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Cost of filling up

25 September 2012 / Ray Chidell
Issue: 4372 / Categories: Comment & Analysis , Employees , Income Tax
‘Free’ fuel is a bad deal for employers and employees alike, warns RAY CHIDELL

KEY POINTS

  • Fuel charge incurred unintentionally.
  • Reimbursing the employee.
  • Cost to employer of paying for all fuel.
  • Making good the cost to the employer.

When things go wrong in taxation they go badly wrong. That is probably Murphy’s tax law although I am happy to take it if Murphy doesn’t want it.

One illustration of the law is in relation to car and fuel benefits: someone thinks that he has cleverly circumvented the company car tax rules but the tax tribunal finds in favour of HMRC and wham on top of the car tax charge a fuel benefit charge arises.

The additional tax and National Insurance costs are bad enough in themselves but may then be multiplied across several vehicles and assessed for several years.

If the employer...

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