Company Cars vs Car Allowance: Which Is Best For Your Company?

Many business owners believe that providing their employees access to company cars so they may commute to work or use the cars for business-related trips is the best option. However, some business owners oppose this viewpoint and would rather give their employees a car allowance.

There is a significant distinction between car allowance and company vehicle, but both can be excellent employee benefits. This article explores the advantages and disadvantages of the two options for your business, as well as which one would be superior in a variety of circumstances.

How company vehicles work

A company car is a vehicle provided by an employer for both business and personal use. Many companies offer company cars for their staff to use. The vehicles can be labelled, making it clear that they belong to the company and are not for personal use.

As a business owner, you should consider whether corporate cars are a good idea for your business operation. The following are the pros and cons of providing a company car.

Pros of providing a company car

When you provide your employees with business vehicles, you have greater control than if they were driving their own cars. You may dictate what the employee can and cannot do with the vehicle. You can also manage staff insurance and vehicle maintenance. Also, it allows you to promote your brand without paying a third party. This enhances brand recognition while decreasing advertising expenses. In addition, offering this reward to your staff can improve their motivation and productivity.

Cons of providing a company car

There are possible disadvantages to providing vehicles to employees. Giving your staff access to company cars poses a big risk. You'll need additional liability insurance if the company car is involved in an accident. If a company car accident leads to a lawsuit, your company could face high legal bills.

Also, purchasing company vehicles involves considerable upfront expenditure, which can be difficult for small enterprises unless they lease instead. Other expenses include car replacement fees in case of theft or accident if insurance doesn't pay and hefty repair, maintenance, and service prices.  Although many are deductible, they might influence cash flow.

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How car allowance works

A car allowance is a monthly payment granted to employees to cover automobile-related expenses (purchase of vehicle or maintenance of personal vehicle). Contrary to business expenses, a car allowance is fully taxable. The following are the pros and cons of providing car allowance to employees.

Pros of providing car allowance

It can be an affordable option, especially if very few employees need to drive to work regularly. Instead of investing in multiple vehicles, gas, insurance, etc., you only need to cover gas and mileage for business-related trips. Employers can also choose to assist with registration and insurance costs to offset the extra use of the vehicle. In addition, employees don't need to track mileage or prove business-related spending. Also, you don't need more admin employees to handle insurance, checks, and mileage.

Cons of providing car allowance

Providing a car allowance has disadvantages, including tax implications. Car allowances are considered taxable compensation, which can result in tax liabilities for you and your employees.

This can be prevented by providing a mileage reimbursement scheme for work travel, generally based on a per-kilometre rate set by the CRA. This non-taxable benefit requires employees to maintain proper mileage logs and expense reports to be reimbursed. See the current CRA per-kilometre rate allowance for business-related driving.

What's better: company cars or a car allowance?

Both company car and car allowance schemes have numerous benefits. While a company car gives you a significant recruiting edge, lets you manage your corporate image, and boosts your staff morale, the car allowance scheme is less expensive because the business no longer covers all the workers'  automobile expenses. From what we've covered, it depends on your scenario.

Several factors should be considered when selecting whether to give staff a corporate automobile or cash allowance: Do you intend to retain the vehicle after the employee leaves? Do you prefer to have control over the vehicle's maintenance? Do you wish to enter into a binding agreement? In the long term, a car allowance is cheaper because the employee maintains the vehicle. If the employee leaves, it could be a waste of money. Providing a company car may be more expensive but safer.

You can claim tax deductions under both schemes by ensuring the car allowance is reasonable and keeping track of your employees' mileage and business-related vehicle use.

If you have multiple employees who need to track their driving or record business-related trips, you can also get a mileage tracking solution for teams, making both tracking and approval easier. 

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