Government decision on tax free vehicles

[USspecGT]

Sometime back someone posted a link about moving the tax free status of vehicles from 1973 to include some post 73 vehicles also. Anyone that signed the petition will have got an email with this response. I have posted it here for all to see.

I for one do not believe that it is the "environmental factors" ... probably more the "revenue factors" that prompted the decision not to extend the exemption. Here it is in all its full:

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The Government is committed to using Vehicle Excise Duty as a means of bringing environmental factors into consideration when people choose to take ownership of a car. Vehicle Excise Duty also helps to support the Government's wider policy objectives by providing a valuable source of revenue from which important public services may be funded.

The Government recognises that many historic car owners would have been disappointed when the 1998 Budget decision was made to freeze the rolling 25 year exemption at 1973. However, the Government continues to judge that in the light of its environmental focus for Vehicle Excise Duty it would be inappropriate to extend the exemption at this point in time.

It should be noted that the current exemption remains in force, currently benefiting some 307,407 vehicles, many of which will be maintained in careful preservation by their owners. The exemption applies equally to all historic cars built before January 1973 irrespective of their country of manufacture.

Some other types of historic vehicle are also exempt from payment of Vehicle Excise Duty. This Government decided to make all steam powered vehicles exempt from April 2001, benefiting vehicles like preserved steam powered road rollers and traction engines. Historic lorries built before 1973 are also exempt, provided that they are not used commercially.

The Government believes that it has got the balance right in the current exemptions it offers. In considering the case for further exemptions or changes to existing ones the Government has to consider the stability of its tax measures, the consistency of its environmental signal, and the costs of delivery - these would include initial implementation costs and ongoing administrative costs.

[MK1TCcoupe]

Just read my email response and guess what they are doing?... NOTHING TO HELP CLASSIC CAR OWNERS!.. ...Lets see who`s in the driving seat after the next vote??...pete

[Muskydo]

I suppose it wouldn't be to bad if they actually spent there ill gotten gains on enviromental issuses, but none I suspect, believe for one minute that our car tax is being used to save the planet.At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask when he robbed people.
Steve
By the way eloues that's a very nice Avatar you have there

[ado28]

That’s just the usual pathetic response from this government. Increase taxes to save the environment and planet, what a load of mince. The sooner the people of this country that voted these Muppets into power actually believe that no matter what GREAT BRITON does to cut carbon emissions their impact will NEVER EVER be felt or noticed by mother nature. This government actually make the gullible people of this country believe that there is global warming. Global warming is just pish, who got the blame when the planet heated up millions of years ago and then cooled by the ice age? Man wasn’t even around then but was that global warming?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a firm believer of recycling etc and also I’m in favour of having to pay taxes to help contribute towards this country and direct money where its needed but having to pay full price road tax on a classic vehicle that’s lucky to be on the road for 6 or 7 months of the year is unjust.

[Muskydo]

F.O.A ado28 I don't know you but reading what you have say I just know we'd get on,tell it like it is.
Steve

[JubileeNut]

Yep I agree with all of you! Well said. :?
I think as the Marina is the rarest car in britain it should get the recongnition it deserves.
If they can't do that at least move it on a few months so Jubilee owners don't pay Tax!!

[JoshWard]

I agree with all the people here, there is NO such thing as global warming and all they want to do is get rid of all the nice, reliable cars and have us driving round in silver boxes! I can't stand the labour government, they're meant to give a fair deal to all working people, how is paying tons of tax for a situation that doesn't exist fair?!

[ado28]

It’s just a ploy to get your hard earned money, of course global warming is a load of old cods wallop but as far as the government is concerned it’s a great way to raise revenue. I hate this government but in all fairness whoever is at the helm in Great Briton will rob you so either way Joe Pubic will loose out!

As we are on the subject of Governments lets sign the petition on a new topic I’ve started and to get rid of these nasty speed cameras hopefully………..! another tax raiser

[marinabrian]

V.E.D. as it stands is £180 for a 1975 T.C. which breaks down into - are you ready for this - £3.46 per week, or put it another way about the cost in fuel to go to the corner shop & back in the same car!!.
Road tax is not & will never be the issue here, the big one being the 75p in every pound, this thieving ba$t@rd Labour government take from you in fuel duty !!.
When I started driving, you could fill a marina to the brim for £15, now you're looking closer to £55 !! , of course all in the name of the prevention of global warming you understand. When will people grasp the nettle & realise that ONE volcanic eruption produces more CO2 than has been produced by the entire human race since the start of the industrial revolution !!
So called "scientific" reports of global catastrophe can be massaged to say whatever you want them to (especially when it is of financial benefit) to the scaremongerers.

Any comments?

Saunders Money Laundering & discreet political donations dept.
Previously unsuccessful business park planning permission reviews a speciality

[The original northen boy]

To be quite honest,the world is getting colder,this is proven fact the data is taken from weather satellites in constant oribit around the planet(N.A.S.A back this up as well),which over the past 15 years have shown a progressive cooling down,weather comes and goes in cycles,during the 1600's "frost fairs" were held on the river Thames, the river remained frozen for nearly 10 weeks in one year,yet in roman Britian the climate ,was many degrees warmer,weather changes,the world is very old and accurate records only go back a few hundred years,pollution well thats a diffrent matter,but lets be honest nothing works better than fear to put over a point,and government and the capitalist system will benefit from this moral panic,it's eaiser to get a response from the public,when the public believe it is in their best intrests.the capitalist system will feed of this,the rich get richer,the poor get poorer,remeber the government is a business. Russ sociology/poloticts BA(hons) MSc Sheffield University(the real one not Hallam) "honest"

[Uncle Frank]

:shock: Blimey Russ a BA hons degree!! Deb would be able to give you a good run for your money these days too...she has a BA hons degree in politics too! 8) , you have been a busy boy!!

[The original northen boy]

And a MSc as well (needed that to bulk the degree up) the thing is it just made me more opionated than i was before ,(hard to believe i know) did some economics as well but majored in the other two,is there no end to my talents????

[Clan Chieftain]

:? so if the planet is cooling why are the polar ice caps melting.??

[marinabrian]

That's just a myth, bit like men walking on the moon!!, & Fat Boab sitting on a bucket in his garden at 10 Glebe street!! :roll:

Saunders Conspiracy Theory Investigation Bureau (officially endorsed by Mohammed Al Fayed e.s.q.)

[The original northen boy]

Although i'm no expert in this field ,the main culprit is mother nature her self,natural changes to the oceans cirulation patterns,and changes to the wind response is these polar regions are the real reason for a rise in sea water,recent research shows the expantion and retraction of the polar ice caps may be over a period as little as 60/80 years,again this research showed that this cycle is at its highest now and should start to contract in the next 5/10 years. on a more contentious note if the global warming we are talking about is an effect of damage to the ozone layer,by cfc gasses then the main player in this is not industrial society but rather the humble cow,the methane a cow produces is quite astounding,so keep the cars and ban the cows Russ (still BA(hons) MSc but not in science!)