How does Company Car Tax work?

Regardless of whether the company car is financed or owned, you will probably have to pay company car tax. 

While we do not claim to be tax experts, we do discuss this with our customers on a regular basis, so we’ve written an article explaining what company car tax is, and how it works. 

Do I need to pay Company Car tax? 

If you are employed by a company and you get given a vehicle which you can use for personal use (you take it home), then you will pay tax for your company car. The exception to this rule is if you are a Partner of a Partnership or a Member of a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), or if you are the proprietor of your own business. Directors of Limited companies still have to pay tax for their company cars. 

You do not need to pay tax if the car in question is only used for work. This means that it is left at your employer’s place of work every night and weekend and is used strictly for work reasons only. Your employer can advise the HMRC that this is a “pool” car and you won’t need to pay tax.  

What is Business Mileage? 

While we may drive to get to work, commuting doesn’t actually count as business mileage in the eyes of the HMRC. 

Business mileage is using the vehicle to perform your job functions, such as making deliveries, client visits or taking clients out for example. 

How does Company Car Tax work? 

The amount of tax you’ll pay is dependent on the type of car, namely the CO₂ emissions and the P11d value. How much you pay per month is calculated by your income and what tax bracket you’re in. 

Looking for a company car on a budget? Don’t want to work out the tax calculations yourself? Use our free Company Car Tax calculator and find out which car fits into your company car tax budget. Alternatively, if you’re using a broker or dealer then they should work out the tax for you. Essentially, if you’re looking to save a few pennies the general rule for lower tax is; Lower CO₂ emissions and the P11d value = lower company car taxes. So, how can you calculate the tax manually? 

Calculating your company car tax 

Here’s how you work out how much tax you’re liable to pay on your company car: 

1. Take your car’s ‘P11D Value’ – this is; 

• The maker’s list price 
• VAT 
• Delivery 
• Number plates and any other cost options 

• OR, you can take the On the Road price and minus £55 (registration fee) and the cost of the first year’s road tax if there was any 

2. Then, multiply the P11D value by the vehicle’s company car tax rate – the outcome of this is called your Benefit-in-Kind amount 

3. Multiply your Benefit-in-Kind amount by your personal tax rate. This result is what you will pay annually in tax for your company car 

And that’s how you calculate your company car tax. Here’s an example of the calculation in action to make things less terrible; 

Say a car has a P11D value of £10,000 and a company car tax rate of 15%. The BIK value will be £1500. If your personal tax rate is 20%, the tax for your company car will be £300 (20% of £1,500). 

It should be noted that most workers receive a tax-free allowance of £12,750 (April 2021/2022 tax year), although this can be affected by personal financial circumstances. Since we first published this article it has been announced that the BIK rates are changing and that there will be new bands for low emission and ultra-low emission vehicles. 

Is paying Company Car Tax on a Business Lease cheaper than going Personal? 

A lot of the time, business leasing is cheaper than going personal. A majority of cars now have very low CO₂. In fact, at the time of writing, BMW has just launched a new 7 series with a CO₂ of 129g/km. 

However, the answer gets more complicated when some manufacturers and/or finance houses quote different monthly rentals depending on if you are a business or a private customer. So, you can spend hours trying to work out what the best deal is, or you can speak to a credible broker who will do all the research and math for you. For free. 

It’s also important to note that the type of car you’ve decided to lease can greatly affect this price comparison. For example; 

Say you wanted to lease a Range Rover through the business. You could end up paying over £1000 a month in tax. With a car like that, you would be much better off doing it privately. However, as I said, I’m not an expert so I won’t give you advice on the specifics, it would be a good idea to talk to an accountant. 

Who pays for Company Car Tax? 

So, who pays for the company car tax? You do, and so does your company. Once you’ve calculated your BIK figure, deduct that from your personal tax allowance. That figure is then what you will earn before you start getting taxed, either 20% or 40% depending on your tax bracket. The car tax will be deducted from your salary the same as ordinary tax. 

Your employer will also be paying tax on the car because they are providing you with a benefit. It all gets quite confusing, so the best thing to do would be to either speak to your HR department or accountant. Alternatively, you can speak to an experienced vehicle broker who will be happy to advise you. 

What are the most expensive cars for Company Car Tax? 

The most expensive cars will be the ones with the highest CO₂ emissions and P11d`s 

So, if you’re looking at the 4×4’s, performance cars and inefficient cars such as; 

– Ferrari 

– Lamborghini 

– Mercedes-Benz G-Class 

– Bentley Continental 

– Aston Martin DB9 

– Range Rover 

These will be pretty pricey. 

What are the best cars for low Company Car Tax? 

The lower emission vehicles tend to be much cheaper for company car tax, as well as being a better value vehicle, to begin with, which generally brings the insurance cost down. 

These are cars like; 

• Hybrids 

• Electric Cars 
• Cars with CO2 less than 129 or, for very low car tax anything less than 75 

Essentially, it’s important that you do your research and check all the taxation rules before you make a decision about leasing or buying your car through a business. While it may seem like you’re better off, it’s best to seek some advice before you sign on the dotted line. 

And, if all else fails, you can ask your broker for advice and your accountant for the numbers and let them do the research for you. Easy.