Car Tax - But I work from home

pbirmo

Hi, I have a company car that is made available for private use all year. Because I'm a field engineer, my normal base for work is my home, traveling routinely every Monday to the local area office where I drop off / collect paperwork.

A typical day will be, travel from home to a client, then from that client to another and then another and so on until I return home.

I'm also required as part of my job to be on call to visit clients out of office hours as per a rota with other field engineers.

So, my questions are these;
Where is my normal place of work and would traveling to my local area office every monday count as commuting?

I'm thinking that if I don't use the car for privately I can escape all car related tax. Is this right?

Many thanks
Pete

Hammyman

You have no normal place of work therefore your mileage from the time you leave your house is claimable.

The Monday morning trip isn't classed as commuting because all other work setting off from home is for the same job. It would be commuting if you went to the office every day then onto the client.

kmjnhb

I have a company car that is made available for private use

As the car is made available for private use, then you have a taxable benefit, regardless of whether you actually use the car privately or not. The only way to avoid a taxable benefit in kind is if the car is not actally available for private use.

pbirmo

kmjnhb wrote: »

As the car is made available for private use, then you have a taxable benefit, regardless of whether you actually use the car privately or not. The only way to avoid a taxable benefit in kind is if the car is not actally available for private use.

Thanks hammy, kmjnhb,

This is quite unfair. Is there anyway to make it unavailable or declare that I won't use it privately and leave it parked at my base ie home? I could have bought several cars with the tax I've paid over the years.

CvPiper

What car is it?

In your calculations have you accounted for the fact you get a free newish car with no insurance or running costs such as servicing tyres MOT etc.

You may even be getting free fuel? Is this the case?

Once you tot this up and bearing in mind my very nice diesel estate costs £1000 in tax a year - it is far better to keep the company car for private use.

Premier_2

pbirmo wrote: »

Thanks hammy, kmjnhb,

This is quite unfair. Is there anyway to make it unavailable or declare that I won't use it privately and leave it parked at my base ie home? I could have bought several cars with the tax I've paid over the years.

You missed the point made earlier by kmjnhb in that the car is made available to you for private use.

I would suggest you speak with your employer and get them to store the vehicle somewhere other than your home ... somewhere where it is not made available to you other than to visit clients.

How about your local area office where you can go and pick it up every day from and return it overnight to???

pbirmo

Thanks,

Currently, I have to pay for all private mileage. I know I get a new car every so many years but when you think of the ladders on top, sign-writing and boxes all over the seats where passengers would sit, it becomes less of a perk and more of a burden.

It seems from the replies that I can't escape the fact it is made 'available' to me and this is when the tax is applied. Obviously a declaration that it would not be used privately would not be accepted by the taxman.

Thanks for your replies.

CvPiper

You probably old but it would need to be at a work site outside working hours.