How to Estimate Your Mileage for a Tax Rebate
Worried you haven’t kept mileage records? You’re not alone, and the good news is, you may still be able to claim. In this guide, we’ll show you how to estimate your mileage for HMRC tax relief, even if you don’t have a logbook.
Can you claim mileage tax relief without exact records?
Yes. HMRC accepts estimated mileage claims if they’re based on reasonable, consistent travel patterns. You don’t need receipts or trip logs to submit a claim — just a clear estimate based on your job and routine.
What counts as work mileage?
You can claim tax relief for travel between:
Temporary job sites
Client or patient locations
Off-site training or meetings
You can’t claim for commuting to a permanent workplace.
How to estimate your mileage
Work out how many days per week you drive for work
Measure the typical return distance between sites or clients
Multiply that by the number of work weeks per year
Repeat for each year you’re claiming
Example:
3 days/week x 30 miles/day x 48 weeks = 4,320 miles/year
What if your mileage varied?
That’s fine. HMRC accepts averaged estimates if your work was irregular. Just be realistic, and make sure your numbers reflect your typical travel.
How far back can I claim?
You can claim mileage tax relief for up to 4 tax years, even if you’ve never claimed before. If eligible, your rebate could be worth hundreds.
Let TaxBax do the maths
Our mileage calculator helps you estimate what you could be owed — fast, free and fully digital.
