Can You Claim First-Year Allowances?

Businesses can claim a 100% first-year allowance (FYA) on the purchase of certain qualifying Plant and Machinery (P&M). The cash-flow benefit of accelerated tax relief is designed to encourage businesses to invest in capital items which help reduce their carbon footprint by being energy and water efficient. The list of qualifying items includes expenditure on new unused electric vehicles and other cars with zero CO2 emissions. 

The list also includes:

• plant and machinery for gas refuelling stations, for example, storage tanks, pumps

• gas, biogas and hydrogen refuelling equipment

• zero-emission goods vehicles

• equipment for electric vehicle charging points

• plant and machinery for use in a freeport tax site, only for companies.

The use of the FYA allows businesses to set the full cost of qualifying P&M against their tax bills in the year of purchase. The FYA is only available on the purchase of new cars, second-hand cars do not qualify for FYAs (but can claim writing down allowances). If claiming the full amount of FYA would create a loss, it is also possible to claim less than the full 100% FYA and claim the balance using writing down allowances.