The forms
In the Business Aviation the crew often has to complete some forms which are referring to their compensation or to the aircraft items administration.
In regards of the compensation, you will find per diems form and crew expenses form.
Firstly, it’s important to highlight that the compensation is divided in basic salary plus per diems. The basic salary remains the same every month.
Eventually, it can become higher thanks to payment of those days worked in exceed of the normal rotation.
This amount is subject to a full taxation, according to the Country of residence and/or the Country where the Private Jet Operator is based.
Per diems
The per diems are technically a refund of the meals expenses that the crew has to pay when on duty.
The amount of the per diems vary from Operator to Operator and usually they are tax free or with a reduced percentage of taxation.
In some cases is necessary that the crew member complete the “crew per diems form” by the end of the month.
He or she might also need to specify how many of them were national and how many international.
The financial department will apply the correct percentage of taxation accordingly.
Crew Expenses form
When flying for a Private Jet Operator, you will have the custody of a company credit card which you use to pay all the extra expenses that you are facing on behalf of the company.
For example: taxi from/to airport and hotel, aircraft shopping, fuel, handling bill, catering, train ticket, car rental, and much more.
Once a month, the crew has to complete a “crew expenses form” (an excel worksheet) where you will list all those expenses with appropriate description, date, currency, amount and any other relevant information.
As support of the crew expenses form, you have to submit also the receipts. That’s why it is important to keep track of them.
This form is used also to ask refund for those expenses that you paid with your personal credit card. In this case is also extremely important to keep track of the invoices.
And if you fly freelance?
When flying free lance (both pilots and flight attendants) you don’t have a company credit card, and, sometimes you have to put money upfront.
The expenses you are required to pay will be, for example, train ticket, high way fee or aircraft shopping at the supermarket.
The Private Jet Operator will provide a full refund together with the payment of the free lance invoice.
In general the dedicated department pays in advance hotels, flight tickets and the majority of the expenses.
As freelancers, you negotiate the the compensation before the rotation.
As soon as the duty is over, you have to submit the free lance invoice of the daily fee plus the per diems. Add also a second form of the crew expenses, if any.
The Operator usually provides all the forms.
It might sound a lot of work, but it takes really a short time.
The secret is the organisation and to keep al the receipts : ).