Claiming nights out

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

Turns out you can’t be paid it at base, even if you have to pay for meals as you are not at home.

hmrc.gov.uk/MANUALS/echmanual/ECH13100.htm

Each time a night out allowance is paid the employer should have documentary evidence to show the employee had spent the night away from home, and the permanent workplace

hmrc.gov.uk/MANUALS/echmanual/ECH13110.htm

The case worker should check

  • the information shown on the tachograph disc to other records, such as job sheets and job diaries (the dates and places of overnight stops should correspond to the tachograph disc)
  • that the number of nights the driver stayed away according to the tachograph discs agrees with the number of overnight subsistence payments made

If the company are subject to a tax inspection it could lead to driver’s facing a tax bill for night out money paid when at home or base.
hmrc.gov.uk/MANUALS/echmanual/ECH13105.htm

Tachographs will need to be viewed to substantiate night out allowances.

In the event that the employer is

  • unwilling or unable to provide other records, and
  • reiterates or refuses to provide the tachograph records

you should advise that in the absence of evidence that employees qualify for tax free allowances

  • all such payments should be taxed in full in future, and
  • recovery will be sought on all such previous payments made.

There is still no minimum distance before you can be paid the allowance tax free. If you stop just a short distance away from base and can provide receipts as evidence of expenses incurred then you should be entitled to night out money.

22

i have claimed nite out money whilst being parked legally outside my home…the reason for this is my other half wont make my tea and i had to buy a take away.also we argued and i slept on the sofa so i wasn’t in my own bed. :unamused:

23

Coffeeholic:
. . . . and can provide receipts as evidence of expenses incurred

That’s the bit I don’t like.

If I park in a layby, middle of nowhere, I won’t be able to spend money and therefore have receipts to show as evidence. Would the receipt for the ‘emergency Pot Noodle’ that I bought weeks before count as evidence? Would/should I only be then paid £1 (or whatever those Pot Yuks cost) for my night out ‘allowance/expenses’■■ :open_mouth:

24

marcustandy:

Coffeeholic:
. . . . and can provide receipts as evidence of expenses incurred

That’s the bit I don’t like.

If I park in a layby, middle of nowhere, I won’t be able to spend money and therefore have receipts to show as evidence. Would the receipt for the ‘emergency Pot Noodle’ that I bought weeks before count as evidence? Would/should I only be then paid £1 (or whatever those Pot Yuks cost) for my night out ‘allowance/expenses’■■ :open_mouth:

The mention of “receipts” is in reference to monies paid over and above the tax free allowance, or as supporting evidence to show that a “night out” had taken place.