Upcoming tax changes From April 2025, there are two tax changes which are set to take effect including: Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) – registered owners of electric, zero or low-emission cars, vans and motorcycles will need to pay vehicle tax in the same way as petrol and diesel vehicles. This change will apply to both new and used vehicles. Electric, zero or low emission cars registered on or after 1 April 2025 will need to pay the lowest first year rate of vehicle tax set at £10 up until 2029-30. From the second tax payment you’ll have to pay the standard annual rate of £195. New electric and zero emission vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 exceeding £40,000 will attract the standard rate, plus the expensive car supplement. Double Cab Pick-up – Benefit-In-Kind (BiK) – double cab pick-up trucks with a payload of one tonne or more will be treated as company cars for the purpose of BiK tax and capital allowances. Existing capital allowances treatment will apply to those who purchase double cab pick-ups before April 2025. Transitional BIK arrangements will apply for employers that have purchased, leased, or ordered a double cab pick-up before 6 April 2025. They will be able to use the previous treatment, until the earlier of disposal, lease expiry, or 5 April 2029. These changes were announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget by Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP. Additionally, this year will also see changes to: Emission Testing of Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV) – this year, plug-in hybrid vehicles will face more rigorous emissions testing. As a result, the company car tax position for many PHEV models is likely to become less attractive. Under the current company car tax rules, cars that emit less than 50g/km of CO2 are divided into bands based on their zero-emission driving distance. Most PHEV models fall into this category and attract a 5%, 8% or 12% BiK rate. If the CO2 emissions for a PHEV model increase beyond 50g/km, as part of the revised test, then drivers will face a BiK rate of at least 15%. For more information, please refer to the links below: Vehicle tax for electric, zero or low emission vehicles – GOV.UK Tax status of pick-ups questioned with HMRC set to clarify rules Government announces flexibilities to apprenticeships On Tuesday 11 February, during National Apprenticeship Week, the Government announced changes to apprenticeships, including: Businesses will be able to decide whether adult learners over the age of 19, will need to complete a level 2 English and Maths qualification (equivalent to GCSE) in order to pass it. The minimum length of apprenticeships will be reduced to 8 months, instead of the current 12 months, from August 2025 NFDA Comments: DRIVE MY CAREER CELEBRATES NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK AND LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN – Drive My Career Further Information: 10,000 more apprentices as Government slashes red tape to boost growth – GOV.UK