The tax-planning arrangement will help the drivers avoid paying more company car tax under the new carbon dioxide emissions-based system that comes into force next April.
Almost a quarter of BT's 16,000 company car drivers exceed 18,000 business miles a year and they are most at danger of a tax increase under the new carbon dioxide-based company car tax.
BT's job-need drivers, for example, drive the diesel-powered Vauxhall Vectra 2.0-litre LS DTi, which will incur a benefit charge of 18 per cent of its £15,415 price because of the 3 per cent diesel supplement.
In real terms, this means a high-mileage 22 per cent taxpayer would see his or her tax bill rise from £491 under current company car tax rules to £610 under the new regime.
The structured car ownership scheme will see BT's 18,000-plus business mileage drivers technically 'own' their company cars, and therefore avoid benefit-in-kind tax liability.
They will fund their cars through a combination of company car tax savings, a cash allowance and reimbursement for business mileage via the tax-free Inland Revenue Approved Mileage Rates. BT has gone out to tender for a structured car ownership scheme, and intends to implement it by next April.
Janet Entwistle, general manager BT Fleet Partners, told fleet decision-makers at the Fleet News Congress that the compulsory move for all high-mileage drivers was part of an internal company car policy review that also included a more restricted choice list for other employees and an increase in cash-for-car allowances.
'BT's drivers are aware of the tax changes and some high-mileage drivers do not want to give up their big cars. So this option makes more financial sense for them, so I do not expect there to be too much opposition,' she said.
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