Truck drivers can invoice their employer for the expenses they incur in the course of their journey. In fact, thanks to the set allowances, this is actually quite simple. We will show here you what to look out for. It depends above all on the length of your journeys.
What exactly are expenses?
Expenses are the so-called additional catering costs. You are constantly spending money on your journeys – for the toilet and shower, for food and drinks, for parking fees, tolls and overnight stays. If you were to pay all this out of your own pocket, your salary would be significantly less than usual. Your employer pays you the expenses accordingly – but only in the amount of a fixed allowance. Otherwise, drivers could push up their employer’s expenses by spending the night in luxury hotels and dining out in top restaurants.
Does your employer pay expenses?
Read your employment contract carefully. The amount of expenses you can invoice should be stated here. Depending on the employer, the amount may also depend on collective agreements. Most employers pay expenses for truck drivers, as the drivers then receive the full amount. Some employers, on the other hand, do not pay any expenses, so you will have to declare the sums as income-related expenses in your tax return. Here, the savings for you are significantly lower, and you must be able to prove all your expenses in detail.
Truck drivers can invoice the following expenses
The expenses to which you are entitled depend on the nature of your journeys. There are now only two expense allowances – the small one and the large allowance. If you only do day trips where you are travelling between eight and 24 hours, you are entitled to the small allowance. This is twelve euros. If you are on the road for more than 24 hours, specify the large allowance, which is 24 euros. For each overnight stay you also specify a flat rate of 20 euros. For journeys of less than eight hours in length, you cannot claim any expenses.
If you go on a longer tour, put down the small allowance of twelve euros for the day of departure and return. The employer will reimburse you for these expenses if this is stipulated in the employment contract.
Different rates apply abroad
If you cross the border to a neighbouring country, the allowance rates may change. You should always look up which rates you can expect before you start your journey, as the differences are quite noticeable for trips lasting several days. The expense rates vary considerably from country to country. This table provides you with an overview, for example.
Expense report for truck drivers – templates on the Internet
In fact, expense accounting (especially with the set allowances) is not particularly difficult. Nevertheless, you can find templates for downloading in various places online, for example here. However, when you start working for a new employer, be sure to ask how the expense reports are handled in the company. After the first few trips, the process should have already become second nature to you.
Summary: Invoicing expenses is simple
Thanks to the allowances set by the legislator, it has now become quite easy to invoice expenses. There is only the small and the big allowance as well as the overnight allowance. Different allowances apply in different countries. Your employment contract states whether or not your employer will reimburse you for the expenses. This variant is more advantageous for you than if you had to enter the expenses as income-related expenses in your tax return. Templates from the Internet help to prepare your invoice, but often simply asking questions also helps.