4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Snoxy]

Apologies if this subject has already been covered elsewhere...but I've just been listening to the lunchtime news while taking a look at posts on the forum and feel peeved that my Ford Galaxy may be subject to an incredible car tax increase...amounting to over four hundred pounds a year in the future

 

I have four children and really need a people carrier as a five seater car just isn't adequate unless we leave DH home alone I do take other peoples children to school and back when I can as we sometimes have spare seats...saving a friend from taking her car onto the roads at least twice a day. I will be cutting the distance I travel to school by at least half when we move...which was one of the major reasons for buying this particular house.

 

In my humble opinion it just seems unfair

 

Your thoughts?

Edited July 10, 2008 by Guest

[Tiggy]

I see the logic in increasing tax on cars that use a lot of fuel but it is going to be difficult for people like yourself who need a bigger car, my OH is switching his saloon to a Toyota Prias - it is a hybrid electric/petrol car, and can do 70 miles to the gallon around town & costs £35 a year in tax

[chelsea]

I think it should be on brand new cars only and then people make an informed decision when they next buy a car.

 

I think its just another way of conning money out of the general public who are already struggling - nothing to do with being green imo its bad enough the cost of fuel and this.

 

We have a 4X4 bought in 2002 and its a 2002 reg so that means our tax will be over £400 because of a decision we made 6 years ago! I need a 4X4, we live in the sticks and need a large vehicle to tow our caravan (we dont go abroad on holiday - so that balances our carbon footprint), and I feel safer driving my big landrover.

[Snoxy]

I am praying it will be a non-starter and the Government will do a U-turn...surely there'll be public outcry

 

My Galaxy is a very economical diesel

[Tiggy]

the government does seem to be having a go a tmotorists, its not so bad if you live in a city with good public transport links but for anyone else we need our cars & cars that are practical - its OK for me I am able to get away with a little C1 then I dont have a growing family. I can get a couple of bags of compost & shopping in the back and get to work & park easily . Everyone has different needs, the powers that be cannot clobber everyone with a big car because of a few folks who drive them as a fashion accessory rarther than need

[Guest]

I totally agree with you. I have 4 children too and a diesel Toyota Previa. There is very little choice when you have 6 people to ferry about. I resent being taxed the same as people who buy an enormous 4x4 because it's fashionable and not because they need the off-road facility. The people carrier tax should be linked to how many people live in your house - or something like that. After all, my emissions divided by 6 are probably less than the mini next door with only ever one occupant.

[Snowy]

I agree We have an Espace diesel, only 3 children I know, but very difficult to seat a humungous 16 year old in between 2 baby seats on the back row of most cars. Plus we often have grandchildren to stay and ferry about. I hardly use it unless it is for holidays, our other car is a suzuki alto - extremely cheap to run, but it certainly won't carry all of us

[Keanie Bean]

I totally agree with you. I have 4 children too and a diesel Toyota Previa. There is very little choice when you have 6 people to ferry about. I resent being taxed the same as people who buy an enormous 4x4 because it's fashionable and not because they need the off-road facility. The people carrier tax should be linked to how many people live in your house - or something like that. After all, my emissions divided by 6 are probably less than the mini next door with only ever one occupant.

 

Same here only three children in a 5 seater, it should definately be linked. They are quick enough to judge you for other benefits by how many children you have and if you are a married or a single so why not this too.

 

Sarah.x

[Guest]

I also get annoyed about the EMA for 16+ students. They ask how much income your household has and if it's below a certain amount (£30k???) the student can have £30 a week. They don't ask how many people are living off that income. Similarly in calculating how much of a loan a university student should have. (In any case 18 year olds are considered fully adult in this country, so why should their parents' income even be asked about! It makes me so, so angry!!)

 

Sorry for going a bit off-topic, but it's all the same thing really. Punish people for having things without asking why or how.

[Flo]

The car tax also only looks at how good or bad the car is and not how frequently it will be driven!

 

Any tax that has an environmental basis means the people with the biggest icomes can afford to pollute whilst anyone on a lower income in penalised.

 

Why not just make it easier not to use a car?

[Guest]

Anybody who wants to check on their new car tax rates can put in their details here

 

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/road-tax/

[Christian]

Thanks for the link Debs!

 

My tax is going down next year!!

