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Post by chuffedstokie on Sept 27, 2016 19:55:41 GMT
My boss had a visit today from a rather sharp dressed guy at the wheel of his company car, even had his jacket hanging from the convenient hook in the back. The car in question was a 2015 plate VW Golf estate. Nothing too flashy but rep wheels nonetheless. I've only ever been in a job that had a car attached once, which was a Vauxhall cavalier. There was a time when everyone aspired to a Ford Cortina, a status symbol like no other.
Got me thinking a bit. Do they still exist as a perk?. If so what is the modern version. Hyundai?. Have you ever had one?. More importantly, what was it?. Did it receive the customary thrashing because it wasn't actually yours?.
My colleague at the time went for the Rover 214i. Crock of shit but he liked it. I was made redundant and only had it for 18 months, fun while it lasted. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2016 21:57:39 GMT
Company cars are no longer 'perks', HMRC have seen to that. Especially if you're a 40% taxpayer.
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Post by auntiegeorge on Sept 27, 2016 22:14:21 GMT
Yes, I think company cars are more commonplace now than ever and form a big part of a rep's remuneration package. Back in the 80s and 90s employers tended to offer a limited selection of vehicles - usually Vauxhalls, Fords, and Rovers. You could always tell a successful rep because he had progressed from the base 1.6L to a 2.0GL or from a Cavalier to a Carlton (remember them?). I once read that car manufacturers used to badge their vehicles explicitly for the rep market from the base L, GL, GLS, etc.
Nowadays many employers offer BMWs, VWs, Mercs, Audis, Skodas, Citroens, and so on. I think most reps aspire to a German car if it's offered. I don't think many would want a Hyundai (sorry waggy).
I've been driving company vans and cars since 1990. I've had Maestro and Escort vans, a Nissan pickup, a Rover 216, a Focus estate, several Mondeos saloons, a Transit Connect, and most recently a Mondeo estate. All of them diesels. The diesel engine has come on leaps and bounds in the last 25 years, so much so it's like night and day.
Yes, I do thrash 'em more than if I owned them!
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Post by chuffedstokie on Sept 28, 2016 3:06:44 GMT
Yes, I think company cars are more commonplace now than ever and form a big part of a rep's remuneration package. Back in the 80s and 90s employers tended to offer a limited selection of vehicles - usually Vauxhalls, Fords, and Rovers. You could always tell a successful rep because he had progressed from the base 1.6L to a 2.0GL or from a Cavalier to a Carlton (remember them?). I once read that car manufacturers used to badge their vehicles explicitly for the rep market from the base L, GL, GLS, etc. Nowadays many employers offer BMWs, VWs, Mercs, Audis, Skodas, Citroens, and so on. I think most reps aspire to a German car if it's offered. I don't think many would want a Hyundai (sorry waggy). I've been driving company vans and cars since 1990. I've had Maestro and Escort vans, a Nissan pickup, a Rover 216, a Focus estate, several Mondeos saloons, a Transit Connect, and most recently a Mondeo estate. All of them diesels. The diesel engine has come on leaps and bounds in the last 25 years, so much so it's like night and day. Yes, I do thrash 'em more than if I owned them! I had the basic 1.6 job. I'd forgotten about the Carlton. Unfortunately I never progressed that high up the ranks. I imagine that if you had a Ghia then you'd really made it back in the 80's. |
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Post by auntiegeorge on Sept 28, 2016 4:40:31 GMT
I remember it was around 1989 and our next door neighbour had been driving Ford Cortinas and then Sierras for many years. He was a successful sales rep for Smithkline Beecham. One day he came home in a brand new Ford Scorpio 2.3 Ghia and we were all aghast! He told us he was the first rep ever to make £1m in sales for the company and that the car was a reward by his boss.
Colin was Australian by birth and a natural salesman. He had been offered promotion many times even to director level, but always refused because he loved the freedom of the road. The company always looked after him and I think after the Scorpio he got a BMW 5 series. Well into his 70s he was a self-employed rep for another pharmaceutical company, he loved the job so much. He's finally retired now after 60 years of selling. Good on yer mate!
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Post by auntiegeorge on Sept 28, 2016 5:14:07 GMT
I've worked for Severn Trent since 1990 and my current car is assessed as a benefit in kind of about £6200 and costs me about £1200 in tax plus a monthly contribution to my employer. It's a whole lot cheaper than if I were to buy it myself. It most definitely is a perk! But I agree the company car rules are nowhere near as generous as they used to be and cost employers more than they used to.
