ATO issues new guidance to claim PHEV charging costs
The Australian Taxation Office has issued new guidance for workers to claim home electricity charging costs for their plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), a move that the nation’s novated leasing body has described as common sense and overdue.Workers who own a battery electric vehicle have been able to use a shortcut method to determine home charging costs, however until now there has been no guidance for workers who drive a PHEV and charge at home.The ATO’s new draft compliance guideline introduces a formula to calculate home charging costs for PHEVs, which includes applying a flat rate of 4.2 cents per kilometre for deemed travel on electricity — an extension of the shortcut method available to workers with battery electric vehicles.“This is a common sense, practical move by the ATO that reflects how most Australians charge their electric vehicles - at home,” National Automotive Leasing and Salary Packaging (NALSPA) chief executive Rohan Martin said.“PHEVs have been growing in popularity, yet workers have lacked a simple shortcut to calculate and claim their home electricity charging costs.
