Tax on Workplace Parking?
Discussion
Press release from the AA - I guess the government haven't stolen enough money from the taxpayer to bail out their mistakes so here is the latest unbelievable taxation plan. There is a link to a petition lower down...
‘Tax On Work’ Could Cost £3.4 Billion 06 Feb 09
Drivers and businesses across England could face a massive £3.4 billion bill for simply using their own car parking spaces to park at work.
This cost could become a reality if councils decide to apply for the controversial Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) according to the Automobile Association and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
Nottingham City Council has already applied to hit businesses with the ‘tax on work’ and a final decision from the Secretary of State for Transport, Geoff Hoon, is imminent.
A Department for Transport consultation into the WPL heightens the risk of the scheme’s national roll out as it will enable councils across England to apply for take up of the scheme.
The WPL will require all businesses to register workplace parking spaces. However, businesses with ten spaces or more, will also suffer a financial strain because each parking space will have to be paid for. The levy will start at £185 in 2010, but will rise to £350 by 2014 (using the blueprint from Nottingham). Companies will either have to have the pay the tax, knock down car parks and rip out parking places or charge their employees to park at work.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has calculated that if every eligible council covered by the consultation adopted the WPL, then businesses will be left with huge costs amounting to £3.4 billion.
The AA is calling for the Secretary of State to reject Nottingham City Council’s application and to abolish the blueprint for this work tax nationally.
With the economy now in recession and firms struggling with cash-flow, the tax will be detrimental for companies, towns and local economies. Edmund King, AA president said: “A workplace parking levy is just a ‘tax on work’.
“The last thing that employees, and indeed employers, want is a tax on work in the current financial and economic climate.
“Many employees who work shifts or live in areas without adequate public transport have to drive - the workplace parking levy will place an unfair burden on people just trying to go about their daily lives. We are concerned that local authorities might start to look at this levy as a way of increasing revenue now that voters in Manchester have given a resounding ‘No’ to congestion charging. This tax will do nothing to cut congestion but potentially could do much to increase unemployment.”
Commenting on the WPL, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, David Frost, said:
“If councils go ahead with this oppressive tax, companies and employees will be hit hard at a time when they least need it.
“There is a real risk that towns and cities will see firms refusing to invest and in a worst case scenario relocating elsewhere. This isn’t a risk worth taking for a scheme which will not help reduce congestion.”
The BCC has launched a petition against the WPL which the AA is encouraging businesses and drivers to sign up at: http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/nostealthtaxonpa...
The AA is also encouraging motorists to express their views on the AA Zone at: http://www.theaa.com/forum
-Ends-
Notes to editors
How the figure was calculated:
The average cost of the WPL to a business in Nottingham will be £24,000 (Total Revenue from WPL [£12m]/Number of Businesses affected [500]). Figures are taken from Nottingham City Council: www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/
The WPL is applicable to businesses with over 10 parking spaces. Using data from BERR (http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/sme/), the average cost to a business in Nottingham is multiplied by the number of businesses with 10 or more employees (142460 X £24,000).
The figure excludes businesses in London, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, with the number of businesses in these areas being deducted from the BERR statistics to calculate the figure.
The Department for Transport’s consultation ends on March 5th 2009.
356 councils in England could potentially take up WPL:
http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=2157...
For further information, please contact:
Edmund King, AA president
T: 01256 493493
M: 07738 791052
E: Edmund.King@TheAA.com
BCC press office on 020 7654 5812 or 020 7654 5813.
‘Tax On Work’ Could Cost £3.4 Billion 06 Feb 09
Drivers and businesses across England could face a massive £3.4 billion bill for simply using their own car parking spaces to park at work.
This cost could become a reality if councils decide to apply for the controversial Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) according to the Automobile Association and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
Nottingham City Council has already applied to hit businesses with the ‘tax on work’ and a final decision from the Secretary of State for Transport, Geoff Hoon, is imminent.
A Department for Transport consultation into the WPL heightens the risk of the scheme’s national roll out as it will enable councils across England to apply for take up of the scheme.
