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Expenses for Trustees, Employees and Volunteers

Use this section to set up a clear system for reimbursing the out-of-pocket expenses of the people who work for your charity. Trustees, employees and volunteers can all incur genuine expenses on the charity's behalf, but the rules and the risks are different for each, so there is a separate policy and claim form for each role.

Why does it matter who is claiming?

Trustees are generally unpaid and reimbursing their reasonable expenses is permitted, but anything that goes beyond genuine expenses can amount to a trustee benefit that needs authority under the governing document or from the Charity Commission. Volunteers may be reimbursed for expenses they have actually incurred, but round-sum allowances or payments that exceed actual costs can undermine their volunteer status and may have tax consequences. Employees' expenses are dealt with under their employment and the usual tax rules. A written policy applied consistently protects both the charity and the individual.

What documents are in this section?

For each role there is a policy setting out what can be claimed, how and with what evidence, together with a matching claim form: the Charity Trustees Expenses Policy and Charity Trustees Expenses Claim Form, the Charity Employees Expenses Policy and Charity Employees Expenses Claim Form and the Charity Volunteer Expenses Policy and Charity Volunteer Expenses Claim Form.

Volunteer agreements and guidance on volunteers generally are in the Charity Volunteers section.

Expenses for Trustees, Employees and Volunteers is part of Charity. Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Charity for 1 year.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should our charity handle expenses claims from trustees, staff and volunteers? +
There are separate expenses policies and claim forms for trustees, employees and volunteers. Each group claims against a written policy defining what is claimable, with receipts, on a standard claim form, approved by someone other than the claimant. Keeping trustees, employees and volunteers on separate policies matters because the tax and legal treatment differs, volunteer reimbursements in particular must stay within actual expenses. This section holds the employee, trustee and volunteer documents.
Why must volunteer expenses stay within actual out of pocket costs? +
Because paying more than genuine expenses can change the volunteer's status, creating employment rights, tax liabilities and potentially undermining their benefits position, and it can also stray into unauthorised private benefit from charity funds. Round-sum allowances are the classic mistake. Reimburse actual costs against receipts, using a claim form designed for volunteers. The volunteer expenses policy and claim form are in this section.
Do we need receipts for every expense claim, even small ones? +
Make receipts the default and exceptions rare and documented. Receipted claims are what internal financial controls guidance expects, they protect the approver as much as the claimant and they answer any later Commission or HMRC questions. For genuinely unreceiptable items, mileage or small cash fares, use fixed evidence rules such as a mileage log at approved rates. The claim form templates here build the receipt requirement in.
Can trustees (and others) claim expenses, and do we need a policy for that? +

Yes, trustees can be reimbursed legitimate out of pocket expenses, travel, postage, childcare to attend meetings, and that is not trustee payment. Paying trustees for their role or services is a different matter needing specific authority. A written policy keeps the boundary clean: what is claimable, evidence required and who approves. Separate expenses policies for trustees, employees and volunteers are in this section so each group has clear rules.

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