UK: Government To Tax Taxes from Bikes in the Fast Lane

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UK: Government To Tax Taxes

January
2010

  File under News Travel
  Author: Mike Werner
  Location: Normandy, France

In a global trend, the UK announced that they are going to raise taxes on taxes, in this case, speeding and parking fines (which are nothing other than taxes).

Following in the footsteps of Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Texas, the UK are placing a tax surcharge on any speeding or parking fine. But according to their spin doctors, they aren't called what they really are, they are called "victim" surcharges?

"It is Government policy that, where possible, offenders should contribute to victims' services as part of their reparation. Provisions were therefore included in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 providing for a surcharge to be payable on criminal convictions, penalty notices for disorder and on fixed penalty notices for road traffic offenses where the offenses are persistent and serious," (Secretary of State for Justice Claire ) Ward said. "We intend to add the surcharge to other disposals as soon as it becomes feasible to do so."

Which raises an immediate question... who are the victims in parking fines?

The tax victim surcharge is set at £15 (about US$ 24). The extortion scheme surcharge will raise some US$35 million per year, a very small drop in the massive deficits of the UK. So you can expect more taxes surcharges coming shortly. Just give the "creative" minds of the government some time to think of other taxes surcharges. Here's one ... a tax surcharge on every step you make on the sidewalk (someone is going to have to repair the sidewalks eventually).

Why do governments think that the people who voted them in power are stupid (well maybe they are if they voted them in)? Why not call it what it is? If it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, then probably it's a TAX. Don't go and say you're not going to raise taxes, and then raise taxes, but not call them taxes. We're not that stupid...... are we?

All that to say that in the UK (and elsewhere) your motorcycle speeding and parking fines are now going to be surcharged. What a nice way to start the year.

Via: The Newspaper