Calculating Local Travel Claim Examples

Calculating Local Travel Claim Examples

The following examples will help you to understand the rules when a Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) or other mode of transportation is used for local travel and how your documented work schedule can impact reimbursement. These examples do not cover every possible scenario that you may encounter or explain details about claiming miscellaneous expenses. The focus of these examples is on transportation costs. We calculate POV mileage costs using the General Services Administration’s (GSA) POV Mileage Reimbursement Rate chart, and these examples reflect the 1/1/2023 rate.

Example #1:

A regular employee (see 265 FW 12, section 12.7) drives 20 miles round trip to their permanent duty station in their POV daily. As part of their regular commute, they incur a total of $3 in tolls and $10 in parking charges. On a regularly scheduled workday, they drove in their POV to a training class that was 40 miles round trip away from their commuting residence and incurred $5 in tolls and $20 in parking charges.

In this instance, they can claim for reimbursement of local travel costs in the amount of $25.10. They cannot use their Government-issued travel charge card to pay the $20 parking expense or $5 toll in lieu of reimbursement, since only a portion is attributable to the local travel.

Example #2:

A local remote employee (see 265 FW 12, section 12.7) is 15 miles round trip from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)-provided worksite. On a regularly scheduled workday, they drove their POV from their residence (i.e., permanent duty station) to a Service-provided worksite to meet up with coworkers before attending an external meeting. They then drove their POV from the Service-provided worksite to the external meeting, and then returned to the Service-provided worksite, for a total of 35 miles round trip for that part of the trip (excludes commute to/from the Service-provided worksite).

In this instance, they can claim for reimbursement of local travel costs in the amount of $22.93. Local remote employees (see 265 FW 12, section 12.7) may only be reimbursed for local travel to an alternate work site that is 50 miles or less from their residence (i.e., permanent duty station) when departing from a Service-provided worksite.

Example #3:

A regular employee (see 265 FW 12, section 12.7) commutes to work using a mass transit subsidy. Their daily bus ride costs $0 due to the Government-provided transit subsidy program. If they are unable to use the bus, they drive 20 miles round trip in their POV. On a regularly scheduled workday, they attend an offsite meeting that they drove 40 miles round trip from their commuting residence in their POV and paid $10 in tolls.

In this instance, they can claim for reimbursement of local travel costs in the amount of $23.10. The $0 bus fare is not factored into the deduction because the subsidy program is only intended to cover the costs of commuting to/from a permanent duty station and not local travel. They may use their Government-issued travel charge card to pay the $10 toll expense in lieu of reimbursement.

Example #4:

A local remote employee (see 265 FW 12, section 12.7) is 90 miles round trip from a Service-provided worksite. They receive an email that their Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card is ready to pick up at a Service-provided worksite. On a regularly scheduled workday, they drove in their POV from their permanent duty station (e.g., residence) to a Service-provided worksite to pick up their PIV card and return, for a total of 90 miles round trip.

In this instance, they are not eligible to claim reimbursement for picking up their PIV card.

Example #5:

A telework employee (see 265 FW 12, section 12.7) drives 60 miles round trip to their permanent duty station in their POV 2 days per week (telework agreement in place for 3 days per week). On a regularly scheduled telework day, they are asked to attend a presentation at the main Federal building downtown. They decide taking a taxi from their commuting residence would be the most efficient for them.

In this instance, their permanent duty station is still the Service-provided work site, regardless of the telework agreement. If they are asked to go to their permanent duty station or an alternate location on a regularly scheduled telework day, they are not eligible for reimbursement of commuting costs. Since they do not typically take a taxi to/from their permanent duty station, they must deduct the daily commuting mileage cost from the cost of the taxi. They cannot use their Government-issued travel charge card to pay for the $50 taxi fee since only a portion is eligible for local travel reimbursement after the commute is deducted.

Example #6:

A regular employee drove to the airport to begin their Temporary Duty Trip (TDY) trip. After arriving at the airport, they were informed that the airline cancelled the flight and there are no flights going to the destination until later in the week. As a result, the TDY trip was cancelled.

In this instance, they can claim for reimbursement of local travel costs in the amount of $16.38 because they drove to the airport for TDY travel. Due to a severe storm, all flights were canceled, and they returned to their commuting residence. Since the trip originated as TDY, their daily commute is not deducted, and reimbursement is processed as local travel. The TDY authorization should be canceled in the electronic travel system with an explanation of what occurred.

Example #7:

A regular employee (see 265 FW 12, section 12.7) drives 15 miles round trip to their permanent duty station in their POV daily. On a regularly scheduled workday, they drove in their POV to a training class that was 10 miles round trip away from their commuting residence.

In this instance, they are not eligible for any reimbursement for the local travel since their normal commute is greater.