Novated Leasing Driver Guide Introduction to Novated Leasing This pack has been developed by Custom Fleet to provide you with an overview of our Novated Leasing products and services. One of the main benefits of Novated Leasing is choice. You can choose your preferred vehicle, lease type and term. Throughout the process Custom Fleet’s dedicated team of Novated specialists are there to help you select a lease that is right for you. To make an enquiry, please call 1800 811 922. What is a Novated Lease? A Novated Lease is a popular form of finance where you as an employee (as Lessee) enter into an agreement with Custom Fleet (as Lessor) to obtain the right to use a vehicle in exchange for making lease payments. The principle of a Novated Lease is that you lease a vehicle as part of your salary package and transfer your obligations for lease payments to your employer under the Lease Agreement. Your employer then deducts the lease payments from your pre-tax salary. Operating Costs Employer Vehicle Lease Three way agreement Employee A Novated Lease allows you, as an employee, to pay for your motor vehicle running expenses and lease repayments out of pre-tax dollars. Deed of Novation A Novated Lease is a 3 way agreement between the employee, the employer and Custom Fleet What is included? When you choose a Novated Lease, you will gain access to a full suite of Fleet Management features throughout the entire lifecycle of the lease. These features are seamlessly managed through our Custom Fleet Novated Leasing specialists, providing personalised assistance to you. Vehicle Disposal (Standard on an Operating Lease) Vehicle Acquisition Novated Lease Rental Comprehensive Insurance Vehicle Lifestyle Management Registration & Infringement Management Customer Novated Leasing Specialist Online Reporting Accident Management Fleet Card & Fuel Management Maintenance & Tyre Management Breakdown Assistance Fleet Management Features • V ehicle Acquisition – Custom Fleet can manage the acquisition of your vehicle. This saves you the hassle of finding the vehicle and you can leverage Custom Fleet’s buying power to get great discounts. • N ovated Lease Rental – Financing of your vehicle is covered as part of your monthly Novated Lease payments. You have the option to choose between an operating or finance lease. • F leet Card & Fuel Management – Fleet Card is accepted at over 6,000 participating multi-branded fuel outlets around the country. Discounts may also be available when fuel is purchased online. • M aintenance & Tyre Management – Choose either fully maintained or budgeted maintenance options to cover servicing and repair expenses, so you only pay for what you need. Through our Repair Authorisation Centre, our qualified Fleet Service Representatives ensure only appropriate maintenance and servicing is performed. It is completed in accordance with manufacturer or other industry recognised guidelines. Our package may include a nominated number of replacement tyres depending on the kilometre limit of the lease. • B reakdown Assistance – Our Driver Helpline is available 24/7 for drivers requiring roadside assistance. Please contact us on 1300 139 555 for support. • A ccident Management – In the event of vehicle accidents, this service manages the process for you while minimising motor vehicle repair costs. We will provide you with help 24/7, Australia-wide. Please contact us on 1300 139 555 for support. • O nline Reporting – Custom Fleet’s online reporting system, Key Access, gives you unlimited access to electronic vehicle reports. • R egistration & Infringement Management – The cost for registration is included in your lease, and will be paid by Custom Fleet. Fines can be managed by Custom Fleet and charged back to your account. • C omprehensive Insurance – You must take out comprehensive insurance with a Novated Lease. We have preferred supplier arrangements with an insurer to provide comprehensive motor vehicle insurance at competitive rates. • V ehicle Disposals – For an Operating Lease, you simply hand the vehicle back at the end of the lease and if there are no excess kilometre charges or damage (fair wear & tear accepted) you have no further obligations. For a Finance Lease, if you would like Custom Fleet to sell your vehicle at the end of the lease, we can manage this via a tender process for a disposal fee. • P eace of Mind – An early termination plan that allows you to return the vehicle before the end of the lease term in the event of redundancy. You will not be charged lease rentals for the period after the vehicle is returned. Conditions and fees apply. Your employer must select this service. Novated Lease Options Custom