Tax Burden on Motoring

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Wed 10 Dec 2003 11:01
Tax Burden on Motoring - Cardew
There is a recurring theme in the Backroom of contributors seeming to argue that the Government have a duty to spend all of the tax revenues raised from motoring activities on Roads etc - the M6 Toll thread being the latest example.

All Governments raise tax revenue from a variety of sources to meet expenditure. For the last 50 years or so there has never been any pretence by any Government that there is correlation between motoring related tax income and expenditure. You might as well argue that the tax on alcohol should be spent building new pubs.

I would not dispute that the overall Tax burden on motorists is high. Those who feel it is too high should lobby their political masters. But it is self defeating to argue with them, or in the Backroom, on the basis that there is a moral case for these taxes to be spent for the benefit of motorists.
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Wed 10 Dec 2003 12:42
Tax Burden on Motoring - OldPeculiar
Very true however the government rate transportation high or their list of prioritys and as such I would expect to see a greater proportion of revenue spent on it (regardless of where it comes from)
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Wed 10 Dec 2003 16:58
Tax Burden on Motoring - Robbie
I find it fascinating that the Government increases the tax on petrol as a conservation issue, in order to reduce global warming so that we will be deterred from buying so much petrol. However, when the refineries were blockaded a few years ago, Ton came along to say that such tax was essential to pay for health and education.

Seems that politicians can have their cake and eat it.

Interestingly, if their schemes to reduce car ownership were successful, and we stopped buying cars, and using petrol and diesel, the economy would be in a heck of a mess. I wonder how they would get out of that?
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