How Can I Deduct Rental Car Costs On My Income Tax?
March 18, 2010 by Adriana Noton
Filed under Car Rental
One of the popular questions asked related to tax is “Can I deduct rental car costs on my income tax?”. Many countries impose massive taxes on rental cars. Rental car companies are becoming more infuriated with the increasing taxes imposed on their clients.
Unfortunately, it is not easy to avoid these taxes, according to the Coalition Against Discriminatory Car Rental Excise Taxes. In 43 of the United States of America, there are a total of 114 different local and state excise taxes for leasing and or renting cars. In the 1990s, there were only fourteen such taxes. The CADCRET was formed in order to track and fight the proliferation of taxes.
Residents of Maine blocked a new state tax-reform law that proposed a 10-12,5% increase in car rentals. The petition managed to put the increase on hold for a while at least. This is a great relief for business travelers in particular as well as rental car companies and corporate travel departments.
Some cities charge as much as 20% in car rental taxes and cost Fortune 100 companies upwards of $5 million per year.
Taxes are imposed in order for cities to close gaps within their budgets. This has not made the car hire companies excited at all. They do not want to be associated with tax collection and they have to charge higher prices to accommodate the taxes. Subconsciously clients blame the care and truck rental companies for this. 36 months ago 8 rental brands and the National Business Travel Association formed a group to lobby against the taxes. They also took it upon themselves to provide education for consumers.
In New Jersey there is tax reform passed that permits municipalities to impose 5 % excise tax when people rent cars. As it is car renters already pay a whopping $5 daily in the form of sales tax and state tax.
Don’t rent a car in Wisconsin as you will be expected to pay $18 every time you rent a vehicle. The money from this tax is supposedly used to assist in the funding of a mass- transit project. This would translate to a tax increase of in excess of seventy percent in Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine.
The lobbyist group also reports that in Michigan there is pending legislation that will, if passed increase taxes by a further $2.50 per transaction.
In order to find funding for rail projects in Florida. The people responsible for the law are fighting to increase the taxes by a further $2.00. This would mean the tax increases by 50!
The general consensus of these people who make the laws is that this tax is necessary and understandable. These sentiments receive fierce opposition for the coalition.
The recession has hit the states in America in a big way and the deficits in state coffers is horrendous to say the least.
It appears there is misappropriation of funds as when a project is complete then the money is used elsewhere. This explains some of the reasons that car renters are asking, “can I deduct car rental costs on my income tax?
Discount Car Australia offers everyday low rates, long-term Sydney car hire and one way car hire. Rental car classes include large corporate car rental, economy car rental, pickup truck rental.
Towing Services Are Economical And Essential
February 25, 2010 by Adriana Noton
Filed under Car Rental
Everyone has witnessed the aftermath of accidents when the battered cars are towed away by tow trucks. The benefits of these towing services are many.
The crime rate is growing rapidly and the prospect of being alone in the evening walking through a dark stretch of highway is frightening. Women especially are vulnerable when they are driving alone or with children through an isolated area. We would love to all be constantly protected from both hidden and obvious dangers at all times but, the reality is, we are not.
A number of situations arise in ones lifetime where you may need the services of a towing company. If you are in an accident and the car is damaged extensively then you will need to find the nearest towing company which can be a hassle. The company may be expensive and you may not be carrying enough to cover the costs. Getting your car to the garage and getting it fixed may cost you the same as getting it towed to the mechanic in the first place.
If your car breaks down suddenly then you may also need to contact towing services. Cars are vulnerable to time and parts erode over the years. Your car may break down at anytime for numerous reasons and most of the time it happens when you least expect it. Finding a mechanic close by may not be an option.
A mechanic’s shop may be too far out and you will need to find some emergency road services to help transport your car, which is an added cost to getting your car fixed and up and running again. You can avoid this hassle if you have a plan in advance where you get roadside assistance and it includes the price of towing at a reasonable rate.
Roadside assistance plans offer a number of services that are included in the monthly fee. The fee is reasonable and it prevents you from having to pay a hefty sum all at once in case of an emergency. The fee includes a variety of services besides towing such as offering to come and fix your flat tire anywhere you may be. It also includes various other benefits like bringing you a battery in case of a failure.
The roadside plan helps you out of most auto related issues. They will help you if you run out of gas suddenly or get locked out of your car. Every time such incidences happen you would have had to pay a huge amount for towing services and finding a lock smith at odd hours. Having a road side plan will take into consideration all situations where you may be helpless and stuck with your car. They will help you in every emergency situation moving your car safely and securely.
Keep in mind the numerous emergency situations you may find yourself in and realize that anyone may need towing services at any point in time. Having a decent roadside assistance plan will ensure that you get help swiftly and economically.
There comes a time when you need roadside assistance during an automotive crisis. Consult with the Abrams Towing in Mississauga for more information on responsive, resourceful, and reliable emergency road service.
