What business travel can I claim tax relief on?
If you have to travel for work and your employer does not fully reimburse you, you may be able to claim tax relief on the cost. This covers things like public transport, mileage in your own vehicle and some related expenses for qualifying journeys. Your ordinary commute does not count.
See everything you may qualify for — benefits, grants, reductions and reliefs — in about 3 minutes. Free to check.
Check what you're owed →Business travel relief is about the journeys you make in the course of doing your job that are not simply getting to and from your normal place of work. Travelling to a temporary workplace, visiting clients, or going between different sites can all qualify, whereas the daily commute to a permanent workplace cannot, even if it is long or expensive.
The relief can cover public transport fares, the cost of using your own vehicle, and sometimes associated costs such as parking or overnight stays where the trip genuinely requires them. If you use your own car, the mileage element is handled through the approved mileage rates, which set how much you can claim per business mile.
As always, you can only claim for costs your employer has not already paid back to you. Good record-keeping is essential — tickets, receipts and a journey log — because HMRC may ask you to support the claim. If you travel regularly for work, this relief can be significant, so it is worth understanding exactly which journeys qualify.
How to claim business travel tax relief
- Identify qualifying journeys. Separate genuine business travel from your ordinary commute, as only qualifying journeys are eligible for relief.
- Collect your costs. Keep tickets, receipts and a mileage log for each business trip, plus a note of any employer reimbursement.
- Calculate the relief. Total the unreimbursed costs, using the approved mileage rates for any travel in your own vehicle.
- Submit your claim. Claim through HMRC or your Self Assessment return and retain your records in case of a check.
Key figures (official sources)
- 55p per mileApproved mileage rate — cars & vans, first 10,000 business milesRate rose to 55p from 6 April 2026 (was 45p before).Source: GOV.UK — Business travel mileage: rules for tax (checked 2026-06-28)
- 25p per mileApproved mileage rate — cars & vans, over 10,000 business milesSource: GOV.UK — Business travel mileage: rules for tax (checked 2026-06-28)
Frequently asked questions
- Is my commute claimable?
- No. Travel between home and your permanent workplace is not allowable. Relief is for journeys to temporary workplaces and other genuine business travel.
- Can I claim parking and overnight stays?
- Sometimes. Costs directly linked to a qualifying business trip, such as parking or a necessary overnight stay, may be allowable if your employer does not reimburse them.
- How is car mileage treated?
- Using your own vehicle is claimed through the approved mileage rates, based on your business miles, rather than as actual fuel costs.
- What if my employer part-pays?
- You can only claim relief on the part of the cost your employer did not reimburse, not the whole amount.
MoneyFinder is an independent sign-posting service that helps you find financial support you may be entitled to. We are not a government body and do not provide financial advice. Figures are taken from the official sources cited above and were correct when last checked — always confirm current details on the linked GOV.UK pages.