STIRLING COUNCIL

The Geobuild Vehicle Tracking system has been chosen by Stirling Council to monitor their vehicles in real time,  updates every 30 seconds and gives the council an immediate view of their vehicles and using the driver ID buttons they can ascertain just who was driving the vehicle at any given time.  

DHL

DHL is the global market leader in international express, air and ocean freight, overland transport and logistic, with annual revenues of nearly EUR 24.5 billion in 2004. DHL has chosen  Geobuild vehicle tracking solutions for tracking and security for their drivers.

Linbrooke Services

Geobuild has been chosen as the preferred supplier for Linbrookes fleet of 70 vehicles. Andy Wilson Linbrookes MD said the decision to choose Geobuild was a combination of ease of use of the system, future proof design and value for money. " Linbrooke require a partner they can work with to achieve our requirements with respect to report writing and bespoke solutions for the future projects Linbrooke have, Geobuild were head and shoulders above the competition"

New £3,500 tax trap awaits company van users at the supermarket

"White van" traders are caught in a benefits in kind trap and could risk assessments running into four figures under rules that took effect on 6 April for using company vans to do their weekend shopping at the supermarket, warned lecture Brian Ogilvie at Accounting web's tax tips for business seminar this week. John Stokdyk reports.

"I'm sure the Revenue intends to stalk the car parks of this country to trap drivers of branded vans," he warned the audience at the Law Society on Thursday 12 April. Ogilvie's observations on the new company van benefit in kind rules emerged during a discussion of the issues affecting sole traders, partnerships and limited companies. Linking the new van rules to the employment status requirements of the new Construction Industry Scheme, which also came into effect on Good Friday, the lecturer warned subcontractors and their advisers to think twice about opting for employee status to avoid CIS deductions."The danger is that HMRC might then go in with a combined CIS/benefit in kind enquiry and hit them with the £3,000 van benefit charge," he said. The new rules, set out at www.hmrc.gov.uk/vans exempt employees from having to pay tax on their company van as long as the vehicle is used mainly for business. They can drive to and from work in the van and for occasional trips classed as "insignificant private use". Examples of insignificant use cited by the HMRC guidance include occasional visits to the rubbish tip, and slight detours on the way home from work. Using the van for after work social activities, on family holidays or to do the weekly shopping do not count as "insignificant". Where a van is used for private purposes, the previous £500 charge goes up to £3000 for the 2007/08 tax year and beyond, with tax on an extra £500 if the employees get free or subsidised fuel for private use. "I'm sure HMRC included the supermarket line on purpose so they could go to Sainsbury's at the weekend and trap branded vans," Ogilvie suggested.

This is also the view of Accounting web contributor Simon Sweetman, who expressed concern for one-man companies such as plumbers and builders who need vans to carry the tools of their trade. "The van scale charge seems to me to be designed to wind up situations. Our legislation ought to be cleverer than this," he wrote. Coincidentally, Ogilvie's briefing included a round-up of recent tax cases included two relating to personal use of company vehicles. In Philip Shaw v HMRC, the government won a High Court appeal based on the Upton (trading as Fagomatic) precedent where a Lambourgini used for cigarette deliveries was also insured for personal use and therefore deemed "available" for tax purposes. However, in the case of CCE v Elm Milk Ltd, the taxpayer, a limited company, had logged a restriction on personal use of the vehicle in the minutes of a board meeting - and won his appeal. While this could be a minor plus point in favour of incorporation, Ogilvie warned that a second car must be available for personal use and for advisers to remember that output tax will be due when the vehicle is sold.

(Accounting web.co.uk)