June 2023 - Flare HR

Top 5 best small luxury cars

Posted on June 29, 2023November 23, 2023 by Pie Langford

Step into the world of small luxury cars with the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Mini Clubman, and Volkswagen Golf. These vehicles offer a blend of style, innovation, and exhilarating driving experiences in a compact yet luxurious package. From the elegant design and advanced technologies of the Audi A3 to the cutting-edge features and convenience of the BMW 1 Series, each small luxury car brings something unique to the table.

Audi A3

Experience the new Audi A3, a supremely luxurious, sporty and elegantly styled sedan that is sure to turn heads. With a striking new design language and advanced technologies, the A3 offers an even more engaging driving experience. The A3 offers a range of safety features, including an Electromechanical Parking Brake, Autonomous Emergency Braking, and Electronic Stabilisation Control, so you can feel confident and secure behind the wheel. Experience the seamless, intuitive Audi A3 today.

BMW 1 Series

Introducing the BMW 1 Series – the perfect combination of innovative luxury and outstanding and advanced design language. The ultimate driving experience, full of dynamics and agility, enjoy the convenience of a hatchback body type and the safety of the Parking Assistant Plus. Experience performance and character united in the BMW 1 Series.

Mercedes Benz A-Class

Introducing the Mercedes-Benz A Class – a perfect combination of intelligence, innovation and luxury. Enjoy energising comfort and exemplary safety, as well as spacious seating and one of the most cutting-edge designs. With a wide range of power and torque options, the Mercedes-Benz A Class is the perfect choice for your next car.

Mini Clubman

The Mini Clubman is a distinctive and sophisticated all-wheel drive wagon that is the perfect urban vehicle for work or play. The Mini Clubman offers more room for family, four-legged friends as well as all the fun and possibility you can handle. It features innovative technology such as touch command, park assist and MINI Connected, plus a range of safety features including Dynamic Stability Control, Anti-lock braking system and Dynamic Traction Control. Whether you’re running errands around town or taking a road trip, the Mini Clubman is the perfect choice for your next adventure.

Volkswagen Golf

Experience a drive that takes you out of everyday life and into a world less ordinary with the Volkswagen Golf. This hatchback offers 110 kW of power and a fuel tank capacity of 5.8-6.0 L/110km. Plus, its semi-autonomous driving capabilities, unparalleled performance and striking design make the Golf a great choice for those who want to break out of their routine and start an adventure. Safety features such as Emergency Assist, Proactive Occupant Protection System and Multi-collision braking also make the Golf a reliable and secure ride.

Get the car you want, now

We are dedicated to helping our customers get the most out of their budget without compromising on an exceptional driving experience. Whether you prioritise safety and reliability or crave a blend of excitement and functionality, our team at Flare is committed to assisting you in discovering the ideal car that aligns with your unique lifestyle. Experience the joy of driving the perfect vehicle with Flare.

The 2023 luxury Car Tax Threshold: the newest affordable electric vehicles

Posted on June 8, 2023November 23, 2023 by Pie Langford

Good news for Australians interested in low-cost electric vehicles: the luxury car tax threshold has been raised for the new financial year! Supporting both the environment and Australians’ wallets, the federal government introduced a law last year exempting electric vehicles priced under the luxury car tax threshold from paying fringe benefits tax (FBT). This means that electric vehicles could now be found to be much more affordable, depending on the car and your individual situation. This article will explore the 2023 luxury car tax threshold and introduce four newly eligible models that offer a compelling combination of performance, range, and affordability.

What is the 2023 luxury car tax threshold?

The luxury car tax threshold for the 23/24 financial year is now set at $89,332. This threshold determines the maximum value at which a car is exempt from the luxury car tax (LCT). Any vehicle with an LCT value exceeding this threshold attracts an LCT rate of 33%. The increase in the luxury car threshold for 2023 opens up new opportunities for working Australians to explore a wider range of electric vehicles without incurring additional taxes.

