FAQs

HMRC view a salary sacrifice car as a taxable benefit, so employees need to pay Benefit in Kind on the amount sacrificed. See “What is Benefit in Kind tax” below. There are two ways Benefit in Kind can be taken from employees – an employer will either tax at source or employees will be taxed via their PAYE coding notice.

Company car tax is also known as Benefit in Kind (BiK) which is a tax on benefits or perks provided by your employer in addition to your salary. If you have a company car or salary sacrifice car, you will have to pay tax on the Benefit in Kind. View our Benefit in Kind page to learn more.

The amount depends on the car you choose as it depends on the cost of the vehicle, it’s CO₂ emissions and your tax band. The lower the emissions of the car, the more tax and National Insurance you can save, as there are huge savings available for zero-emitting vehicles.

If a benefit is 'taxed at source' it means that the benefit you receive has already had the Benefit in Kind tax taken off. In terms of Benefit in Kind, it means that employees don’t have to notify the tax office about their salary sacrifice car. If an organisation doesn’t ‘tax at source’ employees will need to ensure the tax office is notified about their car and they will then have the Benefit in Kind tax deducted via their PAYE Coding Notice.

No, they're not exempt but they benefit from the lowest level of company car tax. Currently Benefit in Kind is 2% from April 2022 until April 2025 after which company car tax rates on EVs will increase from April 2025 by 1% pa for 3 years. The rates will be 2% to 2024/25, 3% for 2025/26, 4% for 2026/27 and 5% for 2027/28.

You don’t pay anything until you’ve received delivery of your car. If your employer doesn’t deduct at source then HMRC need to be notified that you have this employee benefit. If the tax is not collected via your tax code for the year the benefit is received, it could mean an underpayment of tax which will be due the following tax year.

Our online quotation system will automatically calculate the correct BiK value of the car you’ve chosen based on the fuel type, CO2 emissions, additional options, fuel type, P11D value, and applicable tax rate according to the salary you’ve entered in the system.

Contact Hire is essentially a car lease, which is provided as a benefit of being employed, often termed ‘company car’. They are often provided to those who have to travel a lot in their role, as well as for senior management. They can be outsourced by organisations who don’t want to manage their fleets internally.

Contract Hire allows businesses to outsource the management and administration of their fleet of company cars. It enables organisations to control their costs and reduces the assets depreciating on the company balance sheet. External companies provide benefits too, such as servicing and insurance, road tax, as well as ongoing advice and support for the fleet.

Contract Hire is essentially business leasing between the employer and Tusker, whereby the employer provides the car as a benefit of employment and agrees the payments for the car. A salary sacrifice arrangement is between the employer and employee. The employee agrees the amount for the car and deductions are made from their salary in exchange for the car.  

Tusker remains the legal owner of the car, with the employee (and their spouse) listed as the registered user(s).

We pride ourselves on our excellent levels of customer service, which we have won awards for. As a leading car provider in the UK, we have excellent economies of scale which we pass on to our customers. But as a medium-sized company, we have a personal service and a family feel, which means you’re more than just a number.

We offer collections from home and business locations so you let us know where we need to collect from. The supplying rental branch will then collect the vehicle within 8 working hours (with a maximum of 48hrs)  after the offhire time. Before the car is collected, do make sure that it's fully refuelled and you've collected all your valuables from the car. You'll also need to provide details of the key location if required and make sure it's left in a safe location.

Salary Sacrifice is where employees can sacrifice a fixed amount of their salary each month in exchange for a brand new car. The amount is taken before income tax and National Insurance, so employees and businesses can save on the contributions they pay. The set monthly amount includes comprehensive car insurance, road tax, breakdown cover, MOT, maintenance, replacement tyres and accident assistance.

The Salary Sacrifice Scheme is between the Employer and the Employee and the vehicle contract is between the Employer and the leasing company.

Fully comprehensive insurance, annual road fund licence (road tax), replacement tyres, routine servicing and maintenance, MOTs, full RAC breakdown cover and lifestyle protections should you need to end the agreement early under certain circumstances.

Our car scheme is designed to offer you a complete motoring package, however it doesn’t include fuel, payment of fines, engine oil, AdBlue top-ups outside of servicing, damage due to driver misuse or excess mileage charges.

There are three options; order a new car which will be delivered as the current one is collected, return the vehicle, or buy the car for its market value.

