The IRS has released final regulations modifying the dollar limits for vehicles subject to a fleet average valuation rule or having personal use valued using the cents-per-mile valuation method found in Reg. §1.61-21.[1]

The preamble to the final regulations describes these special rules as follows:

The amount that must be included in the employee’s income and wages for the personal use of an employer-provided vehicle generally is determined by reference to the vehicle’s fair market value (FMV). However, for many years, §1.61-21 has provided special valuation rules for employer-provided vehicles (the prior final regulations).1 If an employer chooses to use a special valuation rule, the special value is treated as the FMV of the benefit for income tax and employment tax purposes. §1.61-21(b)(4). As discussed further in this Background section of this preamble, two such special valuation rules, the fleet-average valuation rule and the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule, are set forth in §1.61-21(d)(5)(v) and §1.61-21(e), respectively. These two special valuation rules are subject to limitations, including that they may be used only in connection with vehicles having values that do not exceed a maximum amount set forth in the regulations.[2]

The prior final regulations limited the cost of such vehicles to $12,800 for the cents-per-mile valuation method and $16,500 for a vehicle valued under the fleet-average valuation rule, subject to adjustment for inflation

The preamble to the proposed regulations provides the following description of the allowed use of a fleet-average valuation rule:

The fleet-average valuation rule is an optional component of a special valuation rule called the automobile lease valuation rule set forth in §1.61-21(d). Under the automobile lease valuation rule, the value of the personal use of an employer-provided automobile available to an employee for an entire year is the portion of the annual lease value determined under the regulations (Annual Lease Value) relating to the availability of the automobile for personal use. Furthermore, provided the FMV of the automobile does not exceed the maximum value permitted under §1.61-21(d)(5)(v), an employer with a fleet of 20 or more automobiles may use a fleet-average value for purposes of calculating the Annual Lease Value of any automobile in the fleet.

The fleet-average value is the average of the fair market values of all the automobiles in the fleet. However, §1.61-21(d)(5)(v)(D) of the prior final regulations provided that the value of an employee’s personal use of an automobile could not be determined under the fleet-average valuation rule for a calendar year if the FMV of the automobile on the first date the automobile was made available to the employee exceeded the base value of $16,500, as adjusted annually pursuant to section 280F(d)(7). Section 1.61-21(d)(5)(v)(D) provided that the first such adjustment would be for calendar year 1989, subject to minor modifications to the section 280F(d)(7) formula specified in the regulations. In other words, under the prior final regulations, the maximum value for use of the fleet-average valuation rule was the base value of $16,500, as adjusted annually under section 280F(d)(7) every year since 1989.

…Section 1.61-21(d)(5)(v)(B) provides that the fleet-average valuation rule may be used by an employer as of January 1 of any calendar year following the calendar year in which the employer acquires a sufficient number of automobiles to total a fleet of 20 or more, each one satisfying the maximum value requirement of §1.61-21(d)(5)(v)(D). The Annual Lease Value calculated for automobiles in the fleet, based on the fleet-average value, must remain in effect for the period that begins with the first January 1 the fleet-average valuation rule is applied by the employer to the automobiles in the fleet and ends on December 31 of the subsequent calendar year. The Annual Lease Value for each subsequent two-year period is calculated by determining the fleet average value of the automobiles in the fleet as of the first January 1 of such period. An employer may cease using the fleet-average valuation rule as of any January 1.[3]

As well, it goes on to describe the cents-per-mile valuation method:

Another special valuation rule is the vehicle cents-per-mile rule in §1.61-21(e). Under §1.61-21(e), if an employer provides an employee with the use of a vehicle that the employer reasonably expects will be regularly used in the employer's trade or business throughout the calendar year (or such shorter period as the vehicle may be owned or leased by the employer), or that satisfies the requirements of §1.61-21(e)(1)(ii) (i.e., the vehicle is actually driven at least 10,000 miles in the year and use of the vehicle during the year is primarily by employees), the value of the personal use may be determined based on the applicable standard mileage rate multiplied by the total number of miles the vehicle is driven by the employee for personal purposes.

