Van benefit charge

Frozen at £3,000 in 2012-13.

From April 2015, the five-year exemption for zero carbon vans from the van benefit charge will expire.

Van fuel benefit charge (FBC) 2012–13 and 2013–14

Frozen at £550 for 2012-13, and will increase by the RPI in 2013-14

Company car tax rates 2014-16 
The appropriate percentage of list price subject to tax will increase by 1%cars emitting more than 75 g/km of carbon dioxide, to a maximum of 35% in 2014-15, and by 2%, to a maximum of 37% in both 2015-16 and 2016-17.

From April 2015, the 5yr exemption for zero carbon and ultra low carbon emission vehicles will end.

The appropriate %age for zero emission and low carbon vehicles will be 13% from April 2015 and will increase by two percentage points in 2016–17.

From April 2016, the 3% diesel supplement will be removed.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change said the average price of unleaded petrol in the UK reached 137.3p per litre this week. The previous record of 137.05p was set on May 9, 2011.

The average diesel price is also at a record high. Government figures reveal it to be 144.7p a litre, up 0.8p from the previous record, which was set last week.

The FairFuel lobby took its campaign for fuel price cuts to Westminster last week as it published a new report compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business Research suggesting that fuel duty cuts would boost economic growth and create thousands of new jobs.

The FairFuel Campaign said: “These are not insignificant impacts in the current climate of less than 1% annual growth. But this is not to mention the intangible benefits that could flow from the morale boost provided to consumers by helping to alleviate the current squeeze on their disposable incomes.”

The company car tax regime must remain clear and consistent so that drivers can confidently make future vehicle plans.

1/5 of business drivers exceed the speed limit and as many as 1/10 drive through red lights to get to appointments on time.
 

• Sales reps are the most dangerous business drivers,
  
• Van drivers are more likely to ignore vehicle faults
  
• Haulage drivers are not given enough time to sleep between shifts
   

The research released by RSA, highlights  1/4 of business drivers are being put under pressure to meet ambitious sales or delivery targets, leading to dangerous and in some cases illegal driving practices.

Are businesses and their employees turning a blind eye to road safety as they tried to cope with increased pressure to perform post-recession?

The study also questioned the roadworthiness of some business vehicles.

• 1/3 of workers said they had driven with a blown light or faulty windscreen wipers
  
• 1/5 claimed to have ignored a cracked windscreen
  
• 1/10  had driven with a slow puncture.

Jon Hancock, managing director, commercial at RSA, said: “This research demonstrates the frightening disregard for road safety that exists within some businesses and employees as the pressure to perform becomes more pronounced post-recession.”