# Business vehicle leasing guides > Plain-English guides to business vehicle leasing: contract hire, VAT, BiK, salary sacrifice, payload, insurance, telematics and ending a lease early. Source: https://fleetme.co.uk/guides --- Guides # Straight answers on business vehicle leasing **How contract hire works, what the VAT and tax treatment comes to, how to size a van properly, and what you get charged for at the end.** Every tax and emissions figure carries its source and the year we checked it. ## Before you sign What contract hire is, how it compares, and how to specify the vehicle properly. ### Business contract hire explained What business contract hire is, how the initial rental, term and mileage work, what is included, and how it compares with owning your vans outright. Read the guide : Business contract hire explained → ### Contract hire vs finance lease Contract hire, finance lease, contract purchase and buying compared: who carries the residual value risk, the VAT and tax relief, and which suits you. Read the guide : Contract hire vs finance lease → ### Choosing van size and payload How to size a van properly: gross vehicle weight, kerbweight and payload, the 3,500kg licence ceiling, and the load dimensions that decide the job. Read the guide : Choosing van size and payload → ### Van lease mileage explained How mileage bands work on a business van lease, what excess mileage costs, why under-declaring is the expensive mistake, and how to estimate yours. Read the guide : Van lease mileage explained → ### Van maintenance packages explained What a van lease maintenance package covers and what it does not: servicing, tyres, MOT and wear items, the MOT classes for vans, and why uptime matters. Read the guide : Van maintenance packages explained → ### Your first van as a new business What a new business should settle before it leases a van: business structure, VAT, the real running costs, what an application needs, and insurance. Read the guide : Your first van as a new business → ## Tax and VAT What you can reclaim, what you can deduct, and what it costs the driver. Every figure sourced and dated. ### VAT on van leasing explained How VAT works on a business van lease: the 100% reclaim on commercial vehicles, the 50% block on cars, the maintenance element and the van-or-car test. Read the guide : VAT on van leasing explained → ### Is van leasing tax deductible? How van and car lease rentals are treated for UK corporation tax: the 15% car restriction, the van-or-car test, benefit in kind, and how buying compares. Read the guide : Is van leasing tax deductible? → ### Company car tax and BiK explained How company car benefit in kind works for 2026/27: the CO2 and electric-range percentages, the diesel supplement, and why a van is taxed differently. Read the guide : Company car tax and BiK explained → ### Salary sacrifice car schemes explained How a salary sacrifice car scheme works, why electric cars dominate them, the National Insurance treatment, and what happens when an employee leaves. Read the guide : Salary sacrifice car schemes explained → ## Running the vehicle Insurance, clean-air zones, electric, tracking, security and the mileage your own staff do. ### Van insurance for business explained Commercial van insurance explained: classes of use, the hire and reward gap that catches couriers, goods in transit cover and what a leased van needs. Read the guide : Van insurance for business explained → ### ULEZ and Clean Air Zone rules for vans Which vans are charged in London’s ULEZ and England’s Clean Air Zones, the Euro 6 diesel and Euro 4 petrol standards, and how to check a specific vehicle. Read the guide : ULEZ and Clean Air Zone rules for vans → ### Electric vans for business Real-world range against the WLTP figure, the payload cost of battery weight, the 4.25-tonne licence allowance, charging, grants and the 2026 rule changes. Read the guide : Electric vans for business → ### Telematics and fleet tracking What fleet telematics records, how it supports duty of care and insurance, and the UK GDPR duties that apply when you track employees in work vehicles. Read the guide : Telematics and fleet tracking → ### Van security and tool theft Van security for trades: deadlocks and slam locks, alarms, catalytic converter theft, what your insurer requires, and what to specify on a new van. Read the guide : Van security and tool theft → ### Grey fleet explained What grey fleet means, the duty of care and insurance checks an employer owes, the 2026 mileage rates, and when a company van beats paying mileage. Read the guide : Grey fleet explained → ## At the end What you are charged for, and what it costs to get out early. ### End-of-lease damage standards for vans The BVRLA Fair Wear and Tear standard for commercial vehicles: what counts as fair wear, what is chargeable, and how to prepare a van for collection. Read the guide : End-of-lease damage standards for vans → ### Ending a van lease early What ending a business contract hire agreement early costs, how the termination charge works, what happens if the business fails, and the alternatives. Read the guide : Ending a van lease early → ## More guides ### Van leasing vs buying outright Leasing or buying a van for your business: where the depreciation sits, what each does to your cash and tax, and the case where buying clearly wins. Read the guide : Van leasing vs buying outright → ### Van leasing vs hire purchase Contract hire and hire purchase compared: ownership at the end, what sits on your balance sheet, how the tax relief arrives, and which one fits how you actually work. Read the guide : Van leasing vs hire purchase → ### Van leasing vs van rental When a daily or weekly van rental is the right call and when a lease is: how the cost per day compares, what each includes, and where the crossover sits. Read the guide : Van leasing vs van rental → ### Sole trader vs limited company van How your business structure changes what vehicle agreement is available, how the tax works, and what incorporating does and does not unlock. Read the guide : Sole trader vs limited company van → ## Put numbers to it Free calculators, no sign-up, nothing you type leaves your browser.