What was the 2022 luxury car tax threshold?

In 2022, the luxury car tax threshold stood at $89,332. This lower threshold meant that vehicles with a higher value were subject to the luxury car tax. However, with the increase in the threshold for 2023, more electric vehicles now fall within the exempt category, providing an incentive for Australians to consider these environmentally friendly options.

The car models now available

Tesla Model 3 Performance

Tesla	Model 3	Model 3 Long Range	Model 3 Performance
Range	491 km	602 km	547 km
Battery	50 kWh	82 kWh	82 kWh
Acceleration	6.1 s	4.4 s	3.3 s
Power	~208kW	~366k	~377kW
Torque	375 Nm	510 Nm	640 Nm
Drive-train	Rear Wheel	Dual motor all-wheel	Dual motor all-wheel
Price	$61,300	$74,300	87,300

The Tesla Model 3 Performance, priced at $87,300, is now eligible for the electric car discount. With an impressive acceleration of 3.3 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, a big step up from the base model’s 6.1 seconds, the Model 3 Performance delivers an exhilarating drive.

With the Tesla Model 3’s sleek design and signature glass roof, this electric marvel not only delivers exhilarating acceleration but also immerses passengers in a bright and spacious environment, seamlessly connecting them with the world outside the car. - Justin Miller, Flare EV Expert

See how Melbourne driver Danny was able to get a brand new Tesla earlier this year:

Mercedes-Benz EQB

Mercedes-Benz	EQB 250 Auto	EQB 350 Auto
Range	507 km	445 km
Battery	66.5 kWh	66.5 kWh
Acceleration	9.2 s	6.2 s
Power	~140 kW	~215 kW
Torque	385 Nm	520 Nm
Drive-train	Front Wheel	Four Wheel
Price	$87,800	$106,700

The Mercedes-Benz EQB 250, priced at $87,800, joins the eligible electric vehicle list. With a range of 507 km, rose gold-coloured elements and the backlit trim, the EQB 250 Auto offers luxury and sustainability in one elegant package. Its refined interior, advanced safety features, and the renowned craftsmanship of Mercedes-Benz make it an enticing choice for those seeking a premium electric vehicle.

The EQB’s large load compartment provides ample room for all your belongings, and with the ability to fold and slide the rear seats, it offers unmatched adaptability. Families will appreciate the four ISOFIX child seat holders, ensuring the utmost safety and convenience for our littlest passengers.

- Justin Miller, Flare EV Expert

Kia EV6

Kia	EV6	EV6 GT-Line	EV6 GT-Line	EV6 GT
Range	528 km	504 km	484 km	424 km
Battery	77.4 kWh	77.4 kWh	77.4 kWh	77.4 kWh
Acceleration	7.3 s	7.3 s	5.2 s	3.5 s
Power	168 kW	168 kW	239 kW	430 kW
Torque	350 Nm	350 Nm	605 Nm	740 Nm
Drive-train	Rear wheel	Rear wheel	All wheel	All wheel
Price	$72,590	$79,590	$87,590	$99,590

The Kia EV6 GT-Line model, priced at $87,590, is now eligible for the electric car discount. The three time ‘Best Car of 2022’ award winner has a range of 484 km, 239kW of power and 605 Nm torque, delivering both style and performance. Its sleek design, advanced features, and comprehensive suite of safety technologies make it a compelling choice for those seeking a balance between aesthetics and sustainable driving.

The Kia EV6’s combined cluster and infotainment display takes the driving experience to a whole new level, offering a seamless and immersive interface that keeps you connected and in control. Get ready to embark on a journey of innovation and connectivity with the Kia EV6, where every drive becomes a captivating and immersive experience.

