How can I calculate my travel costs?

How are you going to calculate your travel expenses?

Well, travel expenses, because as a ZP'er you often have to go on the road, for example to your client's location, to appointments or to a client's office. But what do you do with the travel expenses you incur for that, how can you pass them on?

There are basically two ways you can pass on travel expenses:

Incorporate them into your hourly rate.

You then count travel costs as an expense of your business, just like your paper, laptop or office rent. This is a convenient solution because you have less administration and invoicing to do, and you avoid discussions with your clients. Check out 5 more tips for hassle-free invoicing.

Calculate travel expenses separately

You put your travel expenses separately on the invoice, making it clear to the client that these costs are in addition to your hourly wage. This is useful, for example, if you occasionally have to travel long distances for an assignment when you normally don't have to travel.
 With this way of calculating travel expenses, it is important to agree with your client in advance how you will do it.

1. On the basis of a mileage allowance. You can agree on an amount for this, on which you also calculate VAT. Because employers are allowed to give employees a tax-free allowance of €0.19 per kilometer, this amount is a normal allowance, but you can agree on a higher amount. Also record how you calculate the distance in kilometers, for example using Google Maps or the ANWB route planner. And can you claim parking costs separately?
2. Declaration of public transport costs on the basis of a ticket or printout of a public transport chip card. Public transport is subject to 6 percent VAT. If you keep the receipts in your records, you can reclaim the VAT paid. You pass on the costs excluding VAT to your client.
3. Travel time as working time. You can also add the time spent traveling to your hours worked and claim it that way. But not every client agrees.

Business expenses

The tax authorities consider travel expenses as business expenses, as part of the remuneration of the service. You can therefore invoice your travel expenses at the same VAT rate as the rest of your compensation. You can deduct the actual travel expenses incurred through your income tax return. Do you travel by car for business? The main tax rules in a row.