Daily Mail attacks MP for cycle commuting expenses claim… if only he'd gone by car

...and on went the stupid arguments - I stopped reading after 2 paras - the rubbish we have to read on the train - how glad am I when I can get off at Waterloo, dump the Metro and pedal off to the office.
The truth is that the Govt has recognised and encouraged cycling as a means of transport for which expense allowances are permitted and the taxman has set allowable levels of reinbursement.
So be it and good for them and us if our MPs cycle to work.

When Ive had company cars in the past I have had no responsibility for fuelling, taxing, testing or maintaining the vehicle. I have been taxed heavily for this.

With my previous employer, who was engaged with cyclescheme, since the terms change a few months ago they decided that after 12 months the bike would revert to the ownership of cyclescheme and the employee would then have to pay a fee to become the proper owner. In terms of allowances etc, while the bike was being paid out through salary sacrifice you were not entitled to any expenses, nor, if you ride a different bike but have a cyclescheme bike.

Why not let the Tax Payers Alliance know what you think of their ridiculous stance on this.

They have put their stance on their website so are presumably proud of their coverage. A little constructive comment never hurt -
http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/media/2011/02/metro-bike-mp-saddles-40p...

Thanks Aimless King food for thought there, so if the bike belongs to the employer shouldn't they be responsible for servicing and maintenance - I notice further up it says that this is the employees responsibility. I'd love to know if this is the same way things operate for company cars?

Interesting aside though Aimless King, and defo one we're going to check up on. Do employers pay for the servicing on company cars?

As a complete aside, and I may be wrong, but I think you're not allowed to claim mileage on a bike if the bike was obtained through cycle-to-work and ownership has not been transferred. Theory goes you don't need to buy fuel for it, and your employer owns the vehicle, so they've porvided everything you need for your journey.

Never let facts get in the way of a story.

I might just put a claim in for my business trips next week. Brilliant tax advice - and another great piece of journalism road.cc

I'd be over the moon if more MPs were claiming this type of expense - the man is to be congratulated, not held up to ridicule.

Keep pedalling mate.

My motorcycle is insured for business trips while my car isn't. That's because my wife uses the car but doesn't use the bike. Claiming mileage for the bike at my firm was tricky. No one had ever done it before. In the end, I was allowed half the rate for a car, barely more than the bicycle rate.

you put fuel in your car if you drive ! and you have to put fuel down your throat if you cycle ! 20pence per mile is pretty cheap really. or am i missing something ?

I think ms Boon should maybe try cycling and then tell us that 20 pence per mile is too much.

More to the point, shouldn't they incentivise cycling by paying more of the maintenance cost by saying the same rate as for cars?

I would happily see my income tax being used to encourage anyone to not use a car to drive to work and claim 20p per mile to ride a bike. we have to offset the reliance on fuel taxes to encourage non-motorised transport; think of the lowered burden on the NHS 5-10 years later if it was widely taken up.

maybe they could put a max of £2-3 a day claimed for long-distance commuters who are likely to be keen riders anyway, to limit a big bill from the converted, but in principle it sounds like a sensible policy to me.

I thought we can all claim mileage allowance for riding our bikes for (but not to and from) work? I do, so why shouldn't an MP?
I hear no complaints about tax payer's millions being poured into massive roundabouts covering space that's of no use to anyone.
My borough spends half a million to subsidise car travel for their staff.
Let's just get some perspective here.

As usual the Tax Dodgers Alliance has nothing useful or sensible to say on the matter. They are a right-wing spin machine, please ignore them.

Nothing like an ill informed ignorant attack on cycling to round the week off.

Claiming mileage allowance for cycling is nothing unique to MP's. Perhaps Road CC would like to draw the attention of Emma Boon from the tax payers alliance to the HM Revenue & Customs P87 form. This is a standard form which allows any taxpayer that is an employee be they an MP or cleaner to claim back legitimate cycling expences stipulated at 20p a mile. Many employers simply offer the 20p rate meaning employees dont have to fill in the p87. Sometimes HM customs will ask for logs of your journey as proof but thats a side issue. Still why should facts get in the way of a a good rant!

I use this form to claim relief on the business miles I do on my bike. This opens up a new question. As I'm being paid to cycle can I class myself as a pro-cyclist!!?

P87 Form
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/p87.pdf

I cycled from Crawley to Southwark and back on business and tried to claim my mileage - there was no facility to 'register my vehicle'

I had to be content the the shock and awe of my colleagues, all of whom had claimed in excess of £20 to travel to London in peak travel time, that I'd even cycled there, let alone decided to cycle home.

Not sure everyone would consider doing a metric century to a team meeting and on reflection, I did get to cycle all day at my company's expense but I bet I was home quicker and with less stress than others that day (even though I cycled the A23 around the A3 junction - London cyclists, you are mental)

Its the Daily Mail. Enough said!

Of all the MPs expense claims the Metro choose to put this one on the front page!
Some of the media will squeeze an anti-cyclist story out of anything.

I hope The TaxPayers’ Alliance are consistant and oppose expense claims for using a car.

Although the Daily Mail is a vile paper, I'd say this is less of an anti-cycling rant, but more about the pettiness of someone claiming such a small amount. I know the Mail have got form when it comes to vilifying cyclists so perhaps I'm giving them too much credit.

And re Jon's comment about the cost to run a car - when you factor in depreciation, wear and tear and the cost of business-use insurance, then 40p a mile doesn't cover the costs of using a car. Still, anything that makes people consider ditching their car is to be supported.

a lot of major companies also offer cycle allowances of this value, it is the maximum, tax free allowance allowed for travel by bike.

Hey, its this sort of paper isnt it, dont listen. Their readership is ageing and subsequently reducing, they wont be around forever.

Also, does it really cost 40p per mile to run a car? I mean, I have a 2.2diesel and its 13p per mile, max.

Typical hysterical reaction from the Daily Mail in other words - what a horrible paper.