Fleet offers Novated Leasing customers the option to choose between a Novated Operating Lease and a Novated Finance Lease. What is the difference between a Novated Operating Lease and a Novated Finance Lease? Under both lease types you will enjoy the use of the vehicle for an agreed term in exchange for making monthly lease payments. For an Operating Lease, you simply hand the vehicle back to Custom Fleet at the end of the lease, and assuming it is in good condition (fair wear & tear accepted) and within the kilometre tolerance, you have no further obligations. For a Finance Lease, you agree upfront with Custom Fleet to guarantee the Residual Value of the vehicle. At the end of the lease term, if the GST exclusive sale price or valuation (less costs) is less than the agreed Residual Value, then you pay the shortfall to Custom Fleet. The Residual Value obligation remains with you and is not novated to your employer. For a Finance Lease we also offer a choice in the maintenance program. This flexibility means that you can choose the maintenance inclusions that best suit your needs. What are my Novated Lease options? There are three choices for taking out a Novated Lease with Custom Fleet: • Fully Maintained Operating Lease (FMOL) – This lease may suit you if you like the certainty of having full maintenance coverage, and would like to hand the vehicle back at the end of the lease. • Fully Maintained Finance Lease (FMFL) – This lease may suit you if you like the certainty of having full maintenance coverage, and if you would like to discuss purchasing the vehicle at the end of the lease, please contact us on 1800 811 922. • Budgeted Finance Lease (BFL) – This lease may suit you if you prefer to budget your maintenance expenses, and if you would like to discuss purchasing the vehicle at the end of the lease, please contact us on 1800 811 922. The features of these options are summarised in the table below: Features FMOL FMFL BFL With Custom Fleet With Employee With Employee Vehicle Financing Costs Y Y Y Vehicle Delivery Costs Y Y Y Maintenance Costs Y Y B Replacement Tyres Y” Y” B Breakdown Assistance Y Y Y Registrations & Renewal# Y Y Y Accident Management Y Y Y Online Reporting Y Y Y Fuel Card (Fleet Card) Y Y Y Fuel B B B Comprehensive Insurance^ Y Y Y Peace of Mind O+ O+ O+ FBT* B B B Cost of Vehicle Disposal / Remarketing Y O O Residual Value Obligation Y = YES, INCLUDED; B = BUDGETED; O = OPTIONAL “ A nominated number of replacement tyres may be included depending on the lease kilometre limit. #Custom Fleet will administer the registration renewal. You are responsible for satisfying any conditions in relation to registration such as sending us the registration papers or having the vehicle inspected in States or Territories that require a road safety certificate. ^ Custom Fleet is not an insurer. You can arrange your own insurance or ask us for details about insurance products offered by our preferred suppliers. + Selection of Peace of Mind is dependent on your employer’s Novated policy. * Your employer is responsible for reconciling its fringe benefits tax liability annually. Benefits of Novated Leasing Many people choose a Novated Lease as a cost effective means of financing a vehicle. Income Tax and Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) Under a Novated Lease your employer pays your lease payment out of your pre-tax salary. This is known as salary sacrificing. You are effectively not paying income tax on the amount of your lease payments being paid out of your pre-tax salary. However, your employer has to pay FBT on the vehicle being provided to you under the Novated Lease. The amount of the FBT is generally charged back to you through additional pre-tax salary deductions. The savings achieved by a Novated Lease arise when there is less FBT payable than income tax that would have been payable were there no salary sacrifice. The effect of the recent changes to the vehicle FBT legislation (following the Federal Budget announcement on 10 May 2011) will be: • F avourable for drivers travelling less than 15,000 kilometres per year. • N o change for drivers travelling between 15,000 and 25,000 kilometres per year. • U nfavourable for drivers travelling more than 25,000 kilometres per year. The Government has replaced the ‘sliding scale’ with a single flat rate of 20% that applies regardless of the distance travelled. Transitional arrangements apply with the shift to a 20% regime being phased in over 4 years in accordance with the table below: Distance travelled during the FBT year (1 April – 31 March) Statutory rate (multiplied by the cost of the car to determine a person’s car fringe benefit) Existing contracts 1 New contracts 2 From 10 May 2011 From 1 April 2012 From 1 April 2013 From 1 April 2014 0 – 14,999 km 26% 20% 20% 20% 20% 15,000 – 24,999 km 20% 20% 20% 20% 20% 25,000 – 40,000 km 11% 14% 17% 20% 20% More than 40,000 km 7% 10% 13% 17% 20% 1. Existing Novated Leases entered into prior to 7:30pm (AEST) on 10 May 2011. 