United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao_comptroller_general legislative 2016-06-24 U.S. Government Publishing Office 1996-09-23 monographic deposited born digital 4 p. GA 1.13:B-256897 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-B-256897 P0b002ee18fd4b696 f:256897 DGPO 2016-06-24 2016-06-24 GAOREPORTS-B-256897 machine generated eng fdlp COMPTROLLERDECISION GAOREPORTS-B-256897 B-256897 Comptroller General Decision

An employee who was authorized to use his privately owned automobile (POV) for travel on official business as a matter of personal preference, instead of using a government-furnished automobile, was entitled to reimbursement at a rate of 18 cents per mile based on the average cost of using a government automobile. When his POV broke down while he was traveling on official business, he elected to return home by commercial airline. The agency correctly limited his reimbursement to the authorized 18 cents mileage rate for travel rather than the higher actual cost he incurred traveling by air. While an employee whose use of a POV for official travel is authorized as advantageous to the government may be reimbursed for extra travel expenses incurred due to breakdown of the POV, this employee's use of POV was not on that basis, and thus the extra expense incurred is considered a personal matter, and the government's obligation is limited to the 18 cents mileage rate authorized under applicable regulations. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-B-256897/html/GAOREPORTS-B-256897.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-B-256897/pdf/GAOREPORTS-B-256897.pdf GAO/B-256897 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-B-256897 Comptroller General Decision GAO/B-256897; Dr. Alejandro A. Gonzalez; Title 5 Section 5704(a) Title 5 Section 5704(c) 5 U.S.C. 5704(a) 5 U.S.C. 5704(c)