I have been informed that I might be nighting out every Monday which is fine apart from one thing. Apparently we don’t get night out money as self employed. I thought it was a tax free bonus regardless of employment status? Do I claim the standard night out rate or negotiate a few extra hours pay to cover it?
When I was freelancing it was a standard £20 per night out on top of the rate
Blue arrow didn’t even know I did a night out last week and I told the foreigner on Friday. ‘you need a night out? You want a day off?’ no! I spent a night in the truck ffs. They don’t know how to pay me for it and its likely to be a weekly thing since its cheaper than sending a driver with a trailer and back solo then a bother driver to go solo to bring it back the next day
Bloody el!!! I can imagine your next thread/post will be about holiday/sick pay for self employed 
I charge for nights out. Tell them there’s a charge for it or you won’t do it, simple
On the invoice you send to the agency put an entry in for night out.
dri-diddly-iver:
Bloody el!!! I can imagine your next thread/post will be about holiday/sick pay for self employed
imagination is as far as it will go. Nobody sleeps in the cab for free. Sick and holiday pay are completely unrelated. I don’t earn a penny unless I am at work but that suits me fine since I only take around 10 days holiday per year and I try to avoid being off sick since it goes against my reputation. Work comes first but not when they try and not pay for it
I charge what the company pays its own drivers.
I invoice for nights out and I’m confident 99% of SE drivers do. I would suggest you speak to the agency and tell them you’ll be invoicing at whatever rate you decide. I can’t believe you’re the only driver on the agency who is doing nights out so they much have some idea about it.
scanny77:
I have been informed that I might be nighting out every Monday which is fine apart from one thing. Apparently we don’t get night out money as self employed. I thought it was a tax free bonus regardless of employment status? Do I claim the standard night out rate or negotiate a few extra hours pay to cover it?
There trying to pull a fast one on you, have another chat with them stating you require night out money + reimbursement of parking charges. You may have to negotiate a bit but aim for around £25-£30 + Parking, or more if you can get it.
Tipper Tom:
I invoice for nights out and I’m confident 99% of SE drivers do. I would suggest you speak to the agency and tell them you’ll be invoicing at whatever rate you decide. I can’t believe you’re the only driver on the agency who is doing nights out so they much have some idea about it.
+1
Generally speaking using the standard VAT scheme, night out (subsistence) monies when billed via your invoice are not VAT rated, and should be added post net value of your work hours. (ie: total hrs = net ££s + VAT + subsistence ££s = gross ££`s. Parking fees (if you pay them yourself & reclaim the monies) should be paid with your business bank card, as they are VAT rated. As a percentage of the fee Moto etc charges you includes VAT
Invoice them for it and then in your accounts deduct it as an expense so you get it tax free.
Sometime ago I had a similar discussion with somebody I did occasional direct SE driving for, normally there were no nights out involved so we didn’t have an agreed rate. This particular day it all went wrong; so when I asked him after I got back what to invoice for the night out, I was told we don’t pay those; so I invoiced him with my hours straight through, from start day 1 to finish day 2. He soon reopened negotiations.
acd1202:
Sometime ago I had a similar discussion with somebody I did occasional direct SE driving for, normally there were no nights out involved so we didn’t have an agreed rate. This particular day it all went wrong; so when I asked him after I got back what to invoice for the night out, I was told we don’t pay those; so I invoiced him with my hours straight through, from start day 1 to finish day 2. He soon reopened negotiations.
I like the way your mind works. 