No, we don’t require a deposit. The first amount is deducted from the driver’s salary from the month delivery is made. This will be confirmed by the employer.

You’ll be provided with log in details to our driver site where you’ll be able to prepare quotes for your next car. On the site you’ll be able to see the cars available, monthly cost and Benefit in Kind amount. Once you submit a request, we will contact your employer for approval.

Once your employer has approved your order, we’ll place it with the manufacturer who will give us an estimated production date. You can monitor the status of your car order on the website and we’ll contact you and your employer once the car is in stock and ready for delivery.

Call us. It’s as simple as that. All routine servicing is included under the scheme (even down to replacement bulbs, wipers and brake pads!). Just contact us by phone or via the website and we’ll arrange a convenient date with you to book your vehicle in.

When your car is delivered please make sure you thoroughly check it with the delivery agent. If for any reason there’s any damage or you’re dissatisfied with the vehicle, please ensure this is recorded on the delivery release note at the time of delivery and reported to our Delivery Management Team or your fleet contact as soon as possible.

No - we will organise the vehicle road fund licence (road tax) on your behalf.

Smoking in work vehicles is illegal under the Health Act 2006, which banned smoking in all vehicles used primarily for business purposes by more than one person. Anyone caught smoking in a company car or van faces at least a fixed penalty fine.

If you wish to take your vehicle to Europe you must give Tusker a minimum 2 weeks’ notice as a travel pack will need to be sent to you by RAC containing the necessary documentation, including a VE103b certificate as a legal requirement. There is a small administration charge payable to RAC to issue this certificate, however, the document is valid for 12 months. Without this document you may find yourself in trouble with the authorities. The RAC will also able to advise you on any other documentation you may need such as the Crit-Air sticker for France.

We wouldn’t expect a vehicle to be returned in the same condition that we delivered it in at the beginning of the contract – fair wear and tear occurs no matter how carefully a vehicle is looked after, and happens when normal usage causes deterioration to a vehicle. It is not to be confused with damage which occurs as a result of a specific event or series of events such as impact, inappropriate stowing of items, harsh treatment or negligent acts. All vehicle documentation including operation manuals, service books must be left inside the vehicle on its return. A full set of keys including the master key, spares and locking wheel nut keys, should be returned with the vehicle. Accessories such as parcel shelves, load covers, restraining straps and nets must also be returned with the vehicle. The spare wheel (including ‘spacesaver’), jack and other tools must be intact, present and stowed properly, in the correct location and in good working order. The emergency tyre inflation canister, if supplied when new, should be in full working order, serviceable and ready for use. A canister that has been partially or fully discharged should be replaced. You must also ensure there are no warning lights displayed on the dashboard.  

An appraisal is carried out at point of collection where we ask all collection drivers to note any obvious damage. A full inspection of the vehicle will then be carried out once it arrives at our de-fleet centre. The vehicle will undergo a more detailed damage and condition assessment in a controlled inspection environment. Any additional damage that falls outside of the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental Leasing Association) Fair Wear and Tear guidelines will be recorded and a re–charge may be imposed.

We work with employers to offer a range of lifestyle protections should an employees’ circumstances change such as maternity or paternity leave, redundancy, resignation and long-term sickness so that there are no early termination fees due. If you have a Tusker car with us through a salary sacrifice scheme, please check your scheme policy to understand what is and isn't included.

Once you've placed an order with us through the system, we will then ask your employer to approve it. Once approved we will then place the order with a dealer. More information about an average order timeline and what you can typically expect can be found here.

ULEV stands for Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle, which is cars with less than 75g CO₂/Km, these vehicles tend to be hybrid or electric vehicles.

There are lots of benefits of driving an electric car. Two of the main benefits are the cost savings and also the greener, more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Electric cars have low running costs and many also consider that electric cars offer more technology and a better driving experience than petrol or diesel vehicles as they are more responsive. By choosing an electric car through a company car scheme also means you benefit from the lowest level of company car tax. Plus for salary sacrifice cars, along with the lowest company car tax, employees also benefit from income tax and National Insurance savings which can be significant.

Lots! Almost all manufacturers have an electric car model in their range and you can get electric vehicles in most car bodystyles from a small city car up to large SUVs. Plus, the number of makes and models of electric cars continues to increase year on year ready for the Government's commitment to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.