Section 1.61-21(e)(1)(iii)(A) provides that the value of the personal use may not be determined under the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule for a calendar year if the fair market value of the vehicle on the first date the vehicle is made available to the employee exceeds the sum of the maximum recovery deductions allowable under section 280F(a) for a five-year period for an automobile first placed in service during that calendar year (whether or not the automobile is actually placed in service during that year), as adjusted by section 280F(d)(7). The prior final regulations provided that, under this rule, with respect to a vehicle placed in service in or after 1989, the limitation on value was $12,800, as adjusted under section 280F(d)(7). In other words, under the prior final regulations, the maximum value of a vehicle for use of the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule was the base value of $12,800, as adjusted annually under section 280F(d)(7) since 1989. As with the fleet-average valuation rule, beginning in 2005, the IRS calculated the price inflation adjustment for trucks and vans separately from cars. See Rev. Proc. 2005-48. For 2017, the maximum value for use of the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule was $15,900 for a passenger automobile and $17,800 for a truck or van. See Notice 2017-03.

Section 1.61-21(e)(5)(i) states that an employer must adopt the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule for a vehicle to take effect by the first day on which the vehicle is used by an employee of the employer for personal use (or, if another special valuation rule called the commuting valuation rule of §1.61-21(f) is used when the vehicle is first used by an employee of the employer for personal use, the first day on which the commuting valuation rule is not used). Section 1.61-21(e)(5)(ii) also provides, in part, that once the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule has been adopted for a vehicle by an employer, the rule must be used by the employer for all subsequent years in which the vehicle qualifies for use of the rule, except that the employer may, for any year during which use of the vehicle qualifies for the commuting valuation rule of §1.61-21(f), use the commuting valuation rule with respect to the vehicle.[4]

The preamble notes that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) substantially increased the cap on the maximum deductible depreciation for automobiles and revised the cost of living adjustment to be computed using both the CPI auto component and the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) automobile component.[5]

Those changes have led to the need to revise the dollar limits upward substantially for these two valuation methods.  The IRS announced their intent to revise the regulations to accomplish this and provided 2018 values in Notice 2019-08.  This notice was followed up with 2019 numbers found in Notice 2019-34.[6]

On August 29, 2019 the proposed regulations to implement these changes were published in the Federal Register by the Treasury Department.[7]  No comments were received, so the final regulations were adopted without substantive changes.[8]

Thus, Reg. §1.61-21(d)(5)(v)(D) related to the use of the fleet-average valuation rule is modified to read as follows:

(D) Limitations on use of fleet-average rule. The rule provided in this paragraph (d)(5)(v) may not be used for any automobile the fair market value of which (determined pursuant to paragraphs (d)(5)(i) through (iv) of this section as of the first date on which the automobile is made available to any employee of the employer for personal use) exceeds $50,000, as adjusted by section 280F(d)(7). The first such adjustment shall be for calendar year 2019. In addition, the rule provided in this paragraph (d)(5)(v) may only be used for automobiles that the employer reasonably expects will regularly be used in the employer's trade or business. For rules concerning when an automobile is regularly used in the employer's business, see paragraph (e)(1)(iv) of this section.[9]

The revised regulation applies to tax years beginning on or after February 5, 2020, but taxpayers can apply the changes for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018.[10]

A special transition rule is also in place for 2018 and 2019.  The provision provides:

(G) Transition rule for 2018 and 2019. Notwithstanding paragraph (d)(5)(v)(B) of this section, an employer that did not qualify to use the fleet-average valuation rule prior to January 1, 2018, with respect to any automobile (including a truck or van) because the fair market value of the vehicle exceeded the inflation-adjusted maximum value requirement of paragraph (d)(5)(v)(D) of this section, as published by the Service in a notice or revenue procedure applicable to the year the vehicle was first made available to any employee of the employer, may adopt the fleet-average valuation rule for 2018 or 2019 with respect to the vehicle, provided the fair market value of the vehicle does not exceed $50,000 on January 1, 2018, or $50,400 on January 1, 2019, respectively.[11]

