Billing for Travel Time

[d2creative]

When do you charge for travel time (by car) and how do you figure your rate?

[pbyd]

I charge a fee for any out of the studio sessions; this normally includes my charge for travel. If I have to travel out of town as for weddings or events, I charge my studio day rate for each day out of the studio. These charges are in addition to my normal rate. I do understand that everyone charges different. I know some people that do not charge for the days they spend traveling for out of town weddings. I have had friends spend as many as 3 to 5 days for destination weddings and the only additional fee is for hotel and airline cost over their normal wedding fee, this may work for a time, but after awhile it will drive you out of business, unless you are doing it for fun or part-time and enjoy the travel.
Just saying,
Wayne
Photography by Design

[bryanlindsey]

Heck yeah. Time is time, whether it is shooting or in the car.

[d2creative]

Right, i just need to know how you are billing it.
What's a typical rate?
How do you list it on your invoice? "Travel"? "Mileage"?
Are you billing just gas/wear & tear on your vehicle or for your time as well?
I figure there must be some kind of standard to go by. I don't want a client to question it or think i'm trying to pad the invoice.

And i'm not talking about traveling overnight. Just something like from downtown to the woodlands and back.

I shoot a lot of architecture and if it's just a typical 20 min drive I don't normally add anything additional.

Thanks!

[ggeen]

Originally Posted by d2creative

Right, i just need to know how you are billing it.
What's a typical rate?
How do you list it on your invoice? "Travel"? "Mileage"?
Are you billing just gas/wear & tear on your vehicle or for your time as well?
I figure there must be some kind of standard to go by. I don't want a client to question it or think i'm trying to pad the invoice.

And i'm not talking about traveling overnight. Just something like from downtown to the woodlands and back.

I shoot a lot of architecture and if it's just a typical 20 min drive I don't normally add anything additional.

Thanks!

If you bill travel/mileage for wear and tear on the car, then I don't think you can recoup that on your tax return. It would be like getting paid twice for the same travel. If, however, this is the way in which you charge for travel then I would use the tax code rate which is about 55.5 cents per mile.

[d2creative]

Huh? Recoup what? Paid twice?

I don't know how/what to charge for travel... that's why I'm asking!

[ggeen]

Originally Posted by d2creative

Huh? Recoup what? Paid twice?
I don't know how/what to charge for travel... that's why I'm asking!

You may take a federal tax deduction for wear and tear on your vehicle. That rate is currently $0.555 per mile. If, however, you charge your client mileage I think that would negate your ability to take the tax deduction.

As for what to charge your client for travel, what is your time worth? If the amount of travel is extensive you might consider making it part of your billable hours. The time you dedicate to one client cannot be dedicated to another. On some of the sites I visited if you live within a certain distance, say 20 or 25 mile radius of their location, then it is just part of doing business. Outside that range, they charge some sort of travel fee. For some it is the same as their hourly fee and for other it is just a percentage of that.

[d2creative]

Gotcha, thanks for the explanation.
I don't believe my accountant is deducting anything for my vehicle since this is part time for me.

I figured the travel time rate would have to be some sort of percentage since my hourly rate for the photography is pretty high, taking into account my skills, talent, equipment, etc. Most anybody can sit in a car for 45 mins. But yes, typically it's just part of doing business for the in-town trips. I'm thinking of times when it's further than 20 miles like you said.

[scottbuckel]

I know of a few folks that only charge 50% of their normal rate for travel while a few charge the entire amount. This appears as a separate line item on their invoices. Be sure to keep a log of miles traveled for your taxes.

Scott

[reader0428]

Check with your accountant about deducting the mileage. I don't think it matters if you are part time, you should still be able to deduct the miles you have driven for your business if you are not billing your client for it as a reimbursement as stated above. (Just as you deduct other business expenses, print lab costs, equipment, etc. whether you are part-time or full-time.)

[d2creative]

Thanks, guys. That seems to be the consensus. Will do from now on.

Got an app for that?

[texxter]

Originally Posted by scottbuckel

I know of a few folks that only charge 50% of their normal rate for travel while a few charge the entire amount. This appears as a separate line item on their invoices. Be sure to keep a log of miles traveled for your taxes.

Scott

+1.

50% is pretty standard for commercial assignments.

[hdctx]

If you bill the client fir travel or mileage, it counts as income and you can take the deduction against it.
If you just take the mileage at the federally approved rate, you can count it as a reimbursement, and do not have to count it as an income or expense.
Be sure to keep a car diary.

[lfmerrell]

In union speak I believe the term they use is: Portal to Portal pay. It is covered under the Federal Portal to Portal Act if folk are against paying and a historical backup/justification would help. No, I am not a lawyer but do remember the intense coverage this act got in the mid forties.