UK may increase practically £2bn by taxing SUVs consistent with European nations, research reveals | Automotive tax

[ad_1] Taxing Britain’s SUVs consistent with different European nations may increase nearly £2bn a yr for the general public funds, analysis has proven.

The Transport & Surroundings thinktank has urged the federal government to make use of the autumn price range to usher in a levy on the most important autos, which it stated would replicate the injury they brought about to the atmosphere and infrastructure.

T&E stated the present UK automobile tax system was not maintaining with the change within the profile of automobiles bought, with heavier and extra polluting automobiles escaping ample taxation and coming to dominate the market.

An “SUV loophole” meant UK patrons paid as much as 20 instances much less tax on the largest fashions than counterparts in different European nations, it stated. Automobile tax on a brand new £85,000 BMW X5 would quantity to £3,200 within the UK, however the sale would incur taxes of £66,600 in France – driving UK SUV gross sales to 4 instances the extent in France.

In 13 nations, acquisition taxes for such an SUV are greater than thrice larger than the UK’s, though seven impose no tax. Some adjustments to UK automobile excise responsibility charges have been made in April to make extra polluting automobiles pay extra.

However the thinktank argues that the system, primarily based on lab-tested carbon emissions, underprices the precise air pollution in addition to wider prices of larger automobiles. It proposes an extra tax of £10 a kilogram for autos above a threshold of 1,600kg, with an extra 400kg allowance for cleaner – however typically heavier – battery electrical automobiles. Most new SUVs stay petrol, diesel, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid autos.

Based on T&E’s evaluation, with SUVs accounting for nearly 60% of recent registrations, a big automobile levy would presently usher in £1.72bn a yr.

The tax would add greater than £10,000 to the price of some autos, equivalent to a Land Rover Defender, however the report argued that the price of non-obligatory extras may already inflate the acquisition value by the same quantity.

Tim Dexter, T&E UK’s autos coverage supervisor, stated the measure was a easy means to assist deal with the £50bn fiscal deficit within the November price range: “An easy weight-based levy would make bigger autos contribute pretty for the injury they trigger to roads, security and the atmosphere, whereas defending most household automobiles from added prices.”

Campaigners have highlighted the elevated security threat greater automobiles pose to pedestrians and cyclists, and the consequences on congested streets from 1,000,000 new automobiles a yr within the UK that are actually greater than a typical parking area.

skip previous e-newsletter promotion Our morning e mail breaks down the important thing tales of the day, telling you what’s occurring and why it issues

Privateness Discover: Newsletters might include details about charities, on-line advertisements, and content material funded by outdoors events. For those who wouldn't have an account, we'll create a visitor account for you on theguardian.com to ship you this article. You'll be able to full full registration at any time. For extra details about how we use your knowledge see our Privateness Coverage. We use Google reCaptcha to guard our web site and the Google Privateness Coverage and Phrases of Service apply. after e-newsletter promotion

Based on YouGov polling performed earlier this yr, about three in 5 UK automobile house owners now consider SUVs “take up an excessive amount of area”, and fewer than one in 5 disagree, which T&E stated was a mandate for change.

For the automobile trade, Mike Hawes, chief govt of the Society of Motor Producers and Merchants, stated: “Vehicles have, on common, elevated in dimension through the years to replicate altering [consumer] preferences but in addition the necessity to accommodate vastly elevated security know-how – in addition to, most just lately, new applied sciences equivalent to massive battery packs to ship the vary drivers count on.

“Charging extra for heavier automobiles would unfairly penalise drivers and households who require a much bigger automobile for important mobility and act as one other barrier to EV uptake when the market is already below immense strain.”