private fuel not paid when abroad

[nounours9]

I work as a service engineer. My companie provides a car and fully expensed fuel card. I pay tax for car and petrol( private and business).

 

In the past, I have travelled three times to Europe. Each trips were about 1000 miles. At the time, my managers told I was allowed to take the car abroad and claim the fuel on expense as I am paying tax for fully funded car (petrol for business and private use). This expense was always paid.

 

Suddenly, they decided not to pay my last fuel expense for my last trip, without any warning. There is no company policy.

 

Am I right to expect for my petrol to be paid as previously?

 

I have filed a personal grievance as they have since introduced a new policy. What is the point of me paying taxes for business and private fuel???

[Sidewinder]

I think that you are right to file a grievance, as a matter not covered by your contract (but previously permitted by your company) has been changed without warning.

 

Beware however of trying to use the argument that you pay tax for having a fully expensed car therefore you should be allowed to reclaim the cost - your employer is paying for the fuel (not the Inland Revenue) so will feel entitled to have some say in what is reasonable and what is not. Did you reclaim only the cost of fuel through expenses, or at a rate per mile? At a rate of (ballpark) 40 miles to the gallon, you have probably used around 75 gallons of fuel. At current rates that is about £350 of fuel over 3000 miles so I am not surprised that somebody has decided that enough is enough - however you should have been advised beforehand. This needs to be a matter of policy so that everybody knows where they stand.

 

I know that with our fully expensed cars, the company are quite happy to allow reasonable private mileage, but will draw the line at subsidising a holiday in France (particularly when the same trip can be made in a plane for less than £50).

[advisee]

Perhaps if these were British fuel receipts, it might never have been noticed that you were on a trip.

 

Consider taking a cash alternative/car allowance; a company car is nothing like the perk it once was.

 

Don't expect them to reverse this new policy... you'll be very very lucky if they do! Presumably the foreign fuel is dirt cheap, so you could compromise and get them to pay as far as Harwich/Dover..... and you pay the cheap foreign bit? If you have insurance/breakdown arrangements that permit you to drive in Europe then you're already luckier than most!