Using a private car for business use

Using a private car for business use

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_DJ_

Original Poster:

4,962 posts

261 months

Sunday 20th June 2004
quotequote all
Could anyone advise me whether there is a minimum amount an exployer must pay when an employee uses their personal vehicle for business use?
My partners company will not pay more than 20p/mile (regardless of the number of miles covered that year). Am I correct in assuming there are no rules on the amount they must pay and she's just best telling them that she's not prepared to use her personal venicle any more?

DJ

trooper1212

9,457 posts

259 months

Sunday 20th June 2004
quotequote all
There are rules on the maximum they can pay, it used to be 40p/mile up to 10000 miles and 20(25?)p/mile after that.

No rules on the minimum as far as I know.

JohnL

1,763 posts

272 months

Sunday 20th June 2004
quotequote all
That's not even a maximum as such, it's just the max that's tax free - any more and it's taxable.

If you get less than this you can set the diffrence off against tax.

RichardD

3,608 posts

252 months

Sunday 20th June 2004
quotequote all
If an employer does not pay the full allowance, then the employee can claim tax relief to help compensate....

I'm not an accountant or have experience of this, but:-

www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/pdfs/ir124.htm

trackdemon

12,318 posts

268 months

Sunday 20th June 2004
quotequote all
IMHO 20p per mile is pretty derisory, I'd tell em to stuff it! The other concern is insurance - on a normal SDP policy likely as not he wouldn't be covered.

Eric Mc

122,856 posts

272 months

Sunday 20th June 2004
quotequote all
As as has been said - if you receive less than 40p per mile for the first 10,000 miles of business use, you can make a separate claim for the other 15p as a deduction against your taxable income. If your business mileage exceeds 10,000 per annum,, you can claim up to 25p per mile on the mileage over 10,000. Again, if you are receiving less from your employer, you can make a separate claim for the difference against your taxable income.

If you are paid above the 40p and 25p rates, you are deemed to be receiving a taxable benefit on the additional amounts received and will need to pay tax on this.

A relatively little known fact is, if you carry a passenger with you on a business trip, the maximum allowable amounts claiable go up to 45p or 25p (depending on the mileage done in the year). Again, if you do not receive these additional amounts from your employer, you can make your own claim for tax relief.

_DJ_

Original Poster:

4,962 posts

261 months

Sunday 20th June 2004
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
As as has been said - if you receive less than 40p per mile for the first 10,000 miles of business use, you can make a separate claim for the other 15p as a deduction against your taxable income. If your business mileage exceeds 10,000 per annum,, you can claim up to 25p per mile on the mileage over 10,000. Again, if you are receiving less from your employer, you can make a separate claim for the difference against your taxable income.

If you are paid above the 40p and 25p rates, you are deemed to be receiving a taxable benefit on the additional amounts received and will need to pay tax on this.

A relatively little known fact is, if you carry a passenger with you on a business trip, the maximum allowable amounts claiable go up to 45p or 25p (depending on the mileage done in the year). Again, if you do not receive these additional amounts from your employer, you can make your own claim for tax relief.



Doesn't that person have to be employed by the same employer? So, as I'm self employed, if I ferry around a person for the company I am dealing with at the time I cannot claim the extra 5p/mile.

Eric Mc

122,856 posts

272 months

Sunday 20th June 2004
quotequote all
The 40p a mile stuff generally refers to employees claiming from their employers (or, indeed, directors from their own limited companies).

However, there are similar conditions applicable to those who use their own car as part of their "Self Employed" business activities. It depends on how you go about claiming "Motor Expenses" in your accounts. Traditionally, people running their own business claimed motor expenses by putting through the books and records all the ACTUAL vehicle running costs (fuel, maintenance, insurance, MOT etc etc) and also making a claim for the Capital Allowances available on the motor vehicle. These claims would then be restricted by a realistic adjustment for "Private Useage" - usually based on a comparison between business mileage compared to total mileage in the year.
A few years ago, in an effort to simplify matters, the Inland Revenue stated that Sole Traders/Self Employed could claim their motor expenses on the "Pence Per Mile" basis instead of "Actual Cost" basis. Once a Sole Trader goes down the pence per mile route, the actual motor running costs and Capital Allowance can no longer be claimed.
Obviously, the additional 5p available for carrying passengers under the pence per mile basis should be avaialble to Self Employed individuals too. However, I would be wary in making this claim because of the possible question, "who is the "other" individual"? If they are a legitimate employee of your business(i.e paid wages and PAYE/NI deducted) then there should be no problem. However, anybody else could cause problems.

Also, if you are VAT registered and are using the "pence per mile" basis, it does have implications for the way in which VAT on motoring costs is claimed back.

>> Edited by Eric Mc on Sunday 20th June 11:17