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Post by Humph on Apr 1, 2023 8:38:45 GMT
I know circumstances and preferences vary, but having opted out of the whole notion of company cars feels good to me.
I simply charge mileage at 45p for the first 10,000 business miles a year and 25p for any over that. No tax implications.
It’s debatable whether that is a good deal or not, but the best thing about it for me is that it is now one less part of my life that is owned by my employer.
It’s my car.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Apr 1, 2023 9:32:08 GMT
Yes, Humph, that’s where I’ve been till now, since I ceased to be a company driver in 2004. The taxation of the big cars I’ve needed for family use since then has made it unattractive anyway, and I’ve done very little driving for work. The 2 percent BIK for EVs moves the needle back a bit, assuming you can find someone to offer you a company car in the first place, which is rare these days. But, once again, this wouldn’t be a company car. |
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Post by Humph on Apr 1, 2023 10:33:26 GMT
As previously discussed, there is a (in my view fairly strong) case for doing nothing at present. I agonise regularly about whether to change my car or just keep going with it. I like it and it does everything I need/want for now and anything I might replace it with would have to meet those criteria.
I’m in a fortunate position where if it developed anything terminal, I could go and buy a replacement tomorrow if required so it doesn’t feel like a big risk.
Maybe, in your case, you might be as well to negotiate a better salary without any car complications in the deal and just continue to run your existing “fleet” until it feels sensible or appropriate to update it.
That CLS is a nice thing and from what I remember isn’t very miley yet? Probably years of use in it if you chose to keep it.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Apr 1, 2023 18:57:20 GMT
Oh, don't worry - there's likely to be a lot of nothing actually done in that direction for quite some time. Even assuming I'm taken on by an employer with such a scheme, there's likely to be a qualification period to serve, which could easily be six months. And I can use that time to assess my new working and travelling habits - how far from the office I am, how many days I go there, how much UK and overseas travel I'm doing - all of which will have a bearing on what car I decide to choose - or not to choose. And I've already got an i3 that can reach anywhere within working-day radius with minimal cost and fuss. All this has been about getting the mechanism clear in my head on how the numbers work, and it's approximately served that purpose now. But I do fancy an iPace, especially if I can have one with the rather stylishly different silver-grey 'Premium Textile' interior as a change from conformist leather.  |
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Post by Humph on Apr 1, 2023 19:33:00 GMT
My conformist interior wipes clean when I’ve been in it with a muddy arse!
😉
Are you looking in the same field of employment, or are you fancying a change?
I guess if the latter, it’s the old problem that no one will pay what anyone wants to earn for experience they don’t have.
Having said that, I’ve hired people from all manner of backgrounds and some of them have fitted right into completely different roles. Others however, have struggled.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Apr 1, 2023 20:05:57 GMT
I’ll be trading on the same set of sales and ‘solution’ skills that I’ve developed and used over the last 15 years, since I moved out of tech-focused jobs into selling applications of technology and services. Technologies come and go but I can take what the technologists give me and shape it into a package that solves a problem.
Ultimately I’d like to take those skills into something focused on sustainability, either in IT or something broader. That’s something most of the IT corporates are trying to add to their portfolios, so my first tasks is to get a seat at one of them and then to see where it might lead me.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jun 20, 2023 14:54:29 GMT
My situation, as I’ve not properly explained, is that I am between jobs because my specialist sales team was disbanded in December as a cost-cutting measure. The next offer has taken longer than I’d have liked to come along but I’m reasonably optimistic that it will — and I’ll still be financially ahead if it happens by July. That part of the situation was resolved today. Better still, my new employer is to be the one I put right at the top of my target list at beginning of the search. Safe to say I’m Quite Pleased. And when it does, several of the employers I’m talking to offer salary-sacrifice-based EV leasing schemes. And this is one of them. Arval Ignition is the scheme, but I’ve not yet seen the details. Count on me to take a thorough look when the full package arrives. One factor will be the amount UK business driving I’ll be doing, and hence the balance between solo and family trips. |
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Post by EspadaIII on Jun 20, 2023 15:15:10 GMT
Great news.
Any idea of the total annual mileage you will be doing and the split?
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jun 20, 2023 15:24:50 GMT
No, that’s all stuff I’ll have to find out.
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Post by Humph on Jun 20, 2023 15:32:58 GMT
Congratulations, great news, well done and good luck!
When do you start/have to shave again?
😉
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Post by EspadaIII on Jun 20, 2023 15:55:22 GMT
Shave? I haven't worn a suit for work for at least 25 years.
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Post by Humph on Jun 20, 2023 15:56:22 GMT
Nor me!
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Post by Humph on Jun 20, 2023 16:05:43 GMT
Actually, that got me to thinking, I bought a new suit to attend a funeral (in my head quite recently) because the ones I had in the wardrobe had gone out of fashion, come back in and gone out again multiple times.
But, on reflection I bought the new one 12 years ago, wore it once for that specific occasion and it hasn’t seen the light of day since.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jun 20, 2023 16:10:55 GMT
Shave? I haven't worn a suit for work for at least 25 years. Crikey! What do you have to shave to get into a suit? 🙈 |
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Post by Humph on Jun 20, 2023 16:18:51 GMT
I thought that too, but didn’t like to ask!
😬
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