Archive for the ‘Company car’ Category

Driving licence paper counterpart no longer valid

Monday, June 8th, 2015

The Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency has announced that with effect from 8 June 2015 the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence will not be valid and will no longer be issued. The paper counterpart was introduced to display driving licence details that could not be included on the photocard. These additional details include whether the licence holder is entitled to drive some additional vehicle categories and any endorsement/penalty points. The DVLA is advising that the paper counterpart should be destroyed after 8 June 2015. Licence holders still need to keep their current photocard driving licence.

Those with apaper driving licence (issued before the photocard was introduced in 1998) need to be aware that these licences will remain valid and should not be destroyed. However where a licence holder needs to update their licence photocard licences will be issued.

From 8 June 2015 new endorsements will be recorded electronically, and will not be printed or written on either photocard licences or paper driving licences.

This means that from 8 June 2015 neither the photocard driving licence nor the paper licence will provide an accurate account of any driving endorsements a licence holder may have. This information will instead be held on DVLA’s driver record, and can be checked online, by phone or post.

This change does not affect photocard licences issued by DVA in Northern Ireland.

Advisory fuel rates for company cars

Monday, June 8th, 2015

New company car advisory fuel rates have been published which took effect from 1 June 2015. Please take care to update your expenses payments and note that only some rates have been amended. However, the guidance states: ‘You can use the previous rates for up to one month from the date the new rates apply’. The rates only apply to employees using a company car.

The advisory fuel rates for journeys undertaken on or after 1 June 2015 are:

Engine size Petrol
1400cc or less 12p
1401cc – 2000cc 14p
Over 2000cc 21p

 

Engine size LPG
1400cc or less 8p
1401cc – 2000cc 9p
Over 2000cc 14p

 

Engine size Diesel
1600cc or less 10p
1601cc – 2000cc 12p
Over 2000cc 14p

Other points to be aware of about the advisory fuel rates:

  • Employers do not need a dispensation to use these rates. Employees driving employer provided cars are not entitled to use these rates to claim tax relief if employers reimburse them at lower rates. Such claims should be based on the actual costs incurred.
  • The advisory rates are not binding where an employer can demonstrate that the cost of business travel in employer provided cars is higher than the guideline mileage rates. The higher cost would need to be agreed with HMRC under a dispensation.

If you would like to discuss your car policy, please contact us.

VAT fuel scale charges and recovery on vans

Tuesday, May 12th, 2015

VAT fuel scale charges

HMRC have issued details of the updated VAT fuel scale charges which apply from the beginning of the next prescribed VAT accounting period starting on or after 1 May 2015.

VAT registered businesses use the fuel scale charges to account for VAT on private use of road fuel purchased by the business.

Please do get in touch for further advice on VAT matters.

Internet link: GOV.UK news

VAT recovery on car-derived vans and combi vans

HMRC have issued a list of makes and models of car derived vans and combi vans which VAT registered businesses can use to determine if the VAT paid on the purchase can be reclaimed as input tax.

The issue is that VAT will normally be claimable in full on the purchase of a commercial vehicle.  However if the vehicle purchased is a passenger car VAT is not recoverable unless it is used ‘exclusively for the purposes of a business’. Generally cars are therefore VAT ‘blocked’ and no input VAT is recoverable.

The VAT guidance states

‘Motor car means any motor vehicle of a kind normally used on public roads which has three or more wheels and either:

  1. a) is constructed or adapted solely or mainly for the carriage of passengers; or
  2. b) has to the rear of the driver’s seat roofed accommodation which is fitted with side windows or which is constructed or adapted for the fitting of side windows’

Whether or not a vehicle is commercial is not specifically defined but instead the definition of a car excludes:

  • vehicles capable of accommodating only one person or suitable for carrying twelve or more people including the driver
  • vehicles of more than three tonnes unladen weight;
  • caravans, ambulances and prison vans
  • special purpose vehicles such as ice cream vans, mobile shops, hearses, bullion vans and breakdown and recovery vehicles
  • vehicles constructed to carry a payload of one tonne or more.

Many car-derived vans are not cars for VAT purposes as they have no rear seats, have metal side panels to the rear of the front seats and a load area which is highly unsuitable for carrying passengers etc.

HMRC have issued the clarification due to developments in the car-derived van market as some vehicles with a payload of less than one tonne, have ‘blurred’ the distinction between cars and vans.

If you would like help with this or any other VAT issue please contact us.

Internet link: GOV.UK news

Reclaim VAT from mileage payments

Tuesday, May 5th, 2015

If you pay your employees a mileage rate for the business use of their personal vehicles, as long as you do not exceed the approved rates per mile, there is no necessity to report these payments to HMRC and the payment will not be treated as a taxable benefit. Employers and employees may also find the notes that follow instructive:

  1. The maximum tax free rates per mile for the use of a car are: 45p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles and 25p per mile thereafter.
  2. Employers are not obliged to pay these rates, but if they are exceeded the excess will need to be reported to HMRC as a benefit in kind.
  3. If employers pay less than the 45p (25p) rates the employee can obtain tax relief on the difference by making a claim to HMRC.
  4. Employers can reclaim the deemed VAT on the fuel elements of the mileage allowance payments by using the approved fuel rates. See table below.

 Advisory fuel rates per mile from 1 March 2015 are:

  • 1400cc or less: petrol 11p; LPG 8p.
  • 1401-2000cc: petrol 13p; LPG 10p.
  • Over 2000cc: petrol 20p; LPG 14p.

 Diesel rates are:

  • 1600cc or less: 9p
  • 1601-2000cc: 11p
  • Over 2000cc: 14p

 Example:

 David is paid for a 200 mile business trip at 30p per mile (his annual business mileage claims are well below the 10,000 maximum). He runs a 1500cc petrol car. He can make a claim to HMRC to deduct £30 mileage allowance from his taxable pay (200 x 15p).

 His employer can recover VAT input tax on the fuel element (200 x 13p) x 1/6 = £4.33.

 If you would like help to make back-dated claims to recover VAT if you are an employer; or make a claim if you are paid less than the 45p (25p) rate, please call for further advice.

Advisory fuel rates for company cars

Tuesday, March 10th, 2015

New company car advisory fuel rates have been published which took effect from 1 March 2015. Due to the reduction in fuel prices many rates have reduced this quarter between two and three pence so please take care to update your expenses payments. However, the guidance states: ‘You can use the previous rates for up to one month from the date the new rates apply’. The rates only apply to employees using a company car.

The advisory fuel rates for journeys undertaken on or after 1 March 2015 are:

Engine size Petrol
1400cc or less 11p
1401 cc – 2000cc 13p
Over 2000cc 20p

 

Engine size LPG
1400cc or less 8p
1401 cc – 2000cc 10p
Over 2000cc 14p

 

Engine size Diesel
1600cc or less 9p
1601cc – 2000cc 11p
Over 2000cc 14p

Other points to be aware of about the advisory fuel rates:

  • Employers do not need a dispensation to use these rates. Employees driving employer provided cars are not entitled to use these rates to claim tax relief if employers reimburse them at lower rates. Such claims should be based on the actual costs incurred.
  • The advisory rates are not binding where an employer can demonstrate that the cost of business travel in employer provided cars is higher than the guideline mileage rates. The higher cost would need to be agreed with HMRC under a dispensation.

If you would like to discuss your car policy, please contact us.