EIM65943 - Tax treatment of Local Government Councillors and civic dignitaries: Home to work travel – Other travel expenses

S295A ITEPA 2003

From 2016/17 onwards, payments of councillors’ other travel expenses that do not relate to the use of their own vehicle (including payment of public transport costs) are exempt from tax.

The above exemption does not apply to payments made in respect of journeys between a councillor’s home and a permanent workplace, where their home is more than 20 miles from the boundary of the authority area.

Example

Councillor E lives within the area of the local authority that he has been elected for. If he uses public transport to undertake the journey between his home and the local authority offices where he performs most of his duties, payments by the local authority for Councillor E’s travel are within the exemption and can be paid free of tax.