  
Vehicle Benefits
Chargeable on employees earning £8,500 or over (including benefits), and directors.
The tax you pay on your company car is governed by four factors:
- the list price of the car, on the day before it was first registered, plus certain accessories,
- the rate at which the car emits carbon dioxide (CO2),
- the fuel type, (for most types of car, this is all the information you need to work out the taxable benefit)
- your highest rate of income tax.
You can find your taxable percentage for 2003/04 using the following table:
| CO2 |
Taxable % |
CO2 |
Taxable % |
CO2 |
Taxable % |
| in g/km |
Petrol |
Diesel |
in g/km |
Petrol |
Diesel |
in g/km |
Petrol |
Diesel |
| Less than 160 |
15% |
18% |
190 to 194 |
22% |
25% |
225 to 229 |
29% |
32% |
| 160 to 164 |
16% |
19% |
195 to 199 |
23% |
26% |
230 to 234 |
30% |
33% |
| 165 to 169 |
17% |
20% |
200 to 204 |
24% |
27% |
235 to 239 |
31% |
34% |
| 170 to 174 |
18% |
21% |
205 to 209 |
25% |
28% |
240 to 244 |
32% |
35% |
| 175 to 179 |
19% |
22% |
210 to 214 |
26% |
29% |
245 to 249 |
33% |
35% |
| 180 to 184 |
20% |
23% |
215 to 219 |
27% |
30% |
250 to 254 |
34% |
35% |
| 185 to 189 |
21% |
24% |
220 to 224 |
28% |
31% |
255 and over |
35% |
35% |
|
How to find out how much CO2 your company car emits – see:
- the car’s V5 registration document
- your dealer
- the data pages of car magazines (current models)
|
|
Reliable emissions data is not widely available for cars registered before 1 January 1998.
For them, the following taxable percentages apply, regardless of fuel type:
| Engine capacity |
Taxable % |
| Up to 1400cc |
15% |
| 1401 - 2000cc |
22% |
| Over 2000cc |
32% |
|
Remember, too, that the rate of the taxable benefit will rise next year - for the comparative
rates, simply deduct 10 from all the CO2 figures in the table – and may well rise again in 2005.
| |
Van under 4 years old |
Van 4 years old, or over |
| Benefit per vehicle |
£500 |
£350 |
|
If the employee pays for the full cost of all fuel for private journeys (usually including home to work) there will be no car fuel benefit. In all other cases the full tax charge will be due.
The taxable car fuel benefit is, for 2003/04, calculated by multiplying £14,400 by the same
percentage as applies (or would apply) for the car benefit.
Example: A company car driver has a car which, on the day before it was first registered, had a
list price of £18,000. It runs on petrol, and emits 182 g/km of CO2.
If we assume the driver pays tax at 40%, the annual tax bill on the car is: £18,000 x 20% x 40% = £1,440
If the employer provides any fuel used for private journeys and is not re-imbursed for the cost, the 2003/04 tax bill for the fuel is: £14,400 x 20% x 40% = £1,152.
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