- Domestic allowances include components for accommodation, meals and incidentals.
- Overseas allowance include components for meals and incidentals only. They do not include a component for accommodation. Any claim for accommodation, regardless of the value, must be fully supported by written evidence.
LIkewise, overseas allowances for meals and incidentals are set with reference to costs in the various countries. Countries are grouped todgether according to the relative cost of living associated with each location.
For example, less expensive countries to travel in, susch as Bolivia and Paraguay, are grouped together (Group 2), while countries that are expensive to travel in, such as Denmark and Norway are grouped together at the other end of the scale (Group 6).
Travel allowances are comprised of the following components:
Accomodation (Domestic Travel Only)
The accommodation reates shown for domestic travel apply only for stays in commercial establishments, such as hotels, motels and serviced apartments. If a dfferent type of accommodation is used, the rates do not apply. Reasonable allowance amounts have not been set for overseas accommodation and written evidence is required for claims made for this time of expense.
Meals
The reasonable amount for meals depends on the period and time of travel. That is, the rates will only apply to meals (ie breakfast, lunch, dinner) that fall within the period from the commencement of travel by the employee to the end of travel covered by the allowance. Therefore, in determining the reasonable amount for meals, one must not only look at the reasonable amount per meal (ie the dollar figure provided in TD 2017/19), but also what meals (ie breakfast, lunch, dinner) it is reasonable to include from the time the travel commences to the end of the travel period covered by the allowance.
Incidentals
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