A great idea...

[yellowlady]

I've a great idea. Why not tax people in proportion to how far they drive. Let's put a heavier tax if you choose a thirsty car. And let's tax extra if you drive inefficiently. And let's do it without any costly infrastructure or upkeep, with no additional overhead to the consumer (electronic bits added to each vehicle) and using no extra resources from our lovely earth.

Hold on a minute, we do this already - it's called fuel tax!

[Groober]

And your point?

[pgilc1]

I know, let's put a tax on goods that add 'value' to peoples live, such as new cars and call it 'the Value Added Tax'!

Oh, no, hang on.....

[pgilc1]

I know, let's put a tax on goods that add 'value' to peoples live, such as new cars and call it 'the Value Added Tax'!

Oh, no, hang on.....

[Dracoro]

Or not lets tax anyone anything (other than some base income tax) and they have more money to spend, creating more jobs, more employment, more growth, more wealth etc.

[aarondrs]

Dracoro said:

Or not lets tax anyone anything (other than some base income tax) and they have more money to spend, creating more jobs, more employment, more growth, more wealth etc.

Or don't directly tax anyone at all. Just rely on what they buy. Massively equitable as those with more, spend more and therefore pay more in tax.

Cut down on all these Health and Safety, peoples forums, jobs for the boys in the state sector, get rid of the financial burden of Europe, if we make something decent people will buy it regardless.

Move back into manufacturing, scrap the minimum wage, if market forces work then people will take a job at a rate they are happy with. Stop immigration entirely...

[ZesPak]

yellowlady said:

I've a great idea. Why not tax people in proportion to how far they drive. Let's put a heavier tax if you choose a thirsty car. And let's tax extra if you drive inefficiently. And let's do it without any costly infrastructure or upkeep, with no additional overhead to the consumer (electronic bits added to each vehicle) and using no extra resources from our lovely earth.

Hold on a minute, we do this already - it's called fuel tax!

This is a point I make in many discussions with "left-minded" people, while discussing owning a sports car.
I've been looking for a secondhand boxster, but tax really puts me off (because it's a 'powerfull', polluting car).

The thing is, it will be driven like 5000km/y.
So I say: I can't buy a porker just to look at it, because it's "polluting". Just tax me on km's, or better yet on "pollution" -> fuel consumption.

They usually have to agree with me, can't believe this hasn't been proposed before.

On the other hand, fuel taxes would have to rise quite a bit, and my daily commute will become much more expensive...

[gareth.e]

.. I know.. Lets heavily tax people for dying?

Hold on! We already do..

Edited by gareth.e on Wednesday 9th December 13:53

[Alicatt1]

gareth.e said:

.. I know.. Lets heavily tax people for dying?

Hold on! We already do..

Heh! at least it is only 40% in the UK, over here it is 75% on anything over €20k. I have property in UK and in Belgium we have just been discussing the best way to pay the least amount of tax when I bu**er off, so far it looks like I'll be coming home to get laid to rest...