- Justin Miller, Flare EV Expert

Hyundai Ioniq 6

Hyundai	Ioniq 6 Dynamiq	Ioniq 6 Techniq	Ioniq 6 Epiq
Battery	77.4 kWh	77.4 kWh	77.4 kWh
Acceleration	7.4 s	5.1 s	5.1 s
Power	168 kW	239 kW	239 kW
Torque	350Nm	605Nm	605Nm
Drive-train	Rear wheel	All wheel	All wheel
Price	$74,000	$83,500	$88,000

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 Epiq, priced at $88,000, offers an upgraded option within the luxury car tax threshold. With a range of 519 km and an extra charging port that can power your e-bike, portable fridge or camping gear, the Epiq is ready for any outdoor adventure. Its sleek design, advanced technologies, and luxurious driving environment showcase Hyundai’s commitment to sustainable mobility.

The Epiq's ultra-fast charging capabilities are truly remarkable, allowing you to gain an incredible 100km of range from just a 5-minute charge. Say goodbye to range anxiety and embrace the freedom of seamless charging. With the Hyundai Ioniq Epiq, every journey becomes a fast and exhilarating adventure.

- Justin Miller, Flare EV Expert

These newly eligible electric vehicles present exciting options for Australians in the market for a new car. These models provide an attractive balance of power, performance, and design while still falling below the luxury car tax threshold. By opting for these electric vehicles, Australians can contribute to a greener future while enjoying the benefits of cutting-edge technology and impressive driving experiences.

Get the car you want, now

Tax savings: How can your car help?

Posted on June 7, 2023November 23, 2023 by Pie Langford

Many of us are unaware of the potential savings a novated lease can provide. When it comes to household budgets, cars can be one of our biggest expenses, so much so that Australians spend 15% of their income on transport costs – almost $385 a week. A novated lease is one way that you might be able to save. We spoke to Wei, team lead at Flare cars, about the benefits of a novated lease and how many Australians are taking advantage of the savings. So if you’re wondering how to save tax in Australia, buckle in.

What is a novated lease?

A novated lease is an arrangement between you, your employer and a financier for a period of time, between 1 to 6 years. Your employer makes before-and-after-tax deductions (known as salary sacrificing) to pay for your car and running costs, helping to save money on tax. With a novated lease, your fuel cost is spread across the year and paid out of your before-tax salary to save on running costs.

How the savings work

With a Flare novated lease, you can get the car you want now with no large upfront costs, and bundle up all your vehicle finance and running costs like fuel and maintenance into convenient monthly payments. By doing this, you could make significant savings on the purchase price, your income tax, and GST too.

With a novated lease; your taxable income is reduced, so you could pay less income tax, and less GST on a new or used car from a dealership, and most of your running costs are paid for out of your pre-tax salary. This could save thousands of dollars over the life of a lease.

Let’s look at Sarah, who is looking for a new car to get around her neighbourhood and to and from work every day. Here we breakdown the savings that come from a novated lease, compared to buying the car outright or using a car loan.

Looking to investigate potential ways to save on tax in Australia with your car?

Flare is here to help you kickstart the process. Flare will arrange everything for you – from identifying and sourcing the car at a great price through our network, helping you apply for finance, to buying your car and having it delivered. We’ll also manage the arrangement with you and your employer. It’s that easy.

We have an Australian-based team of car experts dedicated to providing support to our customers. They’re here to save you time and money. All our experts have lengthy experience in the industry and know cars inside and out. They can provide expertise, guidance and step you through the car salary packaging process to find, test-drive and buy the best car for your needs and budget.

What is a novated lease, and how does it work?

Posted on June 6, 2023November 23, 2023 by Pie Langford

Novated leasing is an innovative car financing option that allows employees to save money on their car purchase and potentially enjoying significant tax savings. Let’s explore everything you need to know about novated leasing for employees, including how it works, what happens at the end of a novated lease, the benefits, and more.

What is a novated lease?

