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I would like to borrow
£1,500
To pay back over
3.5 years

Zuto is a credit broker, not a lender. Our rates start from 9.4% APR. The rate you are offered will depend on your individual circumstances. Representative Example: Borrowing £8,000 over 60 months with a representative APR of 19.9% the amount payable would be £204 a month, with a total cost of credit of £4,264 and a total amount payable of £12,264.

Zuto Limited. Registered in England under number 05722976. Registered office: Winterton House, Winterton Way, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 0LP. Zuto Limited is acting as a broker and not as a lender. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, registration number 452589. Zuto can introduce you to a limited number of finance providers, based on your credit rating, Zuto won't charge you anything for this service, but do get a fee from the lender which varies based on the product or amount borrowed.

Are car loan payments tax deductible?

If you use a car for business purposes, you may have wondered whether you can claim the costs as allowable business expenses. More specifically, if you borrowed money to buy a car, you may well be asking ‘are car loan payments tax deductible?’ 

The answer to this is possibly, but it depends on a number of factors. 

Are you self-employed?

The first question you need to answer is whether or not you are self-employed. If you are not, then you will not be able to claim any tax relief on car loan payments.

Are you buying the car for business purposes?

If you are buying a car for business use, then you may be able to claim the cost as an allowable expense. If the car is solely for personal use, you are not permitted to claim in this way.

For example, if you visit clients in your car, then you do use it for business purposes. Conversely, if you do some sort of work at home and only use your car for non-business travel, then you cannot claim tax relief on any expenses related to the cost of running a car. This also applies if you only use the vehicle to commute to work.

HMRC rules

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) lays out very strict criteria that govern how cars used for business are treated for tax purposes.

Capital allowances

You may claim the cost of a car as a capital allowance. This means you can deduct some of the car’s value from the profits of your business before paying tax. This will therefore reduce your tax bill. To be classed as a car by HMRC, the vehicle must not be designed for transporting goods, and it must be suited to private use.

Types of allowance

The rate that can be claimed depends on two factors - the date of purchase, and the CO2 emissions. These will determine whether first year, main rate or special rate allowances apply.

Personal use

If you use the car for purposes that are not business-related, then how much you can claim depends on how much of its use is for business.

Cars for employees

If the car is provided for an employee, capital allowances can be claimed on the entire cost. If the employee can also use it for personal purposes, it may also need to be declared as a benefit.

What type of accounting do you use?

There are different types of accounting, and HMRC decides whether you are eligible to claim the costs of a car loan depending on which type you use.

Traditional accounting

You use traditional accounting if you record your income and expenses according to the date you invoiced the customer, or were billed. So if you invoiced a customer before the end of a tax year on 5th April, but were not paid until after the new tax year started on 6th April, that amount would be recorded for the previous tax year. If you use traditional accounting, it is possible to claim car costs as a capital allowance.

Cash basis accounting

Cash basis accounting differs from traditional accounting in that income is recorded according to the date received, rather than the date of the invoice. For the above example, the amount would be recorded for the current, rather than previous, tax year. Those who use cash basis accounting can also claim the cost of a car as a capital allowance.

Simplified expenses

Some business owners choose to use simplified expenses. If they do this, then flat rates apply to business costs for cars or other vehicles. The business mileage would be recorded, then at the end of the tax year the flat rate amounts would be included in the Self Assessment tax return. The car cost cannot be claimed as a capital allowance if simplified expenses are used.

Other related FAQs

Looking for more related content to this? We’ve picked a selection of related topics that you may find helpful

In general, you cannot simply transfer a car finance agreement to someone else. However, there may be other options available to you that meet your needs.

Buying a used car with a finance agreement can be a good option. As with any financial agreement though, it’s always important to check the details carefully and to consider the pros and cons.

When you’re applying for finance for a used car, it’s useful to have the relevant supporting documents such as information on your vehicle of choice, your financial details and proof of address and income. You may also need a deposit.

Yes, certain lenders will consider offering finance for a vehicle that is sold privately.

Car finance agreements don’t tend to include insurance as standard, but there are packages available that do.

Don’t worry if you can’t remember who your car finance is with. You can find out by checking your paperwork, looking at who you make your payment to through your bank, or calling the dealership you bought your car from.

The simplest way to find out how much is left on your car finance agreement is to contact your lender. Alternatively, you can calculate this figure yourself.

Lying on a car loan application is a form of fraud and is illegal. If you’re found to have done this, you could face prosecution and you may find it harder to get credit in the future.

The number of years banks will finance a used car for depends on the particular agreement you enter into. Usually, agreements are available for terms of between 12 and 60 months.

The maximum age of used cars eligible for finance agreements tends to be 10 years, although there are exceptions to this.