Yes, there are a number of electric cars suitable for towing but it's important to do your research to ensure the car you order meets your requirements. If you need any assistance in choosing a car or understanding which electric cars have towing capability, simply call our expert team on 0333 400 7431 for advice.

Charging costs will vary depending on your electricity tariff if charging at home or the public charge point you use. On average, for a car with a 60kWh battery with a range of up to 200 miles, it would cost circa £10 for a full charge but please check with the relevant provider for an accurate cost. Many energy providers also offer electric vehicle specific tariffs that may be worth considering.  Why not check out Zap-Map's charging calculator and find out how much it could cost you to charge an electric car.

This will vary depending on the home suitability survey, availability of assessment appointments and turnaround of paperwork but is generally 4-6 weeks. We’d advise checking with the installation company who will be able to advise accurate timelines to ensure you have a chargepoint in place before or soon after your car is delivered.

This will vary depending on the type of installation required, the installation company you use and the type of home charging point you choose but will be several hundred pounds. However, if you live in a flat or rent your property, there is a current OZEV Grant (also known as Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) in place, which provides a 75% contribution to the cost of one chargepoint and its installation. A grant cap is set at £350 (including VAT) per installation.

Before an electric charging point can be installed at your home, installers tend to carry out a home suitability survey. They assess the suitability of a charging point and confirm that you’re able to install one. You may also need a suitable data network connection, which will be tested by an engineer. The suitability survey will identify if you need any remedial work like a new isolation switch, an earth plate or ground works, which can be arranged but the additional cost these works might incur, will not be subject to the funding available through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme. We'd always recommend that you investigate whether you have a suitable charging option before ordering any electric car.

No, you don’t need to own your property to have a charging point installed but you do need permission from the homeowner. You also need to have dedicated off street parking with an area for a charger to be wall mounted. We would recommend that you check that you have the means to regularly charge your car before ordering a pure electric vehicle. If you live in a flat or are renting your property you may be eligible for the Governments Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme which provides a 75% contribution to the cost of one chargepoint and its installation. You can find out more from the Government website here.

This varies between manufacturers so please check under the options section on our car quoting system and ensure it's ticked as an option if you need it. Electric vehicles are normally delivered with one charging cable but do check prior to taking delivery.

You can either charge your car with a home charging point or a public charging point. The number of available public charging points is constantly increasing and there are currently more than 30,000. Plus, the Government has invested heavily in electric vehicle infrastructure. There are a number of maps and apps on the internet (such as zap-map.com) which show where charging points are located in the UK and across Europe. Simply search by your postcode and all the charging points close to you will show on the map. Some maps will also show whether the points are in use or out of order allowing you to plan ahead for your journey. If you have off street parking, it's very likely that you can get an electric chargepoint installed at your home. You may also be able to qualify for a Government grant that pays for 75% of the price and installation cost of a home chargepoint, up to a maximum of £350. Currently you can apply for a grant for each electric car you own, although this is limited to two vehicles.

The time it takes to charge an electric car varies from more twelve hours to as little as half an hour from a rapid charger. This will depend on the type of charger you choose, where you charge and the model of car. There are currently 3 main types of electric car charging points – rapid, fast and slow. Rapid chargers: the quickest way to charge (100kW) and are usually found at motorway service stations or close to main routes. These are the points that can usually charge your car to 80% in as little as 20 minutes depending on your car model. Fast chargers: usually rated at either 7kW or 22Kw. The 7kW charger can fully recharge an electric car within 4-6 hours and the 22kW within 1-2 hours. Typically, most home chargepoints that are installed are fast charge 7kW points. Slow chargers: these points have a power rating of 3.6kW. Charging times will vary but typically will be 8-12 hours which is perfect for just an overnight charge. Lamppost charging also tends to be a slow charge but normally charge at 6kW.

Yes, Like all cars, electric cars still have to pass an MOT after they're three years old because the MOT is an annual road-worthiness inspection and will make sure that your car is still safe for the road so it's important they take place. The only main difference between MOTs for electric cars versus petrol or diesel cars is that there is no emissions or noise test.

Hybrids often deliver the best of both combustion and electrification, especially for those not quite ready to make the jump to a full EV yet. The combination of an onboard battery that supports a petrol engine helps to lower emissions and boost fuel economy. Find out more about Hybrids here.