Cars are one of our biggest household expenses, yet many of us haven’t been exposed to the huge savings advantages that a novated lease can offer. It’s one of the cheapest ways to own and run your car. A novated lease is an arrangement between an employee, their employer, and a financier for a period of time, between one to five years. With a Flare novated lease, you can get the car you want now with no large upfront cost, and bundle up your vehicle finance and running costs like fuel and maintenance into convenient monthly payments. By doing this, you could make significant savings on the purchase price, your income tax, and GST too.

How does it work?

Novated leasing is a workplace benefit in which all the costs for running a car, as well as the vehicle purchase price, are taken directly out of your salary, through a combination of pre and post tax deductions by your employer.

What happens at the end of a novated lease?

You have a couple of options if you want to leave your current company. If your new employer offers novated leasing, then you should be able to transfer your novated lease over via your new employer’s salary packaging provider. Alternatively, if your new employer does not offer novated leasing, you can pay your finance directly to the financier; however, this becomes your responsibility, and you would lose the associated tax benefits.

Did you know that with a Flare Novated lease you get:

The car you want, now. No large upfront costs, plus our team will help you source your new car and organise a test drive.
The best pricing. Benefit from Flare’s buying power and save yourself the hard work. Our car experts negotiate on your behalf and secure the best EV and hybrid deals for you.
Save on tax and running costs. Enjoy significant tax savings and less GST on your car purchase, electricity mileage, servicing and maintenance.
Easy budget management. Avoid hidden expenses and spread your bills throughout the year by bundling up your finance and running costs like electricity mileage, servicing, maintenance and rego into one convenient monthly payment.

FAQ’s:

Is a novated lease worth it?

A novated lease can be an excellent option for employees who want to save money on their car expenses while enjoying significant tax savings. However, it’s essential to consider the pros and cons of novated leasing before making a decision, and as every situation is different, so is every lease agreement.

Can you novate lease a used car?

Yes, a used car can be no older than 12 years old at the end of the lease term. So for example, if you want to lease a used car over 5 years, the car must be 7 years old or newer at the start of the lease. All you’ll need to do is provide a quote from a dealer on the used car. Don’t sign any contracts to buy until you have your credit approved.

I want to lease my current car. How do I take advantage of the tax benefits of leasing?

If you own your current car outright, or owe less on existing finance than the car is worth then we can explore a lease for you under what’s called a “Sale and Leaseback” arrangement. The finance company essentially buys your vehicle from you and leases it back to you over an agreed term.

Is novated leasing only beneficial if I drive high kilometres per year?

That is no longer the case. The Federal Government changed legislation a few years back which made the benefit of leasing universal regardless of kilometres driven. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re doing 5000kms per year or 25000kms. The only thing kilometres impact are your running cost budgets for fuel, servicing and so on.

How to onboard new employees remotely

Posted on June 2, 2023November 23, 2023 by Pie Langford

As the world continues to adapt to our new ways of working, companies need to adapt their HR processes accordingly. One of the most important questions is how to onboard new employees remotely. The type of onboarding program you have in place has a significant impact on factors like new hire retention and productivity. In fact, a study found that a structured onboarding experience resulted in 69% of employees being more likely to stay with a company for three years and 50% greater new-hire productivity.

To help companies manage this process remotely, Flare has a free digital employee onboarding software that lets you add new employees to your ATS, generate documents, and gives your new hires a seamless way to auto-sign contracts and share important information with the company.

While being remote does present some challenges to the onboarding process, we believe there are things you can do to make it just as strong as one that’s in person. Below, we’ve outlined a five-step staff onboarding checklist to help you get your new hires up to speed remotely:

1. Start with preboarding

Many employers wait until the new hire’s first day to start the onboarding process. But there’s actually a step that comes before that called preboarding. The purpose of this step is to get your new hires up-to-speed before they start their new roles so they don’t feel overwhelmed on their first day. Preboarding activities have also been found to increase first-year retention by as much as 80 percent. These activities can include:

Educating employees on benefits available to them
Connecting colleagues early on
Collecting personal information (employees’ favourite snacks, personal hobbies, etc.)

