Mileage Reimbursements - How Much Is Too Much?
The road - its an unpredictable place, filled with detours and delays and new roads not yet on the map. Drivers get lost, drivers take slight side trips or entire journeys in search of a gas station. Tightly regulating the number of miles allowed under driver reimbursements is a hostile, aggressive tactic that can be seen as tyrannical - but making limitations to the mileage allowed is essential to an accurate, fair reimbursement.
Managing mileage reimbursements the right way
There are multiple guides at your disposal to accurately predict the distance of a business expedition:
- Maps - mapping out a projected driving path will give both parties a general idea of the expected milage needed to get the job done. Allot for some excess, but you should have a pretty good idea as to the distance to be driven and the mileage reimbursements that will be needed.
- Traffic reports - The Internet is a great place to check and verify any traffic situations, any potential road closures or detours that might extend the distance travelled.
- Communication - Keeping an open line with your mobile employees is essential to knowing what to expect when they return to the business.
As we said before, managing the driving situations of one or a few mobile employees will be difficult - managing dozens of mileage reimbursements can prove more strenuous than a small business can handle.
there are companies in operation today that will help you manage your employee reimbursements, that will know what to expect from any given travel plan and will determine the most appropriate, unbiased and accurate mileage reimbursements possible, saving your company from excessive repayments and putting the ball in the employees court to give the business a fair recollection of distance driven.
Related Resources:
- GSA - Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) Mileage Reimbursement Rates
- Mileage Reimbursement for Personally Owned or Leased Motor Vehicles
- IRS Announces 2006 Standard Mileage Rates
- New York State Comptroller
- California Auto Mileage Expense Reimbursement
- UW System Travel Regulations
