HM Revenue & Customs now change, on a quarterly basis, the rates at which business mileage allowances may be paid for cars provided by an employer, but where all fuel is paid for by the directors/employees personally.  The rates are designed to reflect changes in petrol/diesel costs and those applicable from 1 December 2011 are unchanged from the rates for the quarters which commenced on 1 June and 1 September 2011 (rates in brackets applied from 1 March 2011) and are set out below.  Click here to read more

 

Vehicle Engine Size                                                      Petrol                                                      Diesel

Up to 1400* cc                                                     15p   (previously 14p)                              12p (previously 13p)

1401* – 2000 cc                                                  18p   (previously 16p)                              15p (previously 13p)

Over 2000 cc                                                       26p   (previously 23p)                              18p (previously 16p)

*1600cc for diesel cars from 1 June 2011

 

The above rates may be used to calculate the amount payable for all business journeys undertaken without incurring any tax liability on the individual employee. Alternatively where all fuel is purchased by the employer the rates can be used to identify the cost of private mileage to be reimbursed to the employer so as to avoid a car fuel benefit charge arising.

 

Please note that the revised rates only apply in respect of business mileage in company vehicles.  For non company vehicles there has been a change from 6 April 2011 in the 40p/25p rates to 45p/25p which are applicable to the reimbursement of business miles undertaken using an employee’s own vehicle.

 

Whilst writing I would remind you of the importance of maintaining full and accurate records of mileage undertaken (whether in company cars or employee owned cars) where business mileage is reimbursed using a rate per mile allowance. VAT input tax is recoverable (on the fair proportion of mileage allowances which relates to fuel in respect of which the petrol/diesel rates in the table above may be used) subject to a VAT invoice(s) being held which must equal or exceed the value of the business mileage reimbursement, and the date on the invoice(s) must correspond with the dates covered by any claim. It is recommended that you advise your employees that all mileage/fuel claims must be supported by VAT invoices.

 

 

VAT Fuel Scale Charge – CO2 Basis – Company Car Users

 

HM Revenue and Customs have changed, with effect from 1 May 2007, the fuel scale charge for calculating VAT due where fuel is provided for private journeys in a company car from the engine size and fuel type system to a charge based solely on the CO2 rating of the vehicle. The new system, mirroring that used for direct taxation, now has 22 bands with 5g/km increments.

 

Apart from the change to a CO2 basis, the system operates in exactly the same way as that which applied prior to 1 May 2007.

 

The table to be used for the new system has recently been updated (for VAT periods commencing on or after 1 May 2011) and a copy is attached for your information.  (Note that the current 20% VAT fraction of 1/6 is applied to the annual, quarterly or monthly scale charge as appropriate to calculate the VAT due in respect of each company car provided where fuel is also provided for private journeys).

 

 

 

 

 

Van and Van Fuel Benefits

 

The taxable benefits arising in respect of vans were substantially increased for employees who use a company van for private use from 6 April 2007. From the same date, a £500 (£550 pa from 6 April 2010) fuel benefit charge was also introduced where fuel is provided for a company van and there is private use.   However from 6 April 2006 the definition of private use has been made much more generous.

 

The van benefit charges apply to anyone who has use of a company van and is deemed to have private use (see below) of that van during the fiscal year. From 6 April 2007 there is a flat rate benefit charge on £3,000 per annum per van, irrespective of the age of the van with reductions pro rata if the van is not provided for the whole tax year and on a just and reasonable basis if more than one employee is entitled to use the van for private purposes. There is also the fuel benefit of £550 per annum if fuel is provided for a van and there is private use.  Furthermore the employer will have a Class 1a National Insurance liability on all taxable benefits arising.

 

The above however is mitigated in many cases by the more generous definition of private use now in force. The legislation states that where the van is used ‘mainly for the purposes of business travel’, then there may be no taxable benefit whatsoever (please note this more generous rule does not apply to cars where a tax charge arises if the car is available for private use and also does not apply to vans not provided mainly for business purposes) providing there is no, or only insignificant, private use. Commuting to and from work is ignored for this test, as is other insignificant private use. Insignificant private use is defined as the van being used privately for a few days at most in the whole year, insignificant in quality (i.e. a short private journey to drop off a quantity of rubbish at the tip, or a slight deviation to drop a child off at school), intermittent and irregular (a detour to call at the dentist on the way home) and very much the exception to the normal pattern of use of the van.

 

Usage that would not count as insignificant includes where the employee uses the van for a holiday, to go shopping every week, private use for a continuous period of time, such as a week, or using the van outside of work for social activities.

 

Where appropriate, it is suggested, for the avoidance of doubt and to support any contention that there is no taxable private use, that there is a clause in the employee’s contract of employment to expressly prohibit the use of the van for private use, other than commuting to and from work. Additionally, a record of mileage should be kept for all employees having the use of a van for business purposes only so as to be able to demonstrate that all mileage or almost all mileage undertaken is for business purposes (including home to work and insignificant private use).

