To help you make your decision, we have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions and answers below. Simply click on a question you would like to see the answer to and this will be displayed on screen.
 How is company car tax calculated? |
A graduated system of tax was introduced in April 2002 that bases company car tax rates on CO2 emissions. A vehicle's CO2 emission level determines the percentage of the on the road cost that can be taxed. This means that vehicles with lower CO2 emissions will incur a lower tax liability. |
How are CO 2 levels measured? |
CO2 emission levels are measured in terms of the weight of CO2 produced for every kilometre that the vehicle travels (g/km). A measurement is made for all new BMW models by BMW's own European Union Approved Test Centre.
All new vehicles registered after March 2001 will include their official CO2 rating on their registration document (V5).
For vehicles registered prior to this date please click on the question 'What if the vehicle was first registered before March 2001' below. |
What is the P11d value of a car? |
The P11d value of a car will generally be the manufacturer's list price for the car (and any options fitted) including VAT, number plates and delivery charges, excluding any options which cost less than £100 and which were fitted after the car was first made available to you. |
Who measures the vehicle's CO2 emissions and when? |
Each new model on sale in the UK from March 2001 is given an authoritative CO2 emission figure as part of the vehicle's 'Type Approval Test' which is carried out prior to first registration by the manufacturer. BMW's own European Union Approved Test Centre is responsible for doing this for all new BMW's.
This figure remains unaltered for the entire life of the vehicle and appears on its registration document (V5). |
What if the vehicle was first registered before March 2001? |
If the vehicle was first registered between 1st January 1998 and 28th February 2001, then an authoritative CO2 emission figure will not appear on its registration document (V5). However, cars of this age are included within this new legislation and therefore its emissions figure will still be relevant.
The Inland Revenue recommend the use of The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' (SMMT) CO2 emissions enquiry service on the Internet in order to find the CO2 emission figure for cars in this category. Please note that the SMMT Website and its content is not in any way endorsed by BMW (UK) and is on-line for a limited period only. It can be viewed at www.smmt.co.uk/CO2
What if my vehicle was first registered before January 1998?
If the vehicle was first registered before 1st January 1998 or is a one-off or privately imported model with no authoritative CO2 emission figure, then the percentage of its P11d value to be taxed will not be based on the car's CO2 emissions but its engine size instead. |
Is there an example available to show how the CO2 emission tax is calculated? |
The CO2 tax rate is multiplied by the P11d value of the car to derive the annual taxable benefit value. The rate of income tax paid by the driver is applied to this amount to give the annual cost in tax.
The BMW 318i ES Saloon has CO2 emissions of 142g/km, which incurs a tax rate of 15% in 2007/8 (see BIK tax bandings).
The annual taxable benefit of a BMW 318i ES Saloon would be 15% of its P11d value of £20,870. This works out at £3,130.50, and is the amount that the driver would pay tax against.
Therefore a driver on the upper level of income tax would pay 40% of this cost: £3,130.50 x 40% = £1,252.20 (an equivalent of £104.35 per month). |
