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AIBU?

About DB's Company Car?

83 replies

whereiscaroline · 17/01/2017 18:07

I know this is a small problem in the grand scheme of things but would be grateful for views from a neutral standpoint.

DB has a company car with a fuel card. Pays a hefty amount of tax for the privilege, and personal mileage is included in permitted use for both the car and fuel. I'm named on the insurance and provide my driving licence documents to his work every 3 months.

DB barely uses the car, he gets the train to work each day, which his employer pays for.

I have been looking at a job which is a 100 miles round trip from home. Pricing it up, trains will cost me £400 per month.

I suggested to DB that I use his company car for commuting each day, and he carries on getting the train as he has been doing for years. By doing this, we save £400 per month which would be a really helpful amount of money of course.

He has totally lost his rag at this suggestion. Apparently I'd be taking the mickey out of his company (it's a big PLC company, not a small family owned firm, if that makes a difference) by doing this. I do see his point, but my stance is that he is paying £4K a year in tax for private fuel usage, why shouldn't we make the most of that?!

AIBU?

OP posts:

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harderandharder2breathe · 17/01/2017 18:15

Do the company monitor mileage? I would expect them to notice and query such a big jump and quite within their rights to stop paying for it as it's not their employer as the main user.

I think it's a piss take to ask tbh. Not your car, not your employer, not you paying the tax for the privilege.

Either limit yourself to jobs closer to home or cough up for travel like everyone else has to.

tramstray · 17/01/2017 18:15

Regardless of the fact he pays a lot of tax, presumably the car is provided for business use as well as for personal. The size of the company is irrelevant. You would be taking the piss and I doubt his boss would be particularly happy with the arrangement, especially the idea of them paying for a hundred miles' worth of fuel every day.

Perhaps I am wrong on that, but the simple solution would be for him to raise it with his boss and see what happens.

Surely the most sensible thing would be for him to ditch the car if he hardly uses it and save the money?

Chloe84 · 17/01/2017 18:22

Is this your brother? Do you live together?

If not, I'm not sure how you saving £400 per month benefits him?

Best thing is for DB to cancel the company year. I imagine he has a lease contract of 4 years or so?

Or why don't you pay DB £200 per month for using the car? Check first that this won't get him into trouble with his employers.

Chloe84 · 17/01/2017 18:23

*company car not company year

Mindtrope · 17/01/2017 18:23

Your boyfriend is crazy hanging on to a company car which he hardly uses. He will be out of pocket by thousands of pounds a year for a perk he doesn't use.

Chloe84 · 17/01/2017 18:25

Oh, DB could be boyfriend.

rollonthesummer · 17/01/2017 18:26

Brother or boyfriend?!

TheSnowFairy · 17/01/2017 18:26

He has a company car and they pay his train fares?

HecateAntaia · 17/01/2017 18:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

whereiscaroline · 17/01/2017 18:32

Sorry, boyfriend not brother! Yes, he has a car and they pay for his train. His official place of work is home, although he doesn't work from home often. If he needs to go to London, which is usually every day, they pay for him to get the train. It's part of his contract that he gets a car, and that they will pay for the train if he needs to go to London.

Yes, he probably should give back the car to save on tax but he uses a car (usually mine!)to get to the train station and I think he just likes to know he has one should he need it, silly as that may sound.

OP posts:

purpleprincess24 · 17/01/2017 18:34

Absolutely not, totally unreasonable

Your DB could potentially get into serious trouble with his employer if they found out. And yes they could find out, what if you had an accident on the way to work, you would have to fill out an insurance form stating where you were going

Crisscrosscranky · 17/01/2017 18:36

If you have your own car why not just use that?

Is his company car a status symbol?

Whatsnottolike · 17/01/2017 18:36

You might not be insured if driving to your place of work even though you are allowed to drive it. That would not be classed as personal use.

It's also a leased car which I presume he has to regularly confirm mileage for.

YABU

rollonthesummer · 17/01/2017 18:36

Why on earth do they give him a car?!

Clandestino · 17/01/2017 18:37

Is this a serious question or are you just winding us up? Using your DH's company car for your commute is a big no no. What if the car is involved in an accident? In a time when your DH is at work, for example? And he'll have to explain what happened? It's not your car, it's not his car.

whereiscaroline · 17/01/2017 18:37

If I had an accident on the way to work, it wouldn't be a problem, I am allowed to drive it. I am insured etc. But seems the general consensus is that IABU.

OP posts:

EpoxyResin · 17/01/2017 18:37

If he's your boyfriend and you live together I think you should be able to drive the company car to work. What else are 4k in taxes going out of your household finances for every year if not for the benefit of free household miles??

MakeMyWineADouble · 17/01/2017 18:38

Is this a brother or a boyfriend?? It makes no difference really but I'm curious. With out knowing the terms of the company car I think he's right your wrong it's the company's car not your family car if it was found to not be being used for the correct purpose then that is gross misconduct and could very well lead to dismissal if so inclined the employee could also be prosecuted for fraud. If you do it you need to get it agreed by senior management. he doesn't want to do that which is fair enough!

ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 17/01/2017 18:38

DBoyfriend makes much more sense! I was v confused!

I think it depends on his contract. What does it say about you using it?

Gizlotsmum · 17/01/2017 18:38

Sorry but you are being unreasonable and you may find the company insurance has a clause meaning the car couldn't be used that way ( for someone else's commute) I have a company car and hubby can drive it but not as a routine. I can drive his company car in emergencies only due to ten company having had their policy previously abused...

whereiscaroline · 17/01/2017 18:39

CrissCross no, not a status symbol. My car is nicer than his IMO, not that it matters. It's just he has personal fuel included for free as part of his contract. I pay for my fuel.

Epoxy, yes that was kind of my viewpoint. I think we are in the minority.

OP posts:

EpoxyResin · 17/01/2017 18:39

PS I have a company car that my boyfriend drives A LOT, but I declare all my business miles and the cost of fuel for private miles is taken from my wages (although it is at a much better rate than you'd pay at the pump!).

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Chloe84 · 17/01/2017 18:40

DH has a company car and I am a named driver on it.

If he had taken the option of a fuel card, I would still be permitted to drive the car.

I would read the small print on the lease agreement, OP.

If you got your boyfriend to cancel the car, you'd probably save more than £400 per month.

MsMarvel · 17/01/2017 18:41

There is usually a cap on personal mileage, I have a company car with a very similar sort of set up, and my personal mileage is relatively low. Enough to do trips to shop, school runs, trips out at the weekend, but wouldn't cover massive journeys on a regular basis.

I imagine that 100 miles a day would very quickly hit a cap and you would start getting charged for this?

Chloe84 · 17/01/2017 18:42

It's not free if he's paying £4K tax per year.

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