 

It is also worth noting that any significant private use, even for a few days, invalidates the exemption for the whole year, and the full £3,000 annual benefits charge will apply. No reimbursement for actual private use can negate the private use tax charge. Any contribution would only be offset against the full annual charge.  However, the £550 fuel benefit can be eliminated by a full reimbursement of all private motoring fuel costs in the year so that where the (more than insignificant) private mileage is low reimbursement is likely to be cheaper than the tax due on the £550 van fuel benefit.

 

One other point to consider is the definition of a van, especially in the context of double cabs and other hybrids. This is a complex area and depends on the make and model of the specific vehicle but broadly a van is a vehicle of less than 3500 kg of a construction designed primarily for the conveyance of goods or burden (rather than people). Note that it is the purpose for which the vehicle is designed which is important (actual usage is irrelevant).  Also note that HMRC generally accept double cab pick ups with a pay load of one tonne or more as vans and apparently the Land Rover Defender 110 with blanked out windows behind the second row of seats is also classified as a van (note that the category under which a vehicle is registered for road tax is likely to be accepted as evidence of its status, i.e. categories TC48, 49, 59 are cars whereas categories TC36 and 39 are light goods vehicles).

 

Overall, please do not hesitate to contact us if you should require any further information/clarification.

 

 

 

Where the COEmission figure is not a multiple of 5, the figure is rounded down to the next multiple of 5 to determine the level of the charge.  For a bi-fuel vehicle which has two CO2emissions figure, you should identify the CO2 band based on engine size, as follows:-

 

If its cylinder capacity is 1,400cc or less, use CO2 band 140;

 

If its cylinder capacity exceeds 1,400cc but does not exceed 2,000 cc, use CO2 band 175;

 

If its cylinder capacity exceeds 2,000cc, use CO2 band 225 or above.

 

Quarterly ReturnsBusinesses must use these new VAT fuel scale charges from the start of their next prescribed accounting period beginning on or after 1 May 2011.

COband

VAT fuel scale charge 3month period

VAT on 3 month charge

VAT exclusive 3 month charge

£

£

£

120 or less 157.00 26.17 130.83
125 236.00 39.33 196.67
130 252.00 42.00 210.00
135 268.00 44.67 223.33
140 283.00 47.17 235.83
145 299.00 49.83 249.17
150 315.00 52.50 262.50
155 331.00 55.17 275.83
160 346.00 57.67 288.33
165 362.00 60.33 301.67
170 378.00 63.00 315.00
175 394.00 65.67 328.33
180 409.00 68.17 340.83
185 425.00 70.83 354.17
190 441.00 73.50 367.50
195 457.00 76.17 380.83
200 472.00 78.67 393.33
205 488.00 81.33 406.67
210 504.00 84.00 420.00
215 520.00 86.67 433.33
220 536.00 89.33 446.67
225 or more 551.00 91.83 459.17

 

 

 

 

Monthly ReturnsBusinesses must use these new VAT fuel scale charges from the start of their next prescribed accounting period beginning on or after 1 May 2011.

COband

VAT fuel scale charge 1 month period

VAT on 1 month charge

VAT exclusive 1 month charge

£

£

£

120 or less 52.00 8.67 43.33
125 78.00 13.00 65.00
130 84.00 14.00 70.00
135 89.00 14.83 74.17
140 94.00 15.67 78.33
145 99.00 16.50 82.50
150 105.00 17.50 87.50
155 110.00 18.33 91.67
160 115.00 19.17 95.83
165 120.00 20.00 100.00
170 126.00 21.00 105.00
175 131.00 21.83 109.17
180 136.00 22.67 113.33
185 141.00 23.50 117.50
190 147.00 24.50 122.50
195 152.00 25.33 126.67
200 157.00 26.17 130.83
205 162.00 27.00 135.00
210 168.00 28.00 140.00
215 173.00 28.83 144.17
220 178.00 29.67 148.33
225 or more 183.00 30.50 152.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annual ReturnsBusinesses must use these new VAT fuel scale charges from the start of their next prescribed accounting period beginning on or after 1 May 2011.

COband

VAT fuel scale charge 12 month period

VAT on 12 month charge

VAT exclusive 12 month charge

£

£

£

120 or less 630.00 105.00 525.00
125 945.00 157.50 787.50
130 1,010.00 168.33 841.67
135 1,070.00 178.33 891.67
140 1,135.00 189.17 945.83
145 1,200.00 200.00 1,000.00
150 1,260.00 210.00 1,050.00
155 1,325.00 220.83 1,104.17
160 1,385.00 230.83 1,154.17
165 1,450.00 241.67 1,208.33
170 1,515.00 252.50 1,262.50
175 1,575.00 262.50 1,312.50
180 1,640.00 273.33 1,366.67
185 1,705.00 284.17 1,420.83
190 1,765.00 294.17 1,470.83
195 1,830.00 305.00 1,525.00
200 1,890.00 315.00 1,575.00
205 1,955.00 325.83 1,629.17
210 2,020.00 336.67 1,683.33
215 2,080.00 346.67 1,733.33
220 2,145.00 357.50 1,787.50
225 or more 2,205.00 367.50 1,837.50