exactly!

Hi Christina – That would be the option No, I wouldn’t/couldn’t change or give up my car. The ‘couldn’t’ was put in there deliberately to take into account the people who need their car for work/family etc. but can’t afford to change it. I think a lot of people would come from your viewpoint – can’t afford it but can’t afford to do without it! Hope it doesn’t hit you too hard.
Regards,
Susan,
Editor

The option “jaysus, I”ve been trying to sell the second car for a year as it is…” is missing :-(

God bless the ‘half rule’ in car finance agreements. My bank is soon to become a proud owner of an 06 car with thousands like it sitting on carzone for months.

It was a good idea to encourage more fuel efficient vehicles but not a very well thought out idea from the revenue side of things.

Road Tax is a major income source for most of these county councils and the more fuel efficient cars on the roads and the less revenue in their coffers. In effect, the government ended up cannibalising it’s own revenue stream.

I don’t like paying road tax and I see this as a tax on most people that are going out to work each day. The cost of travelling to work has crept up rapidly in the last 4 years. With increased costs of motoring it’s time to look into options for doing more work from home. This is not possible for everybody but if you’re in IT or an office type job then there are more options open to you for working from home a couple of days a week.

I never expected anything else but for the ‘so-called’ low emissions/low tax band motortax rates to be raised eventually, but as I thought it was a cynical ploy by FF/Greens just to keep car sales (VRT) from disappearing entirely, I never thought for a minute that they’d increase those until we were in recovery. How blind I was. No matter, my 2008 1.4 litre car was not subject to the lower rate of tax anyway, & the 2006 1.9 diesel car I’m soon to get most certainly wouldn’t have either. No doubt they’ll find some way to rig it so their rich pals with brand new 3.0 & 4.0 litre Mercs & BMWs will get a bargain motor tax rates because they’ll probably peg the rate paid to the age of the car or something. Meanwhile the rest of us taxpaying plebs will be taxed off the road and onto the peasant-wagons while being patted on the head & told, “Now, just be thankful we haven’t increased income tax, be a good Paddy now, suck it up, tighten your belt & shut up!” To FG & Labour I have only this to say: “A plague on both your houses!”

Dead right and a lot of the green requirements are dreamt JP for that reason!

how come The Government seem to be able back track or change every thing in order to get more money off us !!!! Why cant they Lower their own F***ing wages based on their Productivity !!!!

I think they are adding to petrol etc too Steve

Does a bear shit in the woods comes to mind Theresa.

I so agree Steve. Also those who avoid paying car tax would have no choice but to pay it if it was added on to the petrol and the people who use the roads more, would pay the most. My father and I both own a 1.6, we both pay the same road tax, he however only puts up about 2,000 miles on his car a year whereas I would but up approx. 15,000 to 16,000 a year. It seems wrong that he has to pay the same amount of tax as me when I use the roads more.

The motor taxation policy recognises that people in Rural Ireland have little access to public transport and are therefor more reliant on personal transport.
Linking taxation to use does make some sense and perhaps they should expand road tolling to all motorways and major tunnels.

Watch out for car and mileage allownce increases for TD’s and civil servants to compensate for these tax rises.

Another reason for holding off adding motor tax to petrol is that would make our Northern neighbours petrol prices very attractive. Anyone in the border counties would immediately start crossing the border to fill up. At present I think we’re slightly more competitive on price but I stand to be corrected ?

Wouldn’t that mean to use my Lawnmower I’d have to pay road tax. To fill up my Diesel Genny I’d have to pay a road tax? Some people need to think before speaking

husband suggested that here a few weeks ago….but shushhhhhhhh……dont let them hear about this in Government or they will bring in a new tax for them also…..see you at the vintage car shows round the country in the summer…h ah.

An excellent idea. Getting a reliable classic is not as hard as many might think.

Waste of time. The country is bankrupt and it’s just like “moving the deckchairs on the Titanic”.

I agree with you on being penalised for not being able to pay the up front amount. That is just wrong. It should be the same split….

You’ll never get to the moon in a 1.6…

Why is diesel more expensive? Because the government realised that most of the cars on our roads are diesel these days, thats why! And the cheap tax on new cars from 2008 up will be gone too when they see that they’ve made loads off VRT from people changing cars, and are now making less off road tax as a result.

more demand for diesel … which is causing a price rise

we’re Irish, we just don’t do social unrest. Sure what’s the point, the euro is on the brink of collapse so anything local could quickly be overshadowed by bigger financial concerns

Petrol/diesel sales in litres, last time I checked, was down 13% in Ireland. That must be a big chunk of tax gone

VW Polo 1.4 Tdi. 50+ mpg. Currently road tax €104p.a…

Motorbikes over 7 years old will soon be illegal in the city centre, so I’m afraid they’ll have to implement a leg tax to get their money instead.

Motor tax should be 3 levels. Say 400 for up to a 1.5 or low co2 car and 600 for 1.5-2.5 and mid co2 and 2.5+ and high co2 cars pay 1k.
Cars over 20 years old drop to 400 for the year. No penalty paying for 3 or 6 months if done online.
If you want to take your car off the road you have to fill out a form like the SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) they have in the uk.

I think you’re being sarcastic but there are people who would really be thinking that right now.

wait til they bring in a horse tax, emissions based of course!

i don’t pay no tax or NCT and if you try to clamp my horse he will kick you in the face……

No it just means that he went and specifically bought a car in a low tax band, for instance there can be a 500 euro difference in tax between a 07 and 08 car (same size engine etc) due to the bands changing. If you keep that 08 car for 4 or 5 years savings could be 2500 grand. It’s not that your avoiding tax your just trying to get the best spend for your euro in the long run.

Hmmm. We’re talking about a Mercedes Benz here. Could have saved a fortune if he’d bought a Nissan Micra…

You can save a fortune by having beans on toast for lunch every day. So, what are you waiting for?

Well, low emission beans I guess…

Taxis and haulage contractors can be accommodated under such a scheme through tax breaks, if you’re self assessed you should be keeping all your receipts and putting them through the books anyway, no?

Care to elaborate why you favor working for the government for half a year? If you really like it, I can suggest some really nice countries when you can work for the govt all year round.

I disagree with your point its not theft we’ve always paid taxes to provide for services for us a society as a whole! its a shame we’re facing more taxes to pay back national debt! but I for one never had an issue with taxing my income solely based on the fact that I and others could avail of services provided for by the state such as education, policing, medical services etc We can all admit that these services are necessary

Ok, I will rephrase it. All tax not going towards services is theft. Now let me break the bad news. An average OECD state spends about 15% of GDP on services and takes in about 44% of GDP in tax. So roughly 1/3 of tax take goes on services and only 2/3 is theft. So when one has to pay a couple of grand every year in road tax and petrol duties (which BTW already contribute towards