Petrol VAT and Fuel Duty changes

[Webmaster]

So the government have reduced VAT to 15% but increased fuel duty by 2p. By our calculations this could add a further 0.5p to fuel prices. Not a great deal, but hardly helping the British economy which is hugely dependant on road transport.

Talking of road transport, what about the poor haulage drivers? They claim the VAT back on their fuel charges as part of the cost of running their business, so this reduction in VAT will make no difference to them, yet they will be hit with a 2p increase. This will hardly help to reduce prices in the high street and encourage consumer spending.

What do you think??

[wheels5894]

Frankly, I think increase in duty is a back door way of getting a price rise later. When the VAT rate goes back to 17.5% I don't think the duty will go down and the government will have got the duty increase it postponed a while ago because of the high fuel price.

Yes, I have a lot of sympathy eith transport companies who will have a duty increase without any other benefit so our prices will go up again. I can only hope diesel prices come down further - Morrisons here in Fife have gone down to 99.9p for diesel which is about as cheap as we have had for a while. If other follow. maybe the transport companies may manage.

[Russ1234]

Britain is completely ripped off with fuel prices. South Australian petrol prices are 99 cents per litre, which is about 40 pence. The rest we pay is government tax.  Everything in Britain is nearly twice the price, and British minimum wages are lower than South Australian (where i lived).  Living in Britain is far too expensive, and people have liitle chance of any quality of life in the U.K. unless you're born into wealth.  I wish I'd never come to the U.K., it's a huge rip-off. Emigrate to Australia- it's a whole different more affordable world...

[smartgolfer]

Very little mention about the cost of the War in Iraq and Afghanistan, but, it has to be paid for, i know a few people in the construction buisness, who are well placed and they have been invited for tenders to work in these theatres, we are an easy revenue source.

Trouble is, come the next general election, who would you vote for, they all lie.

One more gripe, all these second homes paid for by the tax payer, when are they going to be given back???