2. New Novated Leases entered into after 7:30pm (AEST) on 10 May 2011. It is the employee’s responsibility to provide accurate information throughout the term of the lease for FBT reporting. For further information regarding FBT, please contact us on 1800 811 922. Employee Contribution Method (ECM) You have the potential to reduce the taxable value of a car fringe benefit and hence FBT on a Novated Lease to zero by making a post tax contribution towards the vehicle operating expenses. Our online service, Key Access, enables you to quote using the traditional payment of FBT and the Employee Contribution method. You can then make a comparison and assess which method is most cost effective for you. The Employee Contribution method is an option Custom Fleet offers to its clients. However, it is ultimately up to your employer as to whether it is made available for their employees. Please consult your HR or payroll service provider to confirm whether they can administer an Employee Contribution. Custom Fleet can provide you with further information regarding the Employee Contribution method should you wish to consider this option. Contact us on 1800 811 922. GST Novated Leasing can have the added benefit of GST savings. GST is payable on the purchase price of a vehicle as well as most vehicle related expenses. Custom Fleet is entitled to claim an input tax credit up to the depreciation limit of the vehicle. Currently that limit is $59,133*, which means the maximum input tax credit claimable is $5,224. Your lease payments are calculated on the vehicle purchase price less the GST Custom Fleet is entitled to claim as an input tax credit. In addition, as most employers are entitled to claim input tax credits for the GST paid on the lease payments and other vehicle related expenses, additional savings can arise. *Current for the 2012 – 2013 Financial Year Frequently Asked Questions What type of lease do most people take? Custom Fleet’s experience shows that our customers are evenly balanced between Fully Maintained Operating Leases and Budgeted Finance Leases. In both cases the most popular term is three years, however you have the flexibility to choose a commercially acceptable lease term to suit your circumstances. Who can apply for a Novated Lease? We advise you to consult with your employer’s Novated Vehicle Policy prior to proceeding with a Novated Lease as specific eligibility criteria may apply. How long does vehicle delivery take? Delivery time on vehicles is dependent on several factors, including availability of stock at dealerships and/or manufacturers, optional extras and build dates. If a dealership has your vehicle in stock, they should be able to provide you with a fairly short delivery time. However, if a vehicle needs to be ordered and built to specification this can delay delivery. How will you protect my privacy? We will ask you to acknowledge a Privacy Consent that outlines how we use and protect your personal information. This includes disclosing information to a credit agency for the purposes of a search of your credit history, and to your employer and/or dealer to the extent that each needs to know your information. What if I take delivery of my vehicle part-way through the FBT year? If you take delivery of your vehicle during the FBT year, you need to travel your nominated kilometres on a pro-rata basis. For example, if you nominate that you will travel 25,000km per annum for FBT and you receive your lease on 1 October (half way through the FBT year), you need to have travelled at least 12,500km by the 31 March to reach your nominated FBT bracket. Until the end of the transitional FBT rates you should monitor your kilometres every month to ensure you are within your nominated FBT kilometre bracket. What is the Luxury Car Tax Limit and how would it affect my lease? The Luxury Car Tax Limit is $59,133# for standard vehicles and $75,375 for fuel efficient cars*. Vehicles with a purchase price above this amount are subject to Luxury Car Tax in addition to the GST. This additional tax is included in the monthly lease rental. An additional rental component will also be itemised on your cost to package quote. In relation to the lease of a luxury vehicle, Custom Fleet recommends that you seek independent financial, tax and/or legal advice. Is comprehensive insurance included? All leased