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The Daily Insight

Is car allowance a benefit in kind?

Author

John Thompson

Published Mar 03, 2026

Weighing up the benefits, if you’re financially able to insure, service and maintain a car, an allowance is a good way to go. It offers you the freedom of choice and gives you a cash sum, which offers flexibility. However, if you’re driving around in a company car, you’ll need to pay Benefit In Kind (BIK) car tax.

How does a car allowance work in Ireland?

A mileage allowance that you receive for the use of your car for business purposes is not taxable if it does not exceed the civil service mileage rates. There is no tax relief on expenses for getting to or from work. The employee is not liable for tax, PRSI or the Universal Social Charge on their repayments.

How much is a typical car allowance?

Standard employee car allowance rates can usually vary somewhere between $18,000 and $20,000 every year, although this varies even further depending on your role in the company, your salary, and how important the car actually is to your job.

How does company car allowance work for employees?

A company car allowance is a cash benefit type scheme offered to new employees or an employee who is updating their current working contract. The cash allowance is added to an employees annual salary (usually added per month) and is used to pay for a vehicle for business purposes.

Can a nonaccountable employer deduct your car allowance?

The waters get even murkier with car allowances and mileage reimbursements when employers don’t have the car allowance benefit for employees, or they are considered nonaccountable employers. What happens in such cases? Employees can deduct their driving expenses if they keep track of their driving.

How much do I get reimbursed for my car allowance?

There are some ancillary mileage rates for employees if they are driving for medical or for moving reasons if they use their vehicle for work. Employees can be reimbursed at . 17 cents per mile driven. If an employee drives for charitable organizations while working, they can be reimbursed at .14 cents per mile.

How is mileage substantiated for a car allowance?

Car allowance with mileage substantiation A company can avoid taxation by tracking the business mileage of its employees. Every month, each employee’s mileage is multiplied by the IRS mileage rate ($0.56/mile for 2021). The employee then receives the lesser of the car allowance amount and the mileage rate multiplied by the mileage.