THERE are new VAT fuel scale charges that you should be using from May accounting periods onwards.
The VAT fuel scale charges
- If you supply free fuel to company car drivers – use the new tables
- If the CO2 emissions fall between bands, round down
- Bi-fuel cars with two CO2 emission figures should use the lower CO2 figure
- For older cars without a CO2 emission figure use band 140 for 1400cc or less; band 175 for 1401cc-2000cc; band 225 for 2001cc and above
The VAT fuel scale charges should be used by any SME business that supplies free fuel to its company car drivers and then recovers the VAT on the fuel.
The scale charges are then applied so HMRC can recover the private VAT element of the fuel.
As with most things company car related – such as the company car tax tables – the fuel scale charges are based on the CO2 emissions of the company cars you run which are banded in 5g/km steps from 120g/km or less to 225g/km or more.
The VAT fuel scale charges allow you to account for the VAT on free fuel in monthly, quarterly or yearly periods.
If your staff repay their private business mileage then there is no need to use the VAT fuel scale charges.
If you have a pool car that is used exclusively for business, then the VAT fuel scale charges do not apply.