Budget

[Tony Bryer]

No, it does the same job as urban windmills: impresses the impressionable.

[Man at B&Q]

At least he seems to have sorted out his quoting.

MBQ

[Huge]

Tax systems are entirely arbitrary, and trying to assign logic to them only leads to madness.

[Huge]

GBP445 is not peanuts.

[Man at B&Q]

Given your moniker, you haven't really thought about this one, have you.

So, lets take some very round figures. A does 1000miles/pa, 25mpg (mostly short journeys) and pays =A3100 VED for a small car. Remove the VED and fuel duty would need to go up by =A32.50 per gallon.

B does 60k miles per year at 50mpg (longer, more efficient runs) and pays =A3300 VED for a larger car, so pays 60000/50*2.5 or =A33000 pa extra or 10x the VED.

I don't think so.

MBQ

[Roger]

The message from "Dave Plowman (News)" contains these words:

That would depend on whether you see it as a weeks income or the reward for half a day frigging around on a film set.

[dennis]

However the one doing 60k is producing more pollution (1) so if it polluter pays it is fair.

1: assuming water and CO2 are pollutants.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It's rather a long time since anyone got 30 quid a week. Or perhaps you've not heard of the minimum wage? And I've no idea what people make on a film set. More than that, I'd guess.

[:Jerry:]

You forget that they first need to buy one of the few vehicles that are being subsidised by those who need larger vehicles, for the vast majority of people you're talking 100 plus quid (and for some a lot more than that).

[Roger]

The message from "Dave Plowman (News)" contains these words:

Sorry for the delay in replying.

Since £30 is *obviously* not a high VED I thought the discussion had to be broader. My VED is £205 and as luck would have it (or not as the case may be) the renewal is sitting beside me as I type waiting for the 15th of the month to come round.

£205 per week is more than my pension and I haven't done as much as 5000 miles a year since I retired.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I only entered this discussion in response to TNP's ludicrous statement that the VED prevented him owning a second small car.

Many people have to alter their spending habits when they retire if they haven't made proper provision for that retirement. We don't live in a communist society where everyone gets the same.

[dennis]

Are those scooters that thirsty? Maybe they should get a 4 mph one and sell the 8 mph one. 8-)

[Tony Bryer]

I got an email reminder from DVLA last week which told me I could renew from 11th, which I did to beat any budget increase. Paid £115 (+£2.50 CC charge), versus £145 ten years ago - similar sized car, Skoda Felicia then, Honda Jazz now.

[Roger]

The message from "Dave Plowman (News)" contains these words:

No we live in a society where the silver tongued con artists who govern us have looking after the feckless and improvident as their second priority, their first being to make sure they themselves are very well rewarded for doing a job where, almost by definition, the many they beat to the steering wheel of the gravy boat are better qualified. There is no shortage of talented candidates wanting a part time job that, even without the perks and the favoured access to other part time jobs in the private sector, probably places them in the top 5% of earners.

On a purely mercenary level providing for ones retirement out of an average income is a pretty stupid thing to do. Spend your money as you get it, the state will provide in your retirement and overall you will get more than if you had stuck an annual 7% or whatever into a proper pension plan during your working life.

The person with no savings and no occupational pension might have a considerably smaller income than me but if they are living in a council house with their rent and council tax paid for them it is difficult to see that they actually have much less income to spend on other things.

[Roger]

The message from Tony Bryer contains these words:

It says in red on my renewal form "Do not apply for your tax disc before the 15th day of the month before the tax disc is due to start" and IIRC last years carried a message to the effect that if duty changed in the contemporaneous budget the rise would need to be paid as well.

[:Jerry:]

But Hugh, in this NuSocalist age you should not own the best vehicle for your needs but only use the 'approved' vehicle even though it's totally unsuitable for your needs but should you choose to own the correct vehicle you have to expect to have what amounts to a Fix Penalty Fine imposed on you annually... :~(

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If you can afford the sort of vehicle that costs that in VED it will still be a small percentage of the overall running costs.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Perhaps in your ideal world all cars will cost the same, have the same running costs and repair charges etc. Same insurance costs too.

Tell me Jerry, do you charge the same price for fitting and spraying a new wing on every car regardless of make?

[Huge]

Nonetheless GBP445 is not peanuts.

And I find the implication that it is OK to steal more money from one "because you can afford it" noxious, also.

[Huge]

There you go, trying to apply logic to taxation, again. The "logic" behind taxes is the same one as to why dogs lick their balls; because they can.