The WPL will require all businesses to register workplace parking spaces. However, businesses with ten spaces or more, will also suffer a financial strain because each parking space will have to be paid for. The levy will start at £185 in 2010, but will rise to £350 by 2014 (using the blueprint from Nottingham). Companies will either have to have the pay the tax, knock down car parks and rip out parking places or charge their employees to park at work.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has calculated that if every eligible council covered by the consultation adopted the WPL, then businesses will be left with huge costs amounting to £3.4 billion.
The AA is calling for the Secretary of State to reject Nottingham City Council’s application and to abolish the blueprint for this work tax nationally.
With the economy now in recession and firms struggling with cash-flow, the tax will be detrimental for companies, towns and local economies. Edmund King, AA president said: “A workplace parking levy is just a ‘tax on work’.
“The last thing that employees, and indeed employers, want is a tax on work in the current financial and economic climate.
“Many employees who work shifts or live in areas without adequate public transport have to drive - the workplace parking levy will place an unfair burden on people just trying to go about their daily lives. We are concerned that local authorities might start to look at this levy as a way of increasing revenue now that voters in Manchester have given a resounding ‘No’ to congestion charging. This tax will do nothing to cut congestion but potentially could do much to increase unemployment.”
Commenting on the WPL, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, David Frost, said:
“If councils go ahead with this oppressive tax, companies and employees will be hit hard at a time when they least need it.
“There is a real risk that towns and cities will see firms refusing to invest and in a worst case scenario relocating elsewhere. This isn’t a risk worth taking for a scheme which will not help reduce congestion.”
The BCC has launched a petition against the WPL which the AA is encouraging businesses and drivers to sign up at: http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/nostealthtaxonpa...
The AA is also encouraging motorists to express their views on the AA Zone at: http://www.theaa.com/forum
-Ends-
Notes to editors
How the figure was calculated:
The average cost of the WPL to a business in Nottingham will be £24,000 (Total Revenue from WPL [£12m]/Number of Businesses affected [500]). Figures are taken from Nottingham City Council: www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/
The WPL is applicable to businesses with over 10 parking spaces. Using data from BERR (http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/sme/), the average cost to a business in Nottingham is multiplied by the number of businesses with 10 or more employees (142460 X £24,000).
The figure excludes businesses in London, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, with the number of businesses in these areas being deducted from the BERR statistics to calculate the figure.
The Department for Transport’s consultation ends on March 5th 2009.
356 councils in England could potentially take up WPL:
http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=2157...
For further information, please contact:
Edmund King, AA president
T: 01256 493493
M: 07738 791052
E: Edmund.King@TheAA.com
BCC press office on 020 7654 5812 or 020 7654 5813.
So they're now trying to tax us for parking on our own private land? FFS!!!!I imagine they're looking through the old statute books as we speak looking to see how they can re-instate the 'Window tax'
ETA
I wonder if there would be a loophole whereby the company could charge a 'nominal fee' say £1 a day, but then allow the worker to claim it back on expenses?
Edited by V8 GRF on Friday 6th February 10:22
Seems perfectly reasonable and logical to me.
I mean, you pay tax when you buy the car, you are taxed for the roads that the car drives on, you pay tax when you do actually drive the car, so surely the next logical step must be that when the car is stationery you should pay tax. After all cars are dangerous evil machines that are unilaterally responsible for the murder of our children, fluffy bunnies and even the planet. Plus what more could you ask for in a tax than to punnish the employed people in the country for having the temerity to actually work and contribute to society, I'm all for it, I mean look at it this way, at least all the money isn't wasted...... No no I dont want to take the blue pills, I don't like the blue pills they make all the shiny colours go away.
