Petrol stations have come under pressure to give motorists receipts showing exactly how much tax they are paying when they fill up.
The Freight Transport Association wants drivers to know the price of the petrol and diesel itself, plus the fuel duty and VAT.
By letting motorists what proportion of their fuel bill goes straight to the taxman it is hoped the government will be forced to rethink a proposed 2p increase in fuel duty in April.
Geoff Dossetter of the FTA believes there should be absolute clarity about the tax element in fuel prices.
‘With fuel duty at 50.35p per litre and VAT at 17.5 per cent then the cost of a typical fill of 50 litres of fuel at £1.05 per litre works out at £52.50,’ he said.
‘This consists of £19.51 for the fuel, £25.17 for the fuel duty and £7.82 for the VAT.
‘So, for 50 litres at the pump, we are paying £19.51 for the fuel plus an eye-watering £32.99 in taxation. And now the Chancellor is looking for a further 2p per litre in April.’
The FTA wants oil companies and fuel retailers to also include information regarding approximate CO2 output from petrol and diesel for different categories of vehicles, thus providing overall transparency.
‘Two-thirds of the pump price of diesel and petrol is taxation,’ added Mr Dossetter.
‘The Government should be content with that and scrap its plans for a further increase of 2p per litre in April.’
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