vehicles must be comprehensively insured. You have two options for including Comprehensive Insurance in your cost to package: • C ustom Fleet can arrange insurance through our preferred supplier. The preferred supplier arrangements provide comprehensive motor vehicle insurance at competitive rates with features designed with Novated Leasing in mind. Let us know if you would like more information about the product features. • S ource your own insurance and provide the annual premium and policy details to Custom Fleet so we can organise a reimbursement and include an amount in your cost to package. # Current for the 2012 – 2013 Financial Year. * A fuel efficient car has a fuel consumption that does not exceed 7 litres per 100 km as a combined rating under the vehicle standards in force under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989. Can tolls and parking infringements be included in my lease? No. Tolls and parking infringements are not permitted as part of a Novated Lease under ATO guidelines. What does ‘Kilometre Ceiling’ or ‘Km ceiling’ on my application mean? The kilometre ceiling represents the total number of kilometres to be travelled over the term of the lease. If the vehicle is used, the kilometre ceiling is the number of kilometres the vehicle has already travelled prior to the start of the lease plus the number of kilometres travelled over the term of the lease. Who can drive my Novated Lease vehicle? We generally recommend that it’s only you. There may also be specific restrictions from your insurer or employer on who can drive the vehicle. When will I get my fuel card and where can I purchase fuel? You will generally receive your Fleet Card within 5 working days of your new vehicle delivery. Fleet Card is accepted at over 6,000 participating multi-branded service stations nationwide. You can search for your nearest service station via our Merchant Locator on our website at www.customfleet.com.au What do I do if I need assistance once my vehicle has been delivered? What if I need Reimbursement? If you ever need to make out of pocket expenses for fuel, maintenance or other related expenses, Custom Fleet can reimburse you from your running cost budget ensuring that all costs are paid from your “pre tax” salary. Simply contact us on 1800 811 922 for a Reimbursement Form and Custom Fleet will reimburse the money back into your nominated bank account via EFT. How is Vehicle Registration managed throughout the life of the lease? Custom Fleet will arrange for the vehicle to be registered at our mailing address. The cost for registration is included in your lease, and will be paid by Custom Fleet. Where applicable we will send you the registration label each year, and you are responsible for ensuring the new label is attached to the vehicle. What if I spend less money than my budgeted amount? The difference is returned to you via your payroll at the end of the lease term. What if I spend more money than my budgeted amount? The difference is invoiced to your employer and deducted via your pre-tax salary. When is my Cost to Package (actual spend vs. budgeted amount) reconciled? In the event of any of the following: You will receive a Driver’s Assistance Card with your Welcome Pack. This card details a 24hr Driver Assistance number and other important numbers you need if you require Driver Assistance in the case of accident, breakdown or vehicle repairs. • If you are tracking well ahead or behind on your budget, the budget may be reconciled periodically; What do I do if my vehicle is due for a service? • If you change employer. Search for a dealer via our Merchant Locator on our website at www.customfleet.com.au to organise a service at a time most convenient to you. Let them know that this vehicle is leased via Custom Fleet and they will know what to do next. How do I track what I have spent against the budgets included in my package? You will receive a monthly vehicle report by email. This report details the balance of your package on a life to date basis. How can I track my actual kilometre usage against my lease kilometre limits? You need to provide a kilometre reading each time you purchase fuel. Your monthly vehicle report will track your actual kilometres against your kilometre limit. This report also advises how your kilometres are tracking for fringe benefits tax. This information is still relevant until 1 April 2014 when the flat 20% FBT rate will apply. • At the end of the lease term; • If your employment is terminated; or What happens if I leave my employer during my lease term? If you leave or are planning to leave your employer, you must notify Custom Fleet in writing as soon as possible. The