Questions and Answers
Private mileage in company cars
My employee has a company car, and historically, he has always had a benefit for the car itself and the fuel- because he doesn’t reimburse me for any fuel he uses for private journeys. Is there any way we can reduce his benefits in kind, because they’re costing him a lot on tax now.
This may sound a bit extreme, but you could discuss the company no longer paying for his fuel. Whilst this may sound expensive for him, if you sit down and do the calculations, you may actually find he is better off this way- particularly if you intend to increase his salary as a result of him losing his fuel benefit.
He could then charge the company for any business mileage he does, using the advisory fuel rates.
The other alternative is that the company continues to pay for all of his fuel, but the company charges the employee for all of his private mileage- again using the advisory fuel rates.
In either case, the fuel benefit could be reduced down to nil if you can meet all of the requirements.
Please note that due to the frequently changing fuel prices, HM Revenue & Customs regularly updates the advisory fuel rates, so always check their website for the latest figures here:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cars/advisory_fuel_current.htm
Your local TaxAssist Accountant would be happy to discuss this in more detail and calculate the differences between each option for you.
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Date published 1 Sep 2013
This article is intended to inform rather than advise and is based on legislation and practice at the time. Taxpayer’s circumstances do vary and if you feel that the information provided is beneficial it is important that you contact us before implementation. If you take, or do not take action as a result of reading this article, before receiving our written endorsement, we will accept no responsibility for any financial loss incurred.Choose the right accounting firm for you
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