Choosing a Company Car

Choosing a company car is a very personal decision.  Depending on your own company's policy the choice your drivers make today will decide the vehicle they may well be driving for the next three years. Legislative, company car tax and environmental issues pose new questions concerning their choice of car that need answers even before they consult your company car choice list.

Tax liability on a company car
A company car is viewed by the Inland Revenue as a Benefit In Kind.  This means that drivers will have to pay tax on this Benefit. In order to determine how much tax they will need to pay, the price of the car they are hoping to obtain must be known. This price, known as the P11D value, includes the cost of optional extras but excludes Vehicle Excise Duty (the cost of the tax disc) and the statutory £38 Government first registration charge.

The chart below shows the Government CO2 emission thresholds for the 2008/9 tax year and beyond.

Step 1:  Check your vehicle's CO2 emissions against the chart to obtain the taxable percentage.

Step 2 : Multiply the CO2 taxable percentage by the P11D price to provide the car's taxable value.

Step 3 : Multiply the car's taxable value by your income tax rate – 22% for lower tax rate payers, and 40% for higher rate payers.  This will provide you with the amount you would pay in tax for your car.

DIESEL: Non Euro IV cars between 15–32% add 3% for Diesel, 33% add 2% for Diesel, 34% add 1% for Diesel, 35% maximum charge so no supplement.
 
NB. This chart is an extract from the Government issued Benefit in Kind (BIK) charge for company cars, registered from 1 January 1998. Land Rover cannot be held responsible for the contents contained within.   

Taking cash instead of a company car
If the vehicle choice offered through your company car scheme is deemed too restrictive or the company car tax burden too onerous, your drivers may have the option to opt out and choose to finance their own car. The employer may also agree to offer a cash payment in lieu of providing a company car. Beware of the pitfalls though, as by choosing to fund their own car they will be taking responsibility for maintenance and servicing, plus the cost of insurance up to full business use standards.   There are a number of finance packages available should your drivers choose to fund their own company car. Land Rover Freedom offers a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) scheme which enables you to pay for your car through monthly payments. For further information and to obtain a quotation simply select the 'get a finance quote' icon above.  

How do your drivers finally choose?
Once your drivers have calculated the taxable value on the car they are considering and have evaluated the various funding options available, inevitably they will need to test drive the car before making their final decision.   For company car drivers only, Land Rover offer a 24 hour test-drive service, which, if they are less than six months before renewal, allows them to test drive the model on their choice list.   To arrange simply call the Land Rover Test Drive Service on 0845 600 1470 or email to: test-drive@LandRoverUK-corporatesales.co.uk