Novation Agreement with your employer will be terminated upon cessation of employment and you become the lessee of the vehicle. This means that you will become solely responsible for making all lease payments. You may also contact us on 1800 811 922 to discuss alternative arrangements. Custom Fleet will provide your employer with a package reconciliation that includes your estimated FBT liability to assist them in preparing your final deduction. As some costs may not be known on the date the novation is terminated, it may take up to 48 hours to complete the reconciliation to calculate your final payment or refund. What happens at the end of my lease? Four months prior to the end of the lease term, we will contact you to remind you that your lease term is approaching and outline the options that are available to you. Vehicle delivery Application The Novated Leasing Process Step 1: Employee obtains a quote, creates order and agrees to the lease online. Step 2: Employer is requested to confirm the applicant’s employment details and accepts the Novated Lease. Step 3: Credit assessment takes place (requires a minimum of 48 hours).* Step 4: Custom Fleet accepts the Novated Lease and places the order with the dealer. Both the Employee and Employer receive a copy of the final quote. Step 5: Vehicle delivered. Once the details are confirmed with Custom Fleet the fuel card is ordered. Step 6: Employer is notified of delivery in order to start salary deductions and both the Employer and Employee receive the final vehicle schedule. Employee receives Monthly Vehicle Report the month following lease activation and thereafter until end of lease. For the life of the Novation Agreement, Custom Fleet manages the Novated Lease on behalf of the Employee. Note: The Novated Leasing Process differs for used vehicles. * Terms and conditions apply. Additional Information Finding a Car One of the main benefits of Novated Leasing is that you can choose whichever vehicle you like (subject to some exceptions). The only conditions are: • It must be deemed to be a “car” by the ATO, meaning motorcycles, boats and commercial vehicles do not qualify; and • It must comply with any policies or guidelines your employer may have. We strongly encourage you to use a Custom Fleet Key Dealer. For a list of current Key Dealers contact us on 1800 811 922. Advantages in using a Custom Fleet Key Dealer include: • VIP Service; • Large range of models; • Our insistence on the newest stock available; • A full tank of fuel (to a maximum of 70 litres); and • Genuine accessories quoted and fitted. You are advised not to sign any contracts or place any deposits with dealers on vehicles before talking to Custom Fleet. If you have already found a vehicle, Custom Fleet will expect your dealer to comply with the same standards that Custom Fleet places on its Key Dealers. Please contact us on 1800 811 922 for a quote request form. Custom Fleet requires your dealer to complete and return a copy of this form to progress the purchase of the vehicle. Second Hand Vehicles You can lease a used vehicle as long as it meets the following criteria: • It must be an ex-lease vehicle from Custom Fleet or purchased via a franchised motor vehicle dealer (subject to Custom Fleet’s approval); and • It must not be greater than 4 years old. The vehicle must also be no greater than 7 years old or 200,000km at lease end. Please contact us on 1800 811 922 for a quote request form. Custom Fleet requires your dealer to complete and return a copy of this form to progress the purchase of a used vehicle. Completed forms should be emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 02 8899 5454. To find out more about ex-lease vehicles available from Custom Fleet, please telephone 1800 811 922. Company Policy It is important that you are aware of your employer’s Novated Vehicle Policy prior to proceeding with a Novated Lease. They may specify particular vehicle makes and models, salary sacrifice limits and other elements that may affect your Novated Lease. Tax Advice Custom Fleet is unable to provide tax advice relating to your own situation and circumstances. Please seek your own independent tax advice to find out if Novated Leasing is right for you. Novated Leasing Case Study The following case study is designed to provide an example of the benefits of Novated Leasing. You should always consider the benefits of a Novated Lease in relation to your own personal circumstances. Jack’s company XYZ Pty. Ltd. has signed up with Custom Fleet to provide employees the option of taking on a Novated Lease. Jack wants to buy a Holden VEII Berlina for $41,532. He will drive the car to and from work