How Strict are Car Rental Companies about Pick Up Times?
February 26, 2009 by Amy Nutt
Filed under Car Rental
Lets say youre scheduled to fly into your destination airport at 3:00, so youve made arrangements to pick up your rental car around 3:15 or 3:30. However, your flight time has been delayed or has been rescheduled. Now youre worried that youre not going to be able to pick up your rental car because youre going to be late. What does this mean for you? How strict are car rental companies about their pick up times?
Fortunately, the above scenario is quite common. Actually, that is not a very fortunate situation, but the car rental companies are certainly not strangers to rescheduled flights or delayed flights. This is something that they contend with all of the time. As a matter of fact, they probably contend with this every single day. Think about how often your own flights have been delayed or youve heard of flight delays. We all have experienced or heard about them at some point.
The facts
The fact is that your reservation is not even a guarantee that youre going to get the car in a first place. Your reservation is just way to tell the car rental company that you would like to rent a car that day. The only way to guarantee that a car will be held for you is if you are part of a frequent renters club. However, you dont have to worry about being late if you provide the rental car company with your flight details. If you provide them with those details, then they are going to know that your flight has been delayed. Most car rental companies that are housed within airports will be notified of any delays so that they dont hand your rental off to someone else.
As for there being any penalty for your late arrival, you dont have to worry. You cant be billed for a car that you havent even picked up. However, you can still make a phone call if that makes you more comfortable. Although the car rental companies are attached to airport scheduling systems electronically, many individuals need that peace of mind that their rental is going to be ready for them. As a result, the car rental company may make provisions to hold the rental for you for 6 to 12 hours.
Convenience
Again, remember that your reservation is not a guarantee for a car. That is why they dont bill you in advance. They simply put your name on the rental and expect you to arrive around the pick up time to get it. Now there is that issue in which you may be dealing with a car rental company that is not associated with any of the airports. Thats when you may want to make your phone call. Perhaps your departure time has been delayed and you cant pick up the car when you said you would. They usually dont have a problem as long as they know you are definitely coming.
Car rental companies do all that they can to make things comfortable for their customers. You definitely dont want to arrive at the car rental companys location and find that they have nothing for you. This has happened to people before, but it is very rare. If youre in an airport, youre in luck because there are other car rental companies housed within the airport. If youre not dealing with an airport, then you may have to find out where else you can go, but know that you do have options and youre not going to be stuck. Youll be able to get yourself a car no matter what.
Can You Drive a Rental Car All the Way Around Australia?
February 24, 2009 by Amy Nutt
Filed under Car Rental
Are you interested in taking a driving tour around Australia? If you are, then you are in luck because it is very possible. But if youre taking a rental car, you need to take your distance into consideration. Keep in mind that Australia is a large country with plenty to see, so you need to set aside a lot of time and check with the rental car company about the mileage you will be placing on the car.
When you tell the rental car company where you are going, they may object to one of their cars being taken the distance. To drive around Australia, the distance is 20,000km. This means it would take 200 hours of continuous driving to make it all the way around. In other words, it would take 8 days for you to finish your quest, but you would not be able to stop and enjoy the sites if you did this. However, the concern of the rental car company is the distance being placed upon the car. That is a lot of wear and tear. For other car rental companies, they may not care if youre willing to put up the cash for it. If they give you a quote based on factors that include age, whether or not you need insurance, and mileage; the further you go, the more expensive it is going to be.
Sightseeing
Rental car companies also base the amount of the rental off of the amount of time you will have the car. If you are going to sightsee while driving around Australia, it can take up to 40 days to see everything. Then again, it depends on where youre stopping and how long you intend on staying there. It is probably ideal to give yourself about two months to do and see everything that there is to do and see, but you have to make sure that it is okay with the car rental company.
Since many car rental companies do have monthly plans and will allow you to rent for as long as you want without any restrictions, you may not have an issue. Just make sure you cover all of your bases before you drive away with the car. You dont want to come back two months later with an extremely high amount of mileage on the car that the car rental company did not expect. Some of these companies will only rent a car beyond a certain travel distance, and then sell it through their own car lot or through another. So make sure they are not surprised.
The perfect car
When you find the perfect company, you have to find the perfect car. Since youre going to be driving all the way around Australia, you need one that is spacious and comfortable. Many individuals will opt for a van because of the amount of room they consist of. You can store weeks of clothing and other supplies, everyone has enough legroom, and you can even lie down if you need to at some point on the trip. Make sure you talk to the rental car company about a van or another spacious vehicle that you can withstand spending hundreds of hours in for the next couple of months.
So now you know that you can drive a rental car all the way around Australia. It can be quite a fun and rewarding trip. You just need to make sure you do ample planning, make the rental car company aware of your intentions, find the perfect vehicle, and have a lot of fun. You might be quite amazed at how incredible a trip around Australia really is.






