24th Mar 2011 11:00

Against what income?

 

To expand slightly on stephenkendrew’sanswer, still no. The expenses are only allowed against the income from the employment, so if an unpaid volunteer has no income from the charity there is no income against which to set the travelling expenses.

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By Richard Willis
24th Mar 2011 12:16

memyself-eye

I think you are jumping to conclusions!  I have done work for various charities, all of which offered reimbursement of travelling expenses.  However I never claimed for this.  Now read the question again!

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By Anthony123
26th Mar 2011 20:08

Might you not have done better

to claim the expenses and then if you so wished make a gift aid donation?

It sounds superficially good not to claim but it puts those who wish to volunteer who are of limited means in a difficult position if a charity offers reimbursement in theory but in practice it is not taken up. And even if this is not the case better for the charity to understand its running costs (ie to include costs of reimbursing ALL transport for volunteers in full) and have donations - which it expects to be a moveable feast - kept separate.

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By Richard Willis
27th Mar 2011 12:08

antony123

I take your point about gift aid; however it may be that the admin costs of paying out the expenses could exceed the benefit.  As to volunteers of limited means; in no charity for which I have worked would anyone, apart from the administrators, know who may or may not have claimed.

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