All company car drivers are liable to Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) taxation. The Autumn Budget saw an announcement that the levels of this liability would change for all car types. These changes come into effect on 6th April 2025 – the new tax year.

BiK is calculated based on three criteria:

1. The income tax band of the person getting the company car.
2. The P11D value of the car, which includes a car’s quoted list price plus all options/extras and delivery charges. It excludes road tax, first registration fees, and any dealer price discounting. If the car in question is second-hand, the P11D value still relates to its new value.
3. BiK percentage rate – take into account a car’s CO2 emissions, so the lowest polluting cars attract less tax, relative to more polluting ones of similar P11D value, and these are about to change.

Together, these three figures create the following formula:

• P11D value (£s) x BiK rate (%) x Income tax band (%) = Annual BiK tax payable

April 2025 changes

From April 6th 2025, BiK rates will increase. All cars that emit less than 160g/km of CO2, including electric and hybrid cars, will get a 1% BiK rate increase. However, Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) could see higher increases with a focus on their CO2 emissions rather than including zero-emission mileage, aligning them more closely with rates for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

PHEV changes ahead

The CO2 emissions testing procedure for PHEVs is set to become much stricter, potentially pushing them into a higher BiK bracket. All new PHEV models launched from 1st January 2025 will be subject to the new testing rules, while existing models must be retested by December 31st, 2025, to remain compliant.

Looking further ahead, the realignment of PHEVS with ICE cars is evident, and this move will significantly impact plug-in hybrid company car drivers. The appropriate percentage rates for vehicles that produce 1g to 50g CO2 per kilometre and can also operate on electric power within a certain range will be amended.

Vehicles with CO2 emissions of 1g to 50g per kilometre will have appropriate percentages of 18% in 2028/29 and 19% in 2029/30. A PHEV capable of up to 69 miles of zero-emission driving will see a seven-percentage-point year-on-year increase in BIK.

BiK rates for the year ahead

 Debbie McKay is distribution director at MotoNovo Finance