The Mileage Allowance is a tax-free allowance for people who use their vehicles for work. You can use it if you drive for business in a car, van, or bike. It doesn’t matter whether you’re self-employed or a full-time employee, you can claim back some of the time you’ve spent on the road for business.

How do you know if you’re eligible to claim the Mileage Allowance?

Ultimately, anyone who uses a vehicle for work can claim the mileage allowance. However, if you bought the car solely to use for work, there might be other tax-relief schemes you’ll want to use instead. 

Confused? Don’t be! For example:

1. If you use your own (existing) car for business, then yes, claim mileage allowance!
2. However, if you bought your car specifically to be a driver for work (such as an Uber driver), then you might want to claim the actual higher cost of your car instead: lease payments, depreciation, etc.

How much do you get?

How much you can claim depends on how much you travel for business:

• Car or van: 45p/mile, which goes down to 25p/mile for every mile after your first 10,000 miles
• Motorbike: 24p/mile, regardless of distance
• Bike: 20p/mile, also regardless of distance

If you’re self-employed and you’re not part of a limited company, then you might want to use simplified expenses instead. Check out our Mileage Allowance calculator to see what you could claim!

How to claim the Mileage Allowance

You can claim the allowance through your annual Self Assessment tax return. Remember to file your Self Assessment by 31st January the year after the tax year you’re paying for. For example, if you earned money for your business between 6th April 2020 and 5th April 2021, you’re paying your 2020/2021 tax return. This bill should be paid by 31st January 2022.