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Stopfords

Advisory Fuel Rates from 1 December 2018

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When an employee is provided with a company car, to avoid a taxable car fuel benefit, fuel must only be provided for business travel.

To ensure this is the case, two methods are available, the first being preferable:

  1. The employee initially pays for all fuel. The employee logs their business miles and makes a claim to the company at the correct rate per mile for these miles.
  2. The company initially pays for all fuel. The employee logs their business & private miles and repays the company at the correct rate per mile for the private miles.

Several years ago HMRC started to issue ‘Advisory Fuel Rates’, which they allow for the above calculations without any proof of the actual fuel cost per mile.

The rates reviewed and adjusted each quarter 1 March/1 June/1 September/1 December.

The rates from 1 December 2018 are:

Engine SizePetrolDieselLPG
1400cc or less12p10p8p
1400 to 1600cc15p10p10p
1601cc to 2000cc15p12p10p
Over 2000cc22p14p15p

Hybrid cars are treated as petrol or diesel as appropriate.

A new rate has also been issued for business mileage in fully electric company cars – 4p per mile

Employers and employees need to revise their calculations accordingly. You are allowed to continue on the previous rates for one month.

Different rates can be used but these have to be specifically agreed with HMRC by providing documentation and calculations to show why the rate you wish to use is sensible.

These rates (for Petrol/Diesel/LPG) are also those used for reclaiming VAT on mileage allowances paid to employees for business mileage in their private cars.

This page of HMRC website always shows current and earlier rates https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advisory-fuel-rates

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