Cars, Vans & Fuel

Company Car Benefit
The taxable benefit of having the private use of a company car is based on a percentage of the original list price for the vehicle. For 2013/14 the percentage varies from 5% for vehicles with CO2 emissions up to 75g/km, 10% from 75 to 95g/km, and increases by 1% for every 5g/km of CO2 emissions, up to a maximum of 35%. This scale of percentages increases every year such that a higher amount of the list price of the same vehicle is taxed each year.

From 6 April 2015 cars with CO2 emissions in the band 0-50g/km will be taxed at 5% of list price, and those in the band 51-75g/km with be taxed at 9% of list price. Cars with CO2 emissions of 76g- 94g/km will be taxed at 13% of list price, with the percentage increasing in 1% steps for each additional 5g/km, up to a new maximum of 37%. Further increases in the percentages of list price have been published for the years 2016/17 to 2019/20.

Fuel Benefit
Where a company car driver receives free fuel, the taxable benefit is calculated as the percentage of the list price for the car applied to the fuel charge multiplier set at £21,100 for 2013/14 (£20,200 for 2012/13). The maximum taxable benefit of receiving free road fuel for private use will increase from to £7,070 (2012/13) to £7,385 for 2013/14.

The taxable benefit when fuel is provided for private use in a company van will rise from £550 for 2012/13 to £564 for 2013/14. In future years the fuel benefit multiplier for cars and the van fuel benefit will increase in line with the rate of inflation as measured by the RPI.

Green Car Scam

Please don't be taken in by a scheme which claims to reduce the taxable benefit of your company cars. The taxman has specifically warned taxpayers about this scheme on the spotlights page of his website.

The scheme promoters persuade employers to buy carbon credits to off-set against the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of company cars. This is fine, but buying carbon credits can't reduce the CO2 emissions rating of your company cars as recorded on the registration documents.

A vehicle's CO2 emissions are fixed at the time of its manufacture, and can't be changed for tax purposes. You must use the CO2 figure recorded on the vehicle's registration document for calculating the taxable benefit of the car, and the taxable fuel benefit if fuel is provided.

If you report a reduced figure of CO2 emissions for each of your cars on the P11D forms, as persuaded to by the 'plan green' promoters, you will pay less class 1A NICs for each car. Also your employees will be taxed on a lower percentage of the vehicles' list price. However, when the Taxman discovers the P11D forms used incorrect CO2 figures for each car, he will demand payment of the tax and NI avoided plus interest and penalties.