Employers Providing Vehicles for Employees

Employers providing vehicles to their employees satisfy the employer's substantiation requirements under section 274(d) by maintaining a written policy statement that:

• Prohibits personal use including commuting or

• Prohibits personal use except for commuting

An employee does not need to keep a separate set of records for any vehicle that satisfies these written policy statement rules.  For both written policy statements, there must be evidence that would enable the IRS to determine whether use of the vehicle meets the conditions stated below.

A policy statement that prohibits personal use (including commuting) must meet all of the following conditions.

• The employer owns or leases the vehicle and provides it to one or more employees for use in the employer's trade or business

• When the vehicle is not used in the employer's trade or business, it is kept on the employer's business premises, unless it is temporarily located elsewhere (e.g. for maintenance or because of a mechanical failure)

• No employee using the vehicle lives at the employer's business premises

• No employee may use the vehicle for personal purposes, other than de minimis personal use (e.g. a stop for lunch between two business deliveries)

• Except for de minimis use, the employer reasonably believes that no employee uses the vehicle for any personal purpose.

A policy statement that prohibits personal use (except for commuting) is not available if the commuting employee is an officer, director, or 1% or more owner.  This policy must meet all of the following conditions

• The employer owns or leases the vehicle and provides it to one or more employees for use in the employer's trade or business, and it is used in the employer's trade or business

• For bona fide noncompensatory business reasons, the employer requires the employee to commute to and/or from work in the vehicle

• The employer establishes a written policy under which the employee may not use the vehicle for personal purposes, other than commuting or de minims personal use (e.g. a stop for a personal errand between a business delivery and the employee's home)

• Except for de minimis use, the employer reasonably believes that the employee does not use the vehicle for any personal purpose other than commuting

• The employer accounts for the commuting use by including an appropriate amount in the employee's gross income

An employer that provides more than five vehicles to its employees who are not 5% owners or related persons, must obtain the information from its employees and retain the information needed.

An automobile meets the requirement for qualified demonstration use if the employer maintains a written policy statement that:

• Prohibits its use by individuals other than full-time automobile salespersons,

• Prohibits its use for personal vacation trips,

• Prohibits storage of personal possessions in the automobile, and

• Limits the total mileage outside the salesperson's normal working hours.

For more information see IRS Instructions for Form 4562