Tax Payers' Alliance Calls for Fuel Duty Freeze

A new campaign has been launched this week by the Taxpayers' Alliance and the Petrol Retailers Association to "highlight the burden that excessive fuel taxes are placing on motorists" and is calling for the Government to postpone a proposed rise in fuel duty until 2015.

The campaign will see 5,000 fuel tax stands displayed at the checkouts of independent petrol stations across the UK. The cards claim that 60% of the price paid at the pumps goes to the taxman. Meaning currently for every ??30 you spend at the pumps, ??18 is paid in fuel duty and VAT ??? while the retailer takes only ??1. And the percentage taken by the taxman is set to increase in January 2013 when a 3p per litre increase is due to take effect. A further rise could closely follow, as a 2p per litre increase is expected in April's budget.

We're sure that for the many UK business owners - particularly those that have recently bought new, more fuel-efficient vehicles or are retraining drivers to reduce the long-term costs of day-to-day business - these fuel duty rises will feel like a kick in the teeth as they do their best in already tough economic times.

So will the campaign succeed? Will the rise be postponed again for the duration of this parliament?

We have seen some recent good news. Last year, lobbying by the Fair Fuel Campaign resulted in a well supported, parliamentary debate calling for transparency in fuel pricing. Then in June, after pressure from the media and his own MPs, Chancellor George Osborne announced he was postponing a 3p per litre rise in fuel duty, planned for August, until January 2013.

However in light of the news that last month Government borrowing rose as tax receipts fell, the Chancellor may be reticent to postpone the rise once again. But here at Navman Wireless we urge the Government to reduce the burden on UK businesses by postponing the rise and if you would like to do the same you can write to your MP from the freezefueltax.com website.

Here's Matthew Sinclair from the Tax Payers' Alliance discussing the launch of the campaign on BBC News:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itG5kdJB3dI