I mean, you pay tax when you buy the car, you are taxed for the roads that the car drives on, you pay tax when you do actually drive the car, so surely the next logical step must be that when the car is stationery you should pay tax. After all cars are dangerous evil machines that are unilaterally responsible for the murder of our children, fluffy bunnies and even the planet. Plus what more could you ask for in a tax than to punnish the employed people in the country for having the temerity to actually work and contribute to society, I'm all for it, I mean look at it this way, at least all the money isn't wasted...... No no I dont want to take the blue pills, I don't like the blue pills they make all the shiny colours go away.
This has been on the cards for years, since the 1980's.......that's why a certain Mr Tebbit encouraged people to "get on their bikes and look for walk".......now many are conditioned to travel 15-50 miles from home in their cars.......and so, this subject has reared it's ugly head again
I guess that they want to implement this tax, then give a tax break to anyone who buys one of those "clean" electric cars that are powered by coal fired power stations.
I calculated once that if there were 10 million people in London (there are less) and every single person drove a car emitting 350g/km, then in one year they still would have emitted HALF of the carbon that the 8 coal fired power stations around London emit.
Just imagine if you swapped all those cars for electric ones, and doubled the emissions from the power stations needed to generate the electricity. The result certainly ain't green....
I calculated once that if there were 10 million people in London (there are less) and every single person drove a car emitting 350g/km, then in one year they still would have emitted HALF of the carbon that the 8 coal fired power stations around London emit.
Just imagine if you swapped all those cars for electric ones, and doubled the emissions from the power stations needed to generate the electricity. The result certainly ain't green....
They've got to bring this tax in. How else do you think Local Government is going to pay for more Lesbian Outreach Officers, Health & Safety Officers, Baby-diversity executives and all thier gold plated pensions?
Frankly these Councils are living in a different dimension to the rest of us outside the cuckoon. Who wants to bet that these taxes won't apply to the individuals who conjour up these schemes? Oh, I'm sorry I forgot they count as 'essential community service providers' and will be exempt.
Bunch of motherf
kers...
Frankly these Councils are living in a different dimension to the rest of us outside the cuckoon. Who wants to bet that these taxes won't apply to the individuals who conjour up these schemes? Oh, I'm sorry I forgot they count as 'essential community service providers' and will be exempt.
Bunch of motherf
kers...Well the once an hour bus to stsville for a connection, followed by another two busses, I'd be better off walking the 8 miles to work time wise, money wise, health wise and so on and so on... all that said, £200 a year for parking isn't really going to hurt anyway, so it's just another tax to pretend they are doing something, while not really changing anything except the money they can use to feed their gravy train, and maybe putting a few poor people and businesses on the edge OVER it 
Complete muppet behaviour. Lose out on fuel tax and ruin public transport prospects as it actually costs more. Clever... really clever.
Perhaps some politicians/councillors need to get out of their gold plated pensions/expenses/company car/urban hub 'islands' and get out into the real world to realise there really isn't much alternative for a huge amount of people!
Another reason to vote for none of the fecking scum, since it seems even the blues are going all 'feigned' green these days
Dave
tsville for a connection, followed by another two busses, I'd be better off walking the 8 miles to work time wise, money wise, health wise and so on and so on... all that said, £200 a year for parking isn't really going to hurt anyway, so it's just another tax to pretend they are doing something, while not really changing anything except the money they can use to feed their gravy train, and maybe putting a few poor people and businesses on the edge OVER it Complete muppet behaviour. Lose out on fuel tax and ruin public transport prospects as it actually costs more. Clever... really clever.
Perhaps some politicians/councillors need to get out of their gold plated pensions/expenses/company car/urban hub 'islands' and get out into the real world to realise there really isn't much alternative for a huge amount of people!
Another reason to vote for none of the fecking scum, since it seems even the blues are going all 'feigned' green these days
Dave
Edited by Mr Whippy on Monday 9th February 17:34
cardigankid said:
This is approaching the last straw.
To keep their inefficient public sector afloat they are going to tax business out of existence.
I believe the inefficient public sector has an even larger number of staff car park spaces for their staff. The taxers will be taxing themselves.....To keep their inefficient public sector afloat they are going to tax business out of existence.
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