2. Create a warm welcome experience

Once you have all the preboarding logistics squared away, you can focus on creating a warm welcome experience for your new employee’s first day. Since your team won’t be able to take them out to a welcome lunch or greet them in person, it’s important to find other ways to make them feel excited about their new job. Below are a few ideas you can try:

Send a welcome card that’s been digitally signed by the CEO, their manager, and their new team members
Gift the new hire with a prepaid card to their neighbourhood cafe; They can grab a coffee and get to know their teammates through virtual hangout sessions
Host a virtual welcome party with the whole team
Ship a ‘welcome pack’ that contains the new employee’s favourite treats, movies, or board games

The last thing you want is for your new hire to feel isolated on their first day. These ideas will help your employees feel like they’re already part of the team and get them excited about their new company – even when they’re not physically at the office!

Get a free demo of Flare’s digital employee onboarding software.

3. Establish a support system

Any employee’s first day can feel a bit scary – especially when they’re remote and don’t have the luxury of asking the person sitting next to them a question or getting to know people over lunch. To make sure they feel supported from day one, it’s important to establish a system that they can turn to if they have questions, need help, or simply want to feel more integrated into the company. Here’s how:

Set your new employee up with a designated buddy. This is their go-to person if they have any questions, need someone to chat with over a virtual lunch, or simply want to learn more about the company
Create a Slack channel for new hires. At Flare, we have one called #newbies that contains helpful resources and is a dedicated space where new employees can feel safe asking questions
Encourage the new hire’s manager check in with them frequently during the first 30 days to make sure the transition is going smoothly

4. Run induction sessions

In addition to helping your new hires feel socially integrated, you want to make sure they understand the various aspects of the business as well. This is where virtual induction sessions can be helpful. The purpose of these sessions is to meet with different leaders within the organisation – from the CEO to the Head of Engineering – so they can better understand how the business operates.

Not only that, but induction sessions can help new employees put faces to names and develop a clearer view of how their specific role contributes to the broader mission of your company. This allows new hires to recognise that they’re a valuable part of the organisation and helps them find a sense of meaning in their work.

5. Collect feedback

Finally, remember that your onboarding process doesn’t end after 30 or 60 days. There are ways to continuously iterate on and improve your program – especially if your remote onboarding process is brand new. The best way to do this is to distribute an onboarding survey to new hires after they go through the experience. This provides an opportunity for them to share feedback on what worked, what didn’t, and how they felt coming out of the onboarding process – all valuable input that you can use to strengthen your existing program.

As you can see, a powerful employee onboarding experience can have a significant impact on your business. Thankfully, there are ways to make sure this process is effective, welcoming, and informative – even when doing so remotely. Follow our recommendations to make sure your onboarding process goes as smoothly as possible for your new remote employees.

To learn more about Flare’s free digital employee onboarding software, and how it can save you on time and paperwork, request a demo here.

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Solutions

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Featured customers

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Partners

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Existing customers

Contact us

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Other resources

Existing Flare member

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About Flare

Industries & customer stories

Audi A3

BMW 1 Series

Mercedes Benz A-Class

Mini Clubman

Volkswagen Golf

Get the car you want, now

What is the 2023 luxury car tax threshold?

What was the 2022 luxury car tax threshold?

The car models now available

Tesla Model 3 Performance

Mercedes-Benz EQB

Kia EV6

Hyundai Ioniq 6

Get the car you want, now

What is a novated lease?

How the savings work

Looking to investigate potential ways to save on tax in Australia with your car?

What is a novated lease?

How does it work?

What happens at the end of a novated lease?

Did you know that with a Flare Novated lease you get:

FAQ’s:

Is a novated lease worth it?

Can you novate lease a used car?

I want to lease my current car. How do I take advantage of the tax benefits of leasing?

Is novated leasing only beneficial if I drive high kilometres per year?

1. Start with preboarding

2. Create a warm welcome experience

3. Establish a support system

4. Run induction sessions