Company cars are a popular employee benefit. While it is true that employers are becoming less inclined to offer a company car as a result of increased costs, many positions still come with a car as part of the package.
To understand how a company car benefit will affect your overall take home pay, you can use our free Income Tax Calculator.
It is important to remember that company cars attract a tax liability for the employee in certain circumstances. As such, while it can be a great way to drive a car that you might otherwise not have been able to afford, you should think carefully about the cost of your company car in tax.
Private Use
A tax liability may arise on a car which is made available as a result of an individual’s employment. This might be to an employee or a director. A liability will certainly arise if that vehicle is available for private as well as business use, and the employee or director is earning more than £8,500 per year. An additional tax liability will arise if the fuel used for private journeys is paid for, in whole or in part, by the employer.
Calculating the tax liability of your company car is a complicated process; you must multiply the value of the car by what HMRC describe as the ‘appropriate percentage’. The price of the car should be judged by the list price on the day before the car was registered, added to the cost of any additions. Any lump sum payments made by you towards the purchase of the car will reduce the value for tax purposes.
Enter your salary and get a clear breakdown of your income tax, National Insurance, and take-home pay for the 2025/26 tax year. See exactly where your money goes.
Try our Income Tax Calculator free, here on this site →CO2 Emissions
The appropriate percentage is calculated by looking at the CO2 emissions of your car. This figure can be found in a different place depending on the age of the car. If it was registered from 1 March 2001, it can be found on the Vehicle Registration Certificate; if it was registered between 1 February 1998 and 28 February 2001, it can be found on the VCA Car Fuel Data website. As a last resort, you should be able to get CO2 emissions data from the car’s manufacturer.
You will also need to take into account any periods for which the car is unavailable for private use. It should be remembered that commuting to and from work counts as private use, while journeys made as a result of your employment duties count as work-related use. You should also consider any payment that you may have made in exchange for the private use of the car.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Paperwork
The final calculation regarding your company car tax liability is beyond the scope of this article, but form P11D, available from your employer or HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), will provide you with step-by-step instructions similar to those found on a self assessment form. Furthermore, Help Sheet 203, available from the HMRC website, gives guidance on filling in the form.
The fundamental point to remember is that company cars are taxed in the same way as any other benefit in kind. If you earn over £8,500, you will likely be subject to some tax liability on your benefits. As such, you should negotiate with your employer to find the most tax efficient way of taking your salary and benefits.
I am forced to pay £300 per year to tax my 16 year old car. I currently travel approximately 3000 miles per year but would like to keep the car for only occasional and emergency use. In order to justify the high fixed charge I need to make greater use of the car (resulting in increased emissions). I am sure that this applies to many, especially elderly, motorists.
I wrote to the government to voice my concern but were told that they could not reply to my letter.
I have been told by my company that I cannot opt out and that "I must" use a company car.Due to the high mileage that I do yearly.
This will obviously mean that I have a a BIK tax burden for the four year period that it is on lease. I have asked my company if they would compensate me for this as they are forcing me to have a company car but they have refused.
My question is. Can my company force this onto me and not recompense me regarding the tax burden that I will have?
Regards
Ask The Tax Guide a question
Ask our editorial team a question and we will reply with our advice. Tell us as much about your situation as you can: the more detail you give, the more useful our answer can be.
You do not need to use your real name. Please do not include your full address, phone number, email address, or the names of other people. We may edit or remove identifying details for privacy and legal reasons.
Comments are moderated before publication.