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Capital and lease rental allowances on company cars to change from 2018

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Salary sacrifice to go: except for ultra low emission vehicles like BMW i8

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17 March 2016

CAPITAL and lease rental allowances on company cars are to change from 2018, with reduced thresholds as the government continues its drive for clean air with vehicle taxation and incentives encouraging zero and low CO2 emissions.

For limited companies the changes announced in the March Budget 2016 to reflect falling new vehicle emissions come into effect on April 1, 2018, and for sole traders from April 6, 2018.

The advance notice was welcomed by the BVRLA.

Capital allowances from April 2018

  • The government will extend the 100% First Year Allowance (FYA) for businesses purchasing low emission cars for a further three years to April 2021
  • Reduce the FYA threshold to 50 g/km of CO2 from April 2018
  • Reduce the main rate threshold for capital allowances for business cars to 110 g/km of CO2
  • Continue to base Company Car Tax on CO2 emissions of cars, and consult on reforming the lower CO2 bands for ultra-low emission vehicles to refocus incentives on the cleanest cars beyond 2020-21

Capital allowances until end of March 2018

  • 100% capital allowances for company cars with CO2 emissions up to 75g/km. Claimable until the end of March 2018
  • 18% capital allowances for company cars with CO2 emissions between 76g/km-130g/km
  • 8% capital allowances for company cars with CO2 emissions of 131g/km or more.
  • For details click here

Lease rental allowances

 

Lease rental allowances are similarly linked to the capital allowance thresholds.

So if your business leases a car, the changes will affect you.

From April 2018 100% of the car rental can be set against taxable profits if the vehicle is below 110g/km of CO2, while vehicles above it will have a 15% disallowance. For details of the existing lease rental allowances click here.

One area of relief in the budget was the continued freeze on fuel duty which many expected to end with pump prices so low at around £1 a litre.

The government says it recognises that transport is a major element in the cost base of many businesses, and the link between low fuel prices and economic growth.

It said the further freeze to fuel duty meant the average small business with a van saves £12 each time they fill their tank compared to what they would have paid with the fuel escalator plans in place before 2010.

Hauliers have on average saved a total of £14,400 over the last six years. The government has also kept the rates of HGV VED and Road User Levy frozen in 2016-17, benefiting HGV operators.

 

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