Employers can require employees to use a personal vehicle for work. Yes, you can require employees to use a personal vehicle for work, and for many employers, this may seem safer than providing company cars.Most insurance companies will not cover the vehicle if it was being used for work purposes. Under Section 2082 in California, employers have essential obligations to fulfill when employees use personal vehicles for work. The use of privately-owned automobiles for approved work is permissible provided it is done during the course of the employee's scheduled hours of work. This law states that employers should reimburse employees for each and every expense that they incur throughout the course of doing business. It is lawful for your employer to make you use your own vehicle to drive to various locations for your job. A company-owned vehicle used for business purposes (if it is documented) is not considered taxable income.
If you agreed to drive around town to do jobs for work, then they should cover you while driving. "On the tax side, if you're reimbursing, it is considered taxfree both to employer and employee," Lackey said.