For the cents-per-mile valuation method, the regulations are first changed at Reg. §1.61-21(e)(1)(iii)(A) to say:

(A) In general. The value of the use of an automobile (as defined in paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this section) may not be determined under the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule of this paragraph (e) for a calendar year if the fair market value of the automobile (determined pursuant to paragraphs (d)(5)(i) through (iv) of this section as of the first date on which the automobile is made available to any employee of the employer for personal use) exceeds $50,000, as adjusted by section 280F(d)(7). The first such adjustment shall be for calendar year 2019.[12]

As well, Reg. §1.61-21(e)(5)(i) is revised to read:

(i) Use of the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule by an employer. An employer must adopt the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule of this paragraph (e) for a vehicle to take effect by the first day on which the vehicle is used by an employee of the employer for personal use (or, if the commuting valuation rule of paragraph (f) of this section is used when the vehicle is first used by an employee of the employer for personal use, the first day on which the commuting valuation rule is not used).[13]

As with the FAVR rule, these regulation changes are effective for taxable years beginning on or after February 5, 2020, with taxpayers being given the option to apply these rules to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018.[14]

Similarly, a special transition rule for the cents-per-mile valuation method is provided for 2018 and 2019:

(vi) Transition rule for 2018 and 2019. For a vehicle first made available to any employee of an employer for personal use before calendar year 2018, an employer that did not qualify under this paragraph (e)(5) to adopt the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule on the first day on which the vehicle is used by the employee for personal use because the fair market value of the vehicle exceeded the inflation-adjusted limitation of paragraph (e)(1)(iii) of this section, as published by the Service in a notice or revenue procedure applicable to the year the vehicle was first used by the employee for personal use, may first adopt the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule for the 2018 or 2019 taxable year, provided the fair market value of the vehicle does not exceed $50,000 on January 1, 2018, or $50,400 on January 1, 2019, respectively. Similarly, for a vehicle first made available to any employee of the employer for personal use before calendar year 2018, if the commuting valuation rule of paragraph (f) of this section was used when the vehicle was first used by the employee for personal use, and the employer did not qualify to switch to the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule of this paragraph (e) on the first day on which the commuting valuation rule of paragraph (f) of this section was not used because the vehicle had a fair market value in excess of the inflation-adjusted limitation of paragraph (e)(1)(iii) of this section, as published by the Service in a notice or revenue procedure applicable to the year the commuting valuation rule was first not used, the employer may adopt the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule for the 2018 or 2019 taxable year, provided the fair market value of the vehicle does not exceed $50,000 on January 1, 2018, or $50,400 on January 1, 2019, respectively. However, in accordance with paragraph (e)(5)(ii) of this section, an employer that adopts the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule pursuant to this paragraph (e)(5)(vi) must continue to use the rule for all subsequent years in which the vehicle qualifies for use of the rule, except that the employer may, for any year during which use of the vehicle qualifies for the commuting valuation rule of paragraph (f) of this section, use the commuting valuation rule with regard to the vehicle.[15]

[1] TD 9893, February 5, 2020, https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-02158.pdf?utm_campaign=pi+subscription+mailing+list&utm_source=federalregister.gov&utm_medium=email (retrieved February 4, 2020)

[2] TD 9893, p. 2

[3] TD 9893, pp. 3-5

[4] TD 9893, pp. 5-6

[5] TD 9893, p. 7

[6] TD 9893, pp. 7-8

[7] Federal Register, 84 FR 44258, August 23, 2019

[8] TD 9893, p. 12

[9] Reg. §1.61-21(d)(5)(v)(D)

[10] Reg. §1.61-21(d)(5)(v)(H)

[11] Reg. §1.61-21(d)(5)(v)(G)

[12] Reg. §1.61-21(e)(1)(iii)(A)

[13] Reg. §1.61-21(e)(5)(i)

[14] Reg. §1.61-21(e)(6)

[15] Reg. §1.61-21(e)(5)(vi)