each day and estimates he will travel around 23,000 kilometres a year, none of which are business related. Jack earns $120,000 per annum and is taking out a Fully Maintained Finance Lease. He is looking at three options: 1.Financing the vehicle using a personal loan from his bank; 2.Salary sacrificing via a Traditional Novated Lease; or 3.Salary sacrificing via a Novated Lease with the Full Employee Contribution. Cost Comparison The following provides a comparison between Jack financing and paying the vehicle operating expenses from his take home pay versus a Novated Lease, with and without an Employee Contribution. The example assumes the expenses remain constant and that Jack can purchase and maintain the vehicle as efficiently as Custom Fleet. The example also assumes that Jack has held the vehicle for the full FBT year. With Custom Fleet’s superior buying power, Custom Fleet achieves discounts on purchase prices and maintenance costs. Salary Components – Annual Personal Loan Traditional Novated Lease Novated Lease with Full Employee Contribution Gross Taxable Income $120,000 $120,000 $120,000 • X YZ Pty. Ltd. is entitled to a full input tax credit for all payments under the novated lease; Vehicle Running Costs (ex GST) $0 $-15,438 $-7,618 • J ack is an Australian tax resident and has private health insurance; GST on Employee Contribution $0 $0 $-711 FBT (Pre Tax) $0 $-7,509 $0 Net Taxable Salary $120,000 $97,053 $111,671 Less Pre-tax Deductions The Case Study assumes: • T he vehicle cost of $41,532 is made up of the base value of the car $39,105 plus on road charges of $2,427; PAYE (inc Medicare levy) $-34,150 $-25,315 $-30,943 After Tax Salary $85,850 $71,738 $80,728 • W hen financing from his Bank, we assume that Jack can access the same Interest Rate offered by Custom Fleet; $0 $0 • J ack can operate the vehicle for the same running costs as Custom Fleet; and Tax Payable Less Post-tax Deductions Vehicle Costs (inc GST) $-16,904 Employee Contribution $0 $0 $-7,821 Cash in hand after tax and vehicle expense $ 68,947 $ 71,738 $ 72,907 Employee Advantage in Packaging Vehicle $0 $ 2,791 $ 3,960 • If Jack operates the vehicle himself, he pays no fees to Custom Fleet. Using the above facts: • J ack’s net income after tax under a Novated Lease is $2,791 higher than Jack financing and paying the vehicle operating expenses from his take home pay; • B y making a $7,821 annual Employee Contribution from his take home pay, Jack’s net income after tax is $3,960 higher than financing and paying the vehicle operating expenses from his take home pay. GST ECM (Employee Contribution Method) Using the facts from the Case Study, additional savings of $3,591 in GST would arise on the purchase price of the Holden VEII Berlina, as the lease payments are calculated on the GST exclusive price of the vehicle. Using the Case Study, assuming Jack has travelled 23,000 kilometres; the statutory FBT rate is 20%. Additionally, Jack also saves approximately $1,466 in GST per annum on vehicle related expenses as his employer XYZ Pty. Ltd. is entitled to a GST credit that would ordinarily be payable by Jack had he financed the vehicle himself. Holden VEII Berlina Base Value $39,105 Kilometres Travelled 23,000 Jack’s Contribution = 7,821 FBT = [($39,105 x 20% x 365 ) - $7,821 ] x 2.0647 x 46.5% 365 = $0 By making a $7,821 contribution from his post tax salary, Jack is able to maximise the benefits of Novated Leasing. FBT The FBT statutory formula method is as follows: – ) - E] × Gross Up Rate × FBT Rate [(A x B x C D A = The base value of the car B = The statutory rate C = The number of days in the FBT year when the car was used or available for private use D = The number of days in the FBT year E = The employee contribution The Gross Up Rate is 2.0647 The FBT Rate is 46.5% (since 1 April 2006) On a Traditional Novated Lease, assuming Jack has used the vehicle for the full FBT year, the calculation for his annual FBT liability is as follows. Holden VEII Berlina Base Value $39,105 Kilometres Travelled 23,000 FBT = [ ($39,105 x 20% x 365 ) - 0] x 2.0647 x 46.5% 365 = $7,509 Until the end of the transitional FBT rates Jack should monitor his kilometres every month to ensure he reaches his nominated FBT bracket. Provided Jack discloses his kilometre reading at every fuel fill, he can track his actual vs. budgeted kilometres via his Custom Fleet monthly vehicle report. For more information on the transitional FBT rates please contact the Novated Help Desk on 1800 811 922. For more information on Novated Leasing please contact the Custom Fleet Novated Help Desk on 1800 811 922 www.customfleet.com.au
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