(British) Drivers punished for going green

Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | 10:00PM BST 30 May 2012 | James Kirkup, Deputy Political Editor

[Olog-hai]

Motorists face having to pay increased road tax as the Treasury considers plans to claw back hundreds of millions of pounds in revenue that will be lost as drivers opt for greener cars.

The Daily Telegraph has learned that government officials have begun private discussions with the motoring industry and drivers’ groups about an overhaul of the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rules.

The talks come as ministers try to prevent a fall in tax revenues as more motorists choose smaller, cleaner cars that incur a lower rate of duty. Labour has accused the Coalition of planning a “stealth tax” on drivers, effectively punishing them for going green.

Ministers say that while they have not finalized their plans, changes may be necessary to ensure the “sustainability of the public finances”.

One option being considered would replace the annual tax on cars with a one-off up-front charge on new vehicles when they are sold. …

Annual road tax for cars ranges from zero for those with the lowest CO₂ emissions—which include electric and hybrid cars—to more than £200 ($309.70) for those with larger and less-efficient petrol and diesel engines.

VED raises almost £6 billion a year for the Treasury, but official forecasts show that the revenue from the tax will fall as more people chose to drive low-emission cars. …

[Boogieman]

The “green” drivers, who are using the same roads as everyone else, found a way to avoid paying the same amount of taxes, and now the State wants to get its pound of flesh.

Of course, the leftie media says the government is “punishing” these folks. They would never say that when states want to raise taxes on loose tobacco to make up lost revenue from people rolling their own cigarettes. Those people aren’t being punished, instead a “loophole” is being closed, so they can be made to “pay their fair share”.

[razorback-bert]

What nice comforting words: “sustainability of the public finances”.

[Paladin2]

Apparently GB doesn’t have a representative government.

[nothingnew]

The talks come as ministers try to prevent a fall in tax revenues as more motorists choose smaller, cleaner cars that incur a lower rate of duty.

Hahahahahahah! What a ruse all this crap is....Hahahaha!

Eat it socialists!

FMCDH(BITS)

[Chode]

something about no good deed comes to mind...

[MasterGunner01]

GOTCHA! You just knew the politicians would do this. The Econuts never learn.

[calex59]

This is the same type of BS as tobacco taxes in the US. They claimed that the taxes were to pay for people who incurred health problems from smoking. Then, when people stopped smoking because of the taxes, they kept raising them, every time they raise them, more people quit so revenues don't meet their expectations and they raise them again and more people quit,and on and on.

If they were truly worried about people's health they wouldn't be worried about how much revenue they were bringing in and they would celebrate the fact that a bunch of people had quit smoking.

The truth is, all of these taxes of this type are simply ways to separate you from your money and give it to the government.

[Secret Agent Man]

When will the idiots stop believing the libtards?

You get punished by them if you don’t go green. They tax whatever you’re using that they don’t want you to use.

If you listen to the libtards and use less, they punish you by raisingtaxes because you’re using less and cutting into their current tax revenue they are confiscating from you.

Wake up morons of the world and cast off your libtard overlords!

[Secret Agent Man]

Well have you seen what gubmint has done to the ecigarette folks? Making them out to be health hazards because FDA hasn’t approved them, same with the ALA nutjobs. Who were begging for something like this forever. Tax revenue losses.