Severn Trent leases almost all of its vehicles, expect from some specialised machinery and plant. Sometimes they will buy a vehicle once the lease has expired, for example a van which has been kitted out for a specialist job at the company's expense. I should think the vast majority of companies up and down the country also lease their vehicles from various manufacturers and never buy them outright.
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Post by chuffedstokie on Sept 28, 2016 5:36:19 GMT
I remember it was around 1989 and our next door neighbour had been driving Ford Cortinas and then Sierras for many years. He was a successful sales rep for Smithkline Beecham. One day he came home in a brand new Ford Scorpio 2.3 Ghia and we were all aghast! He told us he was the first rep ever to make £1m in sales for the company and that the car was a reward by his boss. Colin was Australian by birth and a natural salesman. He had been offered promotion many times even to director level, but always refused because he loved the freedom of the road. The company always looked after him and I think after the Scorpio he got a BMW 5 series. Well into his 70s he was a self-employed rep for another pharmaceutical company, he loved the job so much. He's finally retired now after 60 years of selling. Good on yer mate! A hockey mate of mine is a rep for SKB. Does very well. He reckons these days it's a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, he is pretty good though. He's had to go for a Ford Galaxy to squeeze the family in. Makes up for it by playing golf and being a member at Woburn. So he must be doing something right. |
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Post by auntiegeorge on Sept 28, 2016 5:49:50 GMT
SKB as in injection moulded cases? That must be a tough gig.
Aren't they an American firm?
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Post by Mendicant on Sept 28, 2016 6:00:30 GMT
I've worked for Severn Trent since 1990 and my current car is assessed as a benefit in kind of about £6200 and costs me about £1200 in tax plus a monthly contribution to my employer. It's a whole lot cheaper than if I were to buy it myself. It most definitely is a perk! But I agree the company car rules are nowhere near as generous as they used to be and cost employers more than they used to. Severn Trent leases almost all of its vehicles, expect from some specialised machinery and plant. Sometimes they will buy a vehicle once the lease has expired, for example a van which has been kitted out for a specialist job at the company's expense. I should think the vast majority of companies up and down the country also lease their vehicles from various manufacturers and never buy them outright. Correct. After the lease has expired, many manufacturers send vehicles to auction or offer them to retail dealers at attractive prices. |
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Post by bathstoke on Sept 28, 2016 7:00:53 GMT
Company cars are no longer 'perks', HMRC have seen to that. Especially if you're a 40% taxpayer. How about if you have a lease car & are self employed... Not me, but MrsBath!?! |
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Post by chuffedstokie on Sept 28, 2016 7:28:01 GMT
SKB as in injection moulded cases? That must be a tough gig. Aren't they an American firm? SKB as in the drugs cartel. You should see what they've done to Stevenage. Goodbye British Aerospace, hello Smithkline. Massive. |
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Post by auntiegeorge on Sept 28, 2016 7:30:39 GMT
Company cars are no longer 'perks', HMRC have seen to that. Especially if you're a 40% taxpayer. How about if you have a lease car & are self employed... Not me, but MrsBath!?! You can deduct the business part of your lease against income tax. For example, if your lease costs you £300/month and you drive a total of 30,000 miles a year of which 20,000 is for business and 10,000 is private mileage then you can deduct 2/3 of the lease cost against taxes. |
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Post by auntiegeorge on Sept 28, 2016 7:34:27 GMT
SKB as in injection moulded cases? That must be a tough gig. Aren't they an American firm? SKB as in the drugs cartel. You should see what they've done to Stevenage. Goodbye British Aerospace, hello Smithkline. Massive. SKB - duh, sorry. Been a long night!! To bed now, got be up by 2pm! |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2016 8:00:29 GMT
Company cars are no longer 'perks', HMRC have seen to that. Especially if you're a 40% taxpayer. How about if you have a lease car & are self employed... Not me, but MrsBath!?! That's the way to go I'd say. My Mrs does the same. There are some cracking deals about if you just want the use of a car without any of the hassle. |
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Post by Bojan Mackey on Sept 28, 2016 16:09:16 GMT
Yeah I've got one.
The Taxman reminds me I've got one every single month the cunt.
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