Crew cab pickups to be taxed as cars from July

[Will Blackburn]

They should stipulate a sniff test at MOT to confirm work use, both mine would pass with flying colours.

 

[beltbreaker]

Surely we all take tax decisions of one sort or another. If we don't try to maximise the £ in our pocket then we are only doing ourselves. The trouble is the country is in such an unholy mess that tax loopholes are closing.

The crewcab pickup for us worked well for nearly 15 years as it was used as a work vehicle for me and a car for my wife until she went back to fulltime employment and needed a car. Buying my Hilux was a split decision against a small van. Next time it will be the small van.

 

[Cowabunga]

Everyone was taking the micky on the company car tax so they closed the loop hole. As its done on emissions rating and list price that will be a good reaming for some on company car tax if they lease again. Assume it will be the list price inc vat as well.

Assuming its inc VAT like cars are treated a wildtrack in 37% emissions band on a 53k list inc VAT would be around 4k a year for a 20% tax payer or 8k a year for higher rate in tax. Currently a higher rate payer would be about a fixed 1500 a year so a 6.5k rise

I think you have that completely wrong. What has the VAT to do with it? That remains as current. So does the general tax status of the vehicle. This only effects ‘benefit in kind’.

 

[Cowabunga]

I'm not envious of anyone with a pickup. Having driven 6 F350 SuperDuty's and various other full sized pickups and worked them hard, I'd not give you tuppance for one.

What the heck have these to do with UK pickups which are tiny in comparison?

 

[Cowabunga]

I think the way to see if it is a work truck or a Chelsea Tractor it to look at the back, usually work trucks have an aluminium Ifor Williams canopy as opposed to a colour coded fibreglass back.

Mine don’t have a canopy, because they carry pallets of Platts sawdust, big and small bags of young cattle feed, fencing posts and tools and various odds and ends weighing up to a ton. Anything bigger or heavier and one of two IW 14ft trailers get attached. I do object to the ‘sports hoop’ on the new one which is worse than useless and wish it had a proper ladder rack like the old one. Once the accessory supply settles down I will also be installing the tie-down hooks that are adjustable, to the side of the bed like the old one. I find the six fixed loops from the factory, restrictive for some shapes of loads.

When carrying low profile stuff, the electric load cover is usually shut on top. This is especially useful for stuff that needs to be kept dry. The downside [everything has some downside] is that the roller-cover takes up some room at the front upper part of the bed when retracted, nevertheless standard pallets and tote bags do fit.

 

[Cowabunga]

Have you seen the Harry's Garage video, where he went for diesel instead of a hybrid?

Yes. Harry and I agree. However I can easily disagree with his taste in expensive sports cars. The Aston Martin surprised me with its price, because it is so very near to the new price of my dentist’s McLaren. So that proves that the common dentist can afford these things [but I know that I cannot]. Nevertheless, good luck to them if that is the kind of car they want and can afford. The dentist, by the way, also has an electric Audi QS8 [I think it’s called].

 

[Funny Farmer]

If you have a business owned pickup and keep it at the work premises and it is available to all employees then it's a pool vehicle.

 

[Cowabunga]

If you have a business owned pickup and keep it at the work premises and it is available to all employees then it's a pool vehicle.

Exactly, so the new interpretation of benefit-in-kind will not be relevant to these employees.

 

[4R Man]

The pick ups have become the best compromise as the number of 4x4 vans to purchase have disappeared with the loss of the Fourtrack, etc. Mine is a company vehicle, is used for moving people and pipes, valves, etc in the back. So, if they by me a new one it will be taxed as a car....

 

[Cowabunga]

The pick ups have become the best compromise as the number of 4x4 vans to purchase have disappeared with the loss of the Fourtrack, etc. Mine is a company vehicle, is used for moving people and pipes, valves, etc in the back. So, if they by me a new one it will be taxed as a car....

We are talking about your benefit-in-kind tax as an employee. See above for circumstances that avoid you paying.

 

[4R Man]

We are talking about your benefit-in-kind tax as an employee. See above for circumstances that avoid you paying.

Yes, this is what will effect me personally. I will have to try to have it classified as a pool vehicle, rather than my vehicle..

 

[Cowabunga]

Yes, this is what will effect me personally. I will have to try to have it classified as a pool vehicle, rather than my vehicle..

Your current vehicle’s status will remain unchanged. A new vehicle from the deadline date will be the one you need to be careful with and persuade whoever pays your wages to classify it as a pool truck. You will need to leave it at a work depot though and not use it for private transport [if only on paper].

 

[toquark]

Yes, this is what will affect me personally. I will have to try to have it classified as a pool vehicle, rather than my vehicle..

Yeah as long as you have an alternative means to get yourself to and from your place of work so you can demonstrate to HMRC that you don’t use it for home to work travel you should be fine.

 

[copse]

To save me hunting around what changes we are there be if you’re self employed and just use it as a farm truck?

 

[Robt]

Where in the article did it mention BIk? I read it as VaT element? Can you confirm that the BIK will rise from £1500 a year to an emissions based rate the same as all cars? @Cowabunga

 

[Still Farming]

Not surprised.Ford Ranger pickup is the most popular choice of vehicle at our local school gate. Virtually none of them have a tow bar, and are always immaculately clean inside and out. I’m the only farmer there with 120 sheep and 100 head of cattle, and I use a 20 year old Golf as my everyday farm runabout.

Commercial insurance for them and wonder how the school run ladies get it?

 

[Wombat]

I think you have that completely wrong. What has the VAT to do with it? That remains as current. So does the general tax status of the vehicle. This only effects ‘benefit in kind’.

My question was will they include the VAT in the BIK calculation like they do for all other company cars, nothing to do with whether its reclaimable or not. The BIK retail price which they then multiply by the emissions tax % to get the value thats take off your tax code is inc VAT normally.

 

[ollie989898]

I'm not envious of anyone with a pickup. Having driven 6 F350 SuperDuty's and various other full sized pickups and worked them hard, I'd not give you tuppance for one. They are (supposed to be) utility vehicles. You (or I would) want to be able to sling things in the back and just in the cab without worrying about the uphosltery or curbing the poncey wheels. We have a dropside Transit, which is head and shoulders above any other pickup I've ever used interms of utility. It even isn't a bad steer, particularly for a commercial vehicle. Aside from easily carrying 60 comneventional bales, I've had all sorts of crap in the back of it, including 3 stage tipping trailer cylinders, piddling oil all over, which would never fit in the back of your Ranger.

They are mostly style over substance while being marketed as all rough, tough and manly, hence the homo erotic names, plastic tatt and ons etc. People are buying them to circumvent the company car tax laws. Really, if you're using one as a car, they also should be paying VED based on emissions, like my car has to. They would finish them off completely.

The driving dymanics of a Hilman Avenger, length of a decent sized van, carrying capacity of a very small van and mediocre off road ability, all for the price of a decent spec 3 series. Idiotic vehicles. The towing deal also make me laugh, 3.5 tonnes, which is useless, if you're towing for hire or reward, you still need a tacho, so why bother? I can't see Stobart's running a fleet of Rangers.

I got as far as: 'homo erotic names and plastic tatt' before nearly choking on my coffee, not gonna line. I was also waiting for the wife-beating/meat-head and string vest comments before declaring Bingo!

Dare anyone ask what your opinion of the new Landrover Defender is?

 

[ollandroverman]

Dare anyone ask what your opinion of the new Landrover Defender is?

Does anyone care what his opinion is?

His rants of irrational hatred are amusing though.

 

[ollie989898]

Does anyone care what his opinion is?

His rants of irrational hatred are amusing though.

It is highly amusing.