Can I Claim Mileage From Home to Work?
In most cases, no — travel between your home and your normal, permanent workplace is ordinary commuting and cannot be claimed. But there are important exceptions: if your home is your business base, if you travel to a temporary workplace, or if you make a business detour on the way.
The general rule: commuting is not claimable
HMRC treats the journey between your home and your permanent workplace as ordinary commuting. It does not matter whether the travel is during working hours or whether you do work tasks once you arrive — the journey itself is not deductible.
When home-to-work travel IS claimable
- You are self-employed and your home is your business base — travel from home to clients counts as business mileage
- You travel from home to a temporary workplace (expected to last under 24 months)
- You make a significant detour to a business appointment on your commute
- You travel from home to a different work site each day with no permanent base
Self-employed and working from home
If you are a sole trader and your home is your main business base, journeys from home to clients, suppliers or job sites are business travel — not commuting. This is one of the most valuable mileage categories for home-based businesses.
Worked example
Because home is the business base, every leg of this trip is a qualifying business journey.
Self-employed consultant working from home
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IRS official rate of $0.76 per mile, applied to every mile of this journey.
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