Travel costs a discussion

Art Photo Noir

Travel costs have basically ensured that I can't book further than say Birmingham. Travel + Rates + Studio hire.

Just priced out at every turn.

Could be they had a better offer or woke up and didn’t want to go ahead with the shoot but didn’t want a bad reference so came up with an unacceptable demand so you were the one who cancelled. I suspect they would have just turned up otherwise and presented you with the demand for the travel cost after the fact. 

Considering the last post maybe count yourself lucky they asked a new travel cost before meeting. I think some people forget this is a mainly hobbyist site and try grab what they want but maybe I'm mistaken and hobbyist can mean any cost whatsoever.

I google the distance and pay 45p / mile for driving. And say in advance  that is what I will pay.

Ask for a breakdown of the charge.

They may be charging fuel and time.

A model can charge what they like for fuel, it's part of their expenditure, and its up to them if they make a profit on it.

The real test would be how it's then declared to the Revenue.

Any amount in excess of their rate will attract HMRC's attention, if I recall correctly?

Normal practice for other professionals (eg accountants, lawyers, consultants etc) is the HMRC 45p a mile if driving (or actual fares for trains, planes etc) plus “dead” travelling time at the normal hourly rate. The latter is time when you can’t be doing other work.

Travel costs dont just cover the fuel, will people stop thinking that.  Thats why the 45ppm is more than the fuel costs (the 45ppm should have gone up years ago, another whole new thread).  Saying that £70 on the day, its way too high a charge.  Whether they are trying to charge extra time as well is i bit of a joke as its not very far.

In reality id be tempted to say no to everything and drop the shoot.  I did do once before when a model suddenly tried to change times, costs the night before once.  Mainly because i felt taken advantage of.

Suddenly adding an extra £70 on the morning of the shoot counts as a "No Show" under PP references.

It's one way of cancelling a shoot at the last minute and trying to avoid a negative reference.

I'd consider leaving the reference. You've lost a day's work.

45p/mile is pretty standard.

Gothic Image how would HMRC know there's an amount in excess in a likely cash job ?

If the model tells me it is £20 for petrol, then I give her £30.

Wondrous said

Gothic Image how would HMRC know there's an amount in excess in a likely cash job ?

Because everyone on here is honest?  :-)

HotFridgePhotos said

If the model tells me it is £20 for petrol, then I give her £30.

If she lives 60 miles away I might. If she lives 5 miles away I'd tell her to take a hike...

don't know why people keep referring to the 45p hmrc rule which is for employees (and simplified expenses for the self employed) and only the first 10,000 miles anyway. https://www.gov.uk/expenses-and-benefits-business-travel-mileage/rules-for-tax

If you are paying 45p a mile you are being mugged off.

Art Photo Noir said

I get a message from the model telling me she expected £70.00 towards her fuel.  

 It's a 50 mile round trip 

Just for all the people who are mentioning costs are more than fuel, 45p per mile (which is what HMRC allow you to bill for the first 10,000 expensed miles before deciding you're running the car at a profit) etc. WE KNOW.  50 Miles at 45p per mile is £22.50. This is £1.40 per mile. Anyone paid that ? Especially when described as a "towards fuel" 

Art Photo Noir said

I'm afraid I think she woke up and decided to push her luck "I don't get out of bed for less than !!!! (old phrase but still sometimes true) Needless to say the shoot didn't go ahead after I'd booked a day off work and setup the studio.

Lesson learnt, won't do that again

Changed the terms at last minute ? Negative reference time.