Workflow guide · 3 min read

Claim business mileage from WhatsApp

Log business journeys by message — SimpleTaxFlow applies HMRC's simplified mileage rates and records the expense for you.

Follow the sequence

Work through the steps in order and return to this guide whenever the next action is unclear.

Keep the records current

Capture and review information as it happens, rather than leaving the whole quarter until the end.

Review before you finish

Check the details and any supporting evidence before completing the task.

01

What this guide covers

Send a message like "32 miles to client site" and the claim is calculated at HMRC's approved rates (45p for the first 10,000 business miles each tax year, then 25p; motorcycles 24p; bicycles 20p) and recorded as a travel expense.

02

1. Send the journey as a message

Message your linked WhatsApp number with the miles and a short description, for example "32 miles to client site" or "12.5 miles supplier visit". Do not include a £ amount — a message with a £ amount is treated as a normal expense instead.

See WhatsApp capture basics
03

2. Mention the vehicle if it is not a car

Car or van journeys use the 45p/25p rates automatically. Say "motorbike" for the 24p rate or "cycled"/"bike" for the 20p rate — for example "18 miles on the motorbike to site".

See command reference
04

3. Check the confirmation

The reply shows the rate breakdown, the amount recorded, and your running year-to-date business miles. Once you pass 10,000 miles in a tax year, car and van claims switch to 25p automatically — including mid-claim, where a single journey is split across both rates.

Open Activity
05

4. Review it like any other expense

The claim is recorded as a confirmed travel expense and feeds your tax estimate and quarterly figures immediately. You can edit or delete it in Activity like any other transaction.

Record in Activity
06

Before you move on

  • The message contains miles and a description, with no £ amount
  • The vehicle was mentioned when it is not a car or van
  • The confirmation breakdown and YTD miles look right
  • Only business journeys are claimed (commuting does not count)
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