At millarX, we spend a lot of time in the real world, not just behind screens and spreadsheets.
I spend my Saturdays at dealerships practising what I preach, helping real employees understand the actual mechanics, costs and trade-offs behind novated leasing. That matters, because despite how common novated leasing has become, it remains a product with very little in the way of legislated consumer protection.
And that gap shows up every week.
Recently, a couple came in looking to replace their petrol car with an EV and reduce their annual commuting costs. They were not young, came from a multicultural background, and were on very modest wages. In other words, exactly the kind of everyday Australians this tax-effective benefit should be helping most.
Both worked for a PBI. They had done what most people would consider all the right things. They had researched their options, printed their quotes, and arrived ready to make a sensible financial decision.
They brought two novated lease quotes from their existing providers.
On the surface, both quotes looked reasonable. The after-tax savings figures appeared attractive. The benefit looked clear. And like most people, that is where their attention had gone, because that is exactly how these quotes are designed to be read.
But once we broke the numbers down properly, the picture changed.
We separated the quotes into finance, fees, fixed costs and budgeted running costs. We stripped away the headline “savings” figures and focused on what the arrangement would actually cost them. Only then did the real issue become obvious.
Because of restrictive provider arrangements tied to their employer, they were effectively stuck with options that were going to cost them about $6,000 more in fixed costs alone through interest and fees.
Not because they had chosen a more expensive car.
Not because they had over-budgeted their running costs.
Not because they were receiving a better service.
Simply because the structure around them limited choice and reduced competition.
This is the problem millarX is determined to challenge.
For too long, the novated leasing conversation has been framed around tax savings. That framing suits providers who want employees focused on the benefit, rather than the cost. But tax savings on their own do not tell the full story. In many cases, they distract from the story that matters most.
The real question is not, “How much tax will I save?”
The real question is, “What is this actually costing me?”
That is the conversation millarX is working to reframe.
We believe employees deserve transparent comparisons. They deserve to see fixed costs clearly. They deserve to understand the difference between finance costs and budgeted running costs. They deserve to know what interest rate they are effectively paying and how much of the benefit is staying in their own pocket.
Most importantly, they deserve genuine choice.
Novated leasing is an employee benefit made possible through the ATO framework. It should not become an employer-controlled sales funnel where restrictive contracts and closed provider panels make it harder for workers to access fair pricing. When that happens, the value of the benefit can be quietly absorbed by inflated finance, padded fees and opaque sales structures.
That is not how this system should work.
At millarX, we are redefining the industry by putting net cost, transparency and employee outcomes at the centre of the process. We do not believe in hiding behind glossy savings figures or confusing quote formats. We believe the industry works better when the numbers are clear and the employee is empowered to make an informed decision.
That means changing the questions people ask.
Instead of:
“How much will I save in tax?”
We encourage:
“What are the fixed costs?”
“What are the fees?”
“What is the finance cost?”
“What is the true net cost to me?”
When those questions are asked, a lot of the noise falls away.
This is not an isolated issue. Time and again, we see clients fixated on after-tax savings because that is what they have been trained to look at. Once the quote is reframed around total cost, the differences become much easier to spot.
That is where millarX is different.
We are not here to preserve the old way of doing things. We are here to make novated leasing clearer, fairer and more accountable. We are here to help employees understand what they are signing, what they are paying, and whether the deal in front of them is genuinely serving their interests.
Because when the conversation changes from savings to cost, the industry has nowhere to hide.