Self assessment and EV help

mose_2

Hi I’m looking for info on my work vehicle. I’m a self employed cab driver and have recently started renting an electric cab. How do I account for this on a SA? Before was simple I would just claim back my diesel expenses. I know how many KW it takes to charge and how much I’m paying per KW/h do I just calculate that and claim for that amount? 

Thanks

Jeremy535897

I assume you are claiming capital allowances on the vehicle rather than mileage allowance? If so, then the cost of the electricity used to charge the EV is deductible, assuming that the EV's mileage is 100% business. If not, you can only claim the business proportion.

mose_2

Hi that’s correct I’m not claiming per mile. The cab is kind of a hybrid it runs on electric and petrol so I would need to claim for both. I spoke to my accountant who told me I would need to claim 0.09p per mile but I’m not sure how this word work as it runs on both fuels and the electric part varies with use (air con/heating) etc. 

Jeremy535897

You claim what you spend. If the vehicle is 100% for business, claim the cost of the electricity, and claim the petrol you use. If you already have an accountant, why are you asking on this forum?

mose_2

Because they said I can claim 0.09p per mile. I don’t think they really understand how the cab works running on both petrol and electric. Think I need a new accountant tbh

Jeremy535897

You may mean 9p a mile. I think that is the AER (advisory electric rate) for a fully electric vehicle in a fleet. See:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/advice-company-cars/mileage-rates-petrol-diesel-hybrid-and-electric-cars

For people who use their own vehicles, broadly you claim either the actual costs, or 45p a mile for the first 10,000 miles a year and 25p a mile thereafter, whatever the fuel. However, this means you can't claim capital allowances, for example. You have already said that you are not doing this.

You know how much petrol you put in and what it costs. If you can measure the electricity input, you claim that. I don't think 9p a mile works, because the rate per mile you use in fuel will depend on which fuel you actually use, and 9p would assume that all you used was electricity.