road tax through the roof

[indebtforever]

Motoring and taxpayer groups have reacted with anger as it became known just how much extra many drivers will have to find to pay for road tax changes.

The Government has admitted that some 43% of road users will see their bills rise by up to £245 by April 2010, compared with fewer than a fifth who will be better off in real terms.

Treasury Minister Angela Eagle said that overall 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". Just over 44% will pay more.

By 2010/11, 9.4 million face higher bills - 43% of the predicted number of vehicles on the road. Some 8.4 million will fork out around the same, while 1.4 million are set to benefit financially.

Experts calculate that the Exchequer will have received more than £1 billion in extra vehicle excise duty (VED) revenue by 2011.

The AA said the figures "confirm our worst fears", while shadow chancellor George Osborne accused Prime Minister Gordon Brown of misleading Parliament over the car tax information.

The Liberal Democrats said the Government must have "a death wish", while RAC Foundation said it was "shocking" that the Treasury had taken so long to acknowledge the full impact of the changes, which were first announced in the last Budget.

The TaxPayers' Alliance said the VED rates were "a cynical tax grab" but Friends of the Earth said the Government should "stand firm" over its car tax plans.

Ms Eagle insisted there had been no effort to hide the reforms.

She said: "It is a pretty bad stealth tax, I would say, given all the publicity that is about."

[moretolife]

i dont seem to keep up to date with political/financial stuff...so excuse my ignorance....but has the car road tax gone up?? and what is it now??

thanks

[chris.g]

Tiredoflife, the road tax is due to be changed from next year. It will mean cars registered in 2001 or after that give out more emissions will cost more to tax than more environmentally friendly ones. It's been put across as a step towards being more 'green' although the revenue created will be in excess of £1billion!!!
Can I just add that my Clio doesn't alter.
Here's a link if anyone wants to check their car, the emissions should be on the log book.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7498884.stm

[moretolife]

thanks...will check the link...what a wealth of info this forum gives.!!!

[Emily]

[People] want a Greener environment it has to be paid for.If you think this is bad you haven't seen nothing yet. The search for alternative energy resource like wind Turbines etc will have to be paid for from current energy bills -£1 billion quid to be exact.

[rayb]

I would love to know where this Government thinks we will get the extra money to pay this from!!!!

[Emily]

It will be paid for from taxes on energy bills. The price of fuel/Gas maybe going up but the tax recipts to treasury are going up steeper to reduce their meagre current account defict and reduce borrowing on public spending - this labour government is down but not out yet. They are still ripping off your taxes.They are raking it in.

A family on 24k is paying 8k of direct taxes.Legalised robbery by the State

[rayb]

The sooner they are gone the better but whoever replaces them will just be the same!!! I am seriously thinking of emigrating with my family once my IVA is out of the way

[Skippy]

This may be unpopular with some people, but I think the 'Green Taxes' are just another excuse to rip us off. It's good that they are looking at other ways of generating energy, but not when it's going to put our current energy bills up.

While I'm on my green soapbox(!), we don't need wind turbines! They are ugly and ruin our beautiful countryside (what hasn't already been built on) and oceans. Has anyone thought of the damage that they are going to do to the wildlife in the countryside and the reefs and fish and other creatures in the sea? As we are an island there must be a way of using the energy generated from waves surely.

Did anyone see the programme the other night about ways of cutting your energy bills. The only realistic piece of advice was to cap your bills. They had one woman on the programme who had solar panels fitted - her energy bills are now £5 a year as she sells the excess back to the national grid. The only problem is the panels cost £20k to install! Another family bought a log burning stove at a cost of £800 - how many people can actually afford the initial outlay?

Sorry for the rant, I'll shut up now!

[Beans on Toast]

Does the government think we can all just go out and buy a different car to suit a cheaper tax disc, we try our best to be greener but our cars have to last us a long time. Is the obscene tax we pay on fuel not enough for them that they have to rely on the smoke screen of pleasing the green party.
I know where my cross is going Gordon, while you're at it, why don't you give yourself a big payrise and up your expenses, oh, you have!!!!

[plasticdaft]

I have looked and am lucky that my laguna 1.9 diesel isnt going up. Just as well given that I wont be changing cars for at least 4 years!!!

It is good that big 4x4's and gaz guzzlers are going up,sorry if you drive one of these. Maybe Gordon will reduced the tax on fuel a little!! Or then again perhaps not!!!

[chris.g]

Didn't you know the working class are not meant to have cars, or own houses, or go on holidays abroad, or be able to afford a good standard of living..........[:(]

[plasticdaft]

I wonder how much the cars the government use cost in tax,they all seem big with 2 exhausts!!!

[luluj]

Government cars are exempt from tax discs!!!!!!! They are paid by the Crown !!!

[plasticdaft]

Government cars are exempt from tax discs!!!!!!! They are paid by the Crown !!!

But I bet they are mostly of the highest category tax wise. Why do they need to have such big cars,the speed limit can be reached in those little smart cars so why not give them those to run around in??

Grrrrr,makes me angry!!!

Although I am getting pleasure now when a big 4x4 or porsche cuts me up that they will be paying significantly more tax than me!! last laugh methinks.[:D]