Road tax increase 'will hit 9m'

[Sparks]

BBC News site

Don't know if anyone's caught this in the news last night or this morning, but the long & short of it is basically that a govt spokesperson has finally been forced to come clean with their estimates of how the new road tax proposals will effect drivers.

Official estimates say vehicle excise duty will rise for 44% of vehicles made since 2001 - by up to £245 for the most polluting ones - but will fall for 33%.

But ministers insisted the aim was to cut pollution, not to raise revenue.

Yeah sure! and I suppose it's just a coincidence that it happens to raise revenue as well? Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with green taxes in principal, but it annoys the hell out of me when the govt jump on the green bandwagon as an excuse to raise extra revenue.

Why haven't they given a commitment to plough any extra revenue raised from this change back into public transport, or other green causes?

Hell, why don't they use the extra revenue raised to give motorists a bit of a break on fuel duty? Sure the UK govt can't effect global oil prices, as they're fond of pointing out, but given just how much of UK petrol prices are down to tax, they could give motorists a break if they wanted to.

[Jas11n]

It just the Labour government of today.........tax EVERYTHING that moves, or doesn't move as is the case with inheritance tax.

The country is being run by bears....





NEVER trust a bloke who looks like a f**kin panda

Jase..

[Al Wyn]

Quality post Jas

[dest]

Ms Eagle said experts believed that in 2009-10, "a third of cars will be better off in real terms, and in total, approximately 55% of cars will be no worse off".

However, it is believed that a little more than 44% - 8.7 million vehicles, all in the six top-polluting bands - will pay more, she added

Im not rocket scientist, but I do know this......

a third of cars will be better off in real terms (33%)
+
approximately 55% of cars will be no worse off
+
44% - 8.7 million vehicles, all in the six top-polluting bands - will pay more
=
132%

Good old Labour!

[Sonic]

Why haven't they given a commitment to plough any extra revenue raised from this change back into public transport, or other green causes?

For the same reason that none of any other tax's we pay get used for their original purpose. Road tax isnt used on the roads, clearly, the NI we pay doesn't get used for a pension etc...

This government has done their best to bankrupt the county, they need every penny they can get using every tax possible to try and get themselves out of it. Tax will only be going up in this already volatile economic climate.

I figure i heard is that the income tax collected by the government each year is less than the benefits paid i.e. all of the income tax we all pay doesn't cover the cost of people claiming benefits.

[Rusty]

Quality Jas & Dest

I think they should tax fun and ban enjoyment for 42 days at a time. Then on the 43rd day enjoyment should have a one off fee of 9 billion % of something followed by a tax on greenhouse gas emissions. My mate Batty would be heavily taxed, his greenhouse gas emissions are regular and damaging...

[alg]

For the same reason that none of any other tax's we pay get used for their original purpose. Road tax isnt used on the roads, clearly, the NI we pay doesn't get used for a pension etc...

This government has done their best to bankrupt the county, they need every penny they can get using every tax possible to try and get themselves out of it. Tax will only be going up in this already volatile economic climate.

I figure i heard is that the income tax collected by the government each year is less than the benefits paid i.e. all of the income tax we all pay doesn't cover the cost of people claiming benefits.

a very tempting solution presents itself

[Jas11n]

. Road tax isnt used on the roads,

See, this is where they are truly sneaky wa**kers. We all still think it Road tax, or it's old official name of Road Fund Licence.
To stop the flak they got, they changed it.

Vehicle Excise Duty...........

[Acidburn]

See, this is where they are truly sneaky wa**kers. We all still think it Road tax, or it's old official name of Road Fund Licence.
To stop the flak they got, they changed it.

Vehicle Excise Duty...........

Next one of them will be watching there kids watch simpsons and call it something like a

national tax refund adjustment

or just cut the b/s and call it a collosal tax grab

[Rusty]

Vehicle exercise duty...

[Jas11n]

Vehicle exercise duty...

Wallet Excercise Duty?

[alg]

Very expensive doing

[quattronutter]

they are pushing people to buy new lower emissions expensive hybrid vehicles,what they wont tell you is the construction,materials etc..of these new car are just as damaging to the environment,offset againt emmisions,of course those concerened will push people towards new vehicles as they probably have shares in said new vehicles/companies in some way,shape or form,global warming is occuring,the sun is also getting brighter radiating more heat....do the maths

[Sparks]

In fairness I don't just think it's labour govt's, although taxing the country to death is traditionally their area of expertise. I wouldn't trust Cameroon, or his bunch of clowns, any more than I do the current lot. To me Cameroon looks to be nothing more than a Blair clone- all smiles, willing to say *whatever* will win him votes, but F-all susbstance.
IMO he'll screw us just the same as labour has when he gets into power, well not exactly the same, I'm sure the spin will be different, as will the specific recipients of govt largesse, but for the average bloke in the street I don't see a lot changing, whoever's in power *sigh*

A wiser man than I once told me that the word "politics" is derived from the greek word "poly", (meaning "many",) and the word "tick", (as in the blood sucking insect)

NEVER trust a bloke who looks like a f**kin panda

Class!

Im not rocket scientist, but I do know this......

a third of cars will be better off in real terms (33%)
+
approximately 55% of cars will be no worse off
+
44% - 8.7 million vehicles, all in the six top-polluting bands - will pay more
=
132%

Good old Labour!

I pondered on that one for a while too, but when you look at the wording it turns out to be a case of "lies, damn lies & statistics" rather than incredibly shoddy maths.
The trick is in the wording:
"approximately 55% of cars will be no worse off" That 55% includes the third who will, alledgedly, be better off.
So effectively they're saying 44% worse off, ~33% better off, and (presumably since 55-33=22) ~22% paying about the same