To discourage use. The idea is that people owning such vehicles are usually quite rich, able to pay the tax without hardship and are thus, insufficiently motivated to choose a more suitable vehicle. Unfortunately, it would probably be a pretty blunt and ineffective instrument, only really hurting those who actually need such a vehicle.
I often wonder about the mentality of people who think that the only way of paying for things is to confiscate the possessions of those who can be bothered to work for a living.
If you want to pay for the NHS, you go right ahead, but you wanting *me* to pay for the NHS is extortion.
My point exactly, the more you use it the more fuel duty you pay.
I hate the things and suspect very few people actually *need* such a vehicle. I'm thinking chelsea tractors here, not the tradesman in his ordinary pick-up.
No, I just have an interest in reducing CO2 emissions. I have no issue whatsoever with someone having the means to pay the taxes (indeed, I'd love to join them!), I just lament the fact that this reduces the effectiveness of the deterrent effect, increasing CO2 emissions, which may lead to environmental damage. Indeed, I'd prefer a "plant a tree" scheme. They can then drive their Chelsea tractors all they like, provided they plant enough trees.
Hope you are happy now, (gas) petrol is a sensitive subject in the UK, what a can of worms you have opened up. As for the tax aspect, my local council gives me a breakdown of where the local tax is spent unlike central government who treat us like mushrooms
You /can/ get gas at the pumps, but it's a different gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and is 30-40p perlitre. Cars need to be converted to run on it, conversion costs vary between £400-1500 depending on age and complexity of installation. A gas tank, which can stand a pressure of several bars, must be installed, usually in the boot or spare wheel well, and sometimes under the car.
I don't find anything about that statement offensive. Tax or lack thereof motivates people to do or refrain from doing certain things. Hence the sales tactic "we pay the VAT".
It's a tool that has been used by governments for many years. Smoking tax isn't high just to raise revenue. Any tax can be used for that. Tobacco tax is high to motivate people not to smoke. That wouldn't bother a millionaire however.
Here in the true blue, C(c)onseratvie, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent (south east England - for you peasants) I am paying 89.9p or 90.9p per litre. I will leave you lot to work out what that is in the states or States.
My car, a Ford Focus CL, (I am not proud, nor posh) 1400 cc, 3 years old is currently doing 45.04 miles per gallon (British gallons) doing both urban and motorway driving. This based on an average of 12 fill ups from 16 June
2005 to the last fill up, 12 August 2005.
Motorway mpg is:
46.40 - 5 August; and
46.77 - 6 August.
Urban mpg is:
42.80 - 16 June; and
43.48 - 3 Jul.
Petrol in the UK is said to be one of the highest in Europe due to taxation and higher company profits.
If you are taking into account the cost of driving in the UK, you will need to consider a further car tax called "Road Tax" offically called "Vehicle Excise Duty". For a car it used to be based on the size of the engine either £110 or £170 per year. Now it based on CO2 emission - my car it costs £125 per year.
In order to buy for road tax you need to produce an car insurance certificate and MOT certificate - the latter is obtain after an annual inspection of the vehicle for mechancial and other things - at a Post Office..
If the government computer shows that you have not brought road tax the fine is automatic after a certain number of days.
On the bright side of motoring, there are very few tolls in the UK. For me to get out of Kent and into Essex the toll is £1 and another £1 to come home. To get into Wales (another country with its own language, where Tom Jones and Catherine Zeta-Jones comes from) it costs £4.80. It costs nothing to come home from Wales, although I would pay to come out bearing my recent visit to that dive of a place Newport, with boarded up, closed shops and wire mesh over the ones that were open and drugged to the eyeballs, youths of many colours and menacing looks.
Yes, I could go for that! I think we need the US tax system, where in some states, taxes can only be increased by a vote of the electorate. It certainly concentrates the politicians minds. Anyway on the 4 x 4 question, it doesn't take much to bring out the opinion and envy brigade, telling other people how to live their lives. If you don't like the congestion and local pollution, move!
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