Bit harsh.

Having gone through the process myself in the past 12 months and as a reasonably proficient reader, I still found it far from straightforward.

That's because inevitably the answer is contingent on if.s buts and maybes.

Which is why the best advice is to speak to an accountant, who should have a devent oversight of the ifs, buts and maybes that apply to your personal circumstances; hence, your 'learn to read' comment was unnecessarily harsh.

Not really! Your accountant will ask questions which only you 'know' (assumuptions) the answer to in order to make an assessment.

Also, unless someone make a really bad decision then in alot of cases the amounts at stake may not outweigh the accountants fee (if they charged a commercial rate).

If there's enough money in your company to do it and it fits your private transport needs, you might want to think about getting a commercial vehicle.

Maybe something like a double cab pickup for example?

The tax charges on company "vans" are much lower than on most company cars, particularly if you're going to have the company paying for your private fuel. The way your company gets tax relief for the purchase of a commercial vehicle is also much more accelerated than on a car.

That's the kind of "out of the box" thinking you get from an accountant though.

I guess that explains the rise of the posh van? People with no intention of hauling a load are swanning round in Mitsubishi L200's or Nissan Pathfinders as an alternative to a high spec company car, for tax purposes?

How long before they close that particular loophole would you say?

You can't get a Pathfinder through, a Navara maybe.

Aye, that's what I meant.

They already look at it very closely.

I have full use of the company Ford Ranger Thunder (there was no way I was having a Warrior

), the guy who set it all up has now left our company and we’ve just continued as he originally advised. Sure he had to prove to the tax man ‘commercial’ use and the advice we were given is it was best if all miles are recorded* and I paid for all my private miles, or I’d and possibly the company get taxed as if it was Company car not a van.

Plus they aren’t that great in the back seats very sit up, and they are thirsty.

*That could have been just to prove a) Company use and b) as others do actually drive this vehicle on business who was driving at the time of a motoring offence.

... and you could recover the VAT providing the load-bearing capacity is up to it!

was just double checking I hadn't missed out when I got my Pathfinder!!!

That’s another thing to think of if you decided to go down the double cab pick up route, to be classed as a van for tax, they have to be able to carry a pay load of over 1 tonne, and that is after any additions, like those truckman type boxes on the back, roll bars etc.

And also something you have to think carefully about if you’re using it privately as your only vehicle and have a family, where do you put your belongings, if like me you don’t have a box?

The good thing is the dog loves it in his cage in the back

, the wife doesn’t when she’s in there and my boxers are on the front seat, but it would be cruel to put the kids in the cage.