The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has released new guidance to help workers who drive plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) claim home charging costs.
Until now, only drivers of fully electric cars had a clear way to claim these costs using a simple method. But many Australians with PHEVs also charge their cars at home and they’ve been left out.
That’s now changing thanks to the ATO’s draft guideline which introduces a new formal for claims. The guideline allows PHEV drivers to claim 4.2 cents per kilometre for the portion of travel done using electricity. This follows the same style as the shortcut already used for fully electric cars.
Rohan Martin, CEO of the National Automotive Leasing and Salary Packaging Association (NALSPA), said the change is both practical and overdue.
“This is a common sense, practical move by the ATO that reflects how most Australians charge their electric vehicles – at home,” Mr Martin said.
He explained that many PHEV drivers use their vehicles mostly in electric mode, and the lack of a simple method to claim home charging costs has caused confusion.
“PHEVs have been growing in popularity, yet workers have lacked a simple shortcut to calculate and claim their home electricity charging costs,” he said
“This further increases the savings and benefits of leasing a PHEV and shows why novated leasing remains one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to get behind the wheel of an EV.”
The ATO says the guidelines are now open for public comment.
Did you find this article interesting? Click the ‘heart’ button above to give it a ‘like’!
