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Van cost per mile calculator
Fuel is only part of what your van costs. Add the fixed costs to see the real cost of every mile you drive to a job.
Your van's cost per mile is its fuel cost per mile plus its fixed costs (insurance, tax, servicing, finance and depreciation) divided by the miles you drive a year. HMRC's approved mileage rate for cars and vans is 45p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles, then 25p.
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Start freeHow it works
Fuel a mile = price a litre × 4.546 ÷ mpg
Total a mile = fuel a mile + fixed costs a year ÷ miles a year
Worked example
A van doing 15,000 miles a year at 35 mpg, with £6,500 of fixed costs, costs £0.19 a mile in fuel and £0.62 a mile in total: £9,325 a year.
HMRC approved mileage rates
If you use your own vehicle for work, HMRC's approved mileage rates for cars and vans are 45p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles and 25p after. For 15,000 miles that is £5,750. Sole traders can choose simplified mileage instead of claiming actual costs; ask your accountant which suits you.
Questions
What counts as a fixed cost?
Finance or depreciation, insurance, road tax, MOT, servicing, tyres and parking: costs you pay whether you drive or not.
How do I use the cost a mile?
Add it to quotes for jobs further away, and use it in your call-out charge so travel is never free.
Should I count private miles?
Use your total miles for the cost a mile, then charge customers for the business miles only.
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