travel reimbursement

First off, before I get snapped at for not knowing, I AM fairly new to sports writing, about a year in so I'm just learning a lot of how things work.

Anyway,

I work at a twice-a-week newspaper. Being the time of year it is for preps, football, volleyball playoffs, I've been traveling every weekend across the state.

Since the beginning of October I've gone about 1600 miles.

Now, before I started here they said they DID pay travel expenses, but were pretty scant on how much or where or when.

I've been keeping track of my mileage, but I'm not sure what i'll get back, if anything.

Legally, is a newspaper required to pay a portion of travel costs? I've been told they are required to pay a certain percentage, but I'm not sure what.

When I worked at my internship, after several phone calls and emails, I did finally receive something back for my mileage, but it was 3 months after I had left.

I'm going to give them my mileage here this week, but I don't want them to give me the run around because I don't know any better.

what can I do to make sure I'm not being taken advantage of?

 

I don't know that it's required of them to pay you back, but it's pretty standard for newspapers to reimburse for mileage. We get anywhere from $0.30 a mile to $.3625 a mile, depending on gas prices.

Generally, it's a good idea to set up the terms of reimbursement in advance and get it in writing, especially if you're working for a small paper or doing freelance work. I'd go in and talk with your editor ASAP and bring up the subject before you stick them with a $400 mileage bill. I've found editors don't like $400 surprises.

If for some reason, you don't get reimbursed, you can always include wear and tear on your car on your taxes.

 

You can deduct business mileage on taxes, but any reputable newspaper (hold the jokes) will pay you mileage. We get 45.9 cents per mile.

 

45.9? wow... no wonder you're happy

i thought i was livin' large at .4009

 

Some of us are stuck at .29, though I'll deduct the rest on my taxes so I'm not too worried about it.

 

We're at .32 here, which is down from .35xx in September and down from .36xx in August. It's fluctuated at least five times this year, IIRC. Never below .30xx, but never above .36xx. (Don't know the decimals off-hand.)

I'm guessing it won't go up again despite the current gas prices increasing so drastically last week. Funny how that works.

 

We are down to .27 and were told we are going to most likely go down to .24.

 

My old gig was .24, and then when gas went up it raised to .26.

Feel lucky you get anything, because a quarter a mile feels like, well, NOTHING at all!

 

i see people on here say "oh just take it off on taxes" but if you're at a small paper and in the infant stages of your career, you ain't making enough money to itemize on your taxes. that said, bad move on not tying up specifics of travel expenses before you started putting all those miles on your car.

 

How can you not know your paper's mileage rate? If you're using your car for company business, then they need to reimburse you. And if you're traveling across the state, they should be paying meals and hotel (unless you're in Rhode Island or Delaware).

 

People going backward in what they're paying? Wow, that's not cool at all. Even at .29, and especially when gas prices were up around $3, you tend to feel like you're taking it in the shorts when the damage to your odometer doesn't jibe with what you're seeing in your expense check.

 

If you're driving a lot, Brain, I'd ask for an advance or something. But first make sure those bastards pay for everything else ASAP.