 

 

 

 

Sorry Snoxy

 

[Guest]

Glad I got rid of the old Ferrari Enzo, the tax on that would be £455 in 2010

[Shirl]

I'm another Galaxy owner with 4 children and 6 dogs. As much as I'd love a smaller car I'm not sure where everyone would sit Yes EMA and Uni fees bug me too. Although why pay kids to go to school anyway? Oh don't get me started on EMA

[Lesley]

I have a Diesel Mini but Carl has a Land Rover Defender, which we use on the farm, for towing the stock trailer, fetching feed etc. - yet we are tarred with the same brush as anyone using their 4x4 as a Chelsea Tractor

 

We have no public transport.......

 

It's time the tax was applied to the fuel so that those who use the roads most pay the most.

[Tessa the Duchess]

It's time the tax was applied to the fuel so that those who use the roads most pay the most.

 

I agree this would seem to be a fairer tax, but I'm afraid rural people would end up paying far more than us city dwellers. I think it is rapidly heading towards a time when owning and driving a car will be a luxury In London it is virtually impossible to park in some areas, and if you do manage to find a place the charges are ridiculous, it's no wonder so many small shops are going bust. Of course if you are rich none of these charges makes a difference to you

 

Tessa

[whittlewitch]

I love the fact that when alastair Darling was questioned about this a couple of months back, stressing that it was likely to effect low income households most, he said they could always buy a new car!! Which planet does he live on? Surely if they are on a lower income changing their car is top of their list of priorities.

 

To me it is another tax that hits the middle to lower income households most, at the end of the day, him and Gordon are on above average incomes so the increase will be noticed by them least.

[Lailapet]

I love the fact that when alastair Darling was questioned about this a couple of months back, stressing that it was likely to effect low income households most, he said they could always buy a new car!! Which planet does he live on? Surely if they are on a lower income changing their car is top of their list of priorities.

 

To me it is another tax that hits the middle to lower income households most, at the end of the day, him and Gordon are on above average incomes so the increase will be noticed by them least.

 

"Let them eat cake" - just goes to show how out of touch with real life some people are! And being paid for a decision made years ago is totally unfair too... We are all deliberately being kept down by taxes, fees etc, paying into the Government coffers so that money can be lent to doubtful Third World Countries - or something like that... Most western countries are the same these days, we're just not allowed to have much fun unless we are privileged! Any levelling of class differences that might have happened will soon be very evident again - in places it already IS.

 

Glad I have my chickens to give me some enjoyment when I can't afford to go anywhere anymore...

Laila

[Stevie]

The road tax increase has nothing to do with climate change...its money.

 

Packet of ciggies average £4.50...

Half million people have quit since jan 2007...

Average one pack a day...

The goverment loose £1,642 per year per person...

Multiply £1,642 by half million ex smokers and they are down by over 800 million pounds a year-every year...

 

It dont take a rocket scientist to work out the goverment are missing the revenue created by smokers so pick on the next biggest thing which people pay for-transport.

[Clur]

Hear, hear Stevie!!!

 

We picked the wrong time to try and sell our 2.0l MPV

[Lesley]

The road tax increase has nothing to do with climate change...its money.

 

Packet of ciggies average £4.50...

Half million people have quit since jan 2007...

Average one pack a day...

The goverment loose £1,642 per year per person...

Multiply £1,642 by half million ex smokers and they are down by over 800 million pounds a year-every year...

 

It dont take a rocket scientist to work out the goverment are missing the revenue created by smokers so pick on the next biggest thing which people pay for-transport.

 

...and don't forget the very expensive war in Iraq which needs paying for......

[Louise]

Mine will go down

 

If I had kept the Mazda it would have gone up

[mr mallard]

yes the increase is painful

yes it is unfair that those that have money can afford to 'ignore' green taxes

yes we live in a capitalist society driven by money

yes the increase in fuel cost and road tax is making me think about my transport needs

 

any change, in this case to encourage greener lifestyles, is always going to come with some pain - thats life folks

[MedusA]

Playing devil's advocate, I can see the logic behind increases in Road Tax for the most polluting cars, but agree it should not be retrospective, just on new car purchases. I think there should also be discounted fees for low-mileage usage.

 

After all, the agreed reductions in CO2 emissions isn't retrospective, is it? The G8 can't even seem to agree when to aim for!

 

This is me speaking as someone who hardly ever uses a car now. I bike and take public transport when I can. But OH does need it for work as he has to go out on visits to service users.

[Louise]

I jsut get really frustrated when told to use public transport

 

Yes for me it does exist I have a mile walk either end but it is doable but sometimes I have to work at weekends and I couldn't get in early enough on a Sunday

 

The worst thing though is the cost I came in on the bus the other week when I was off so I could meet a pal and go for a few drinks and it was £9.90 for a return ticket

 

It is 30 miles and takes 1 3/4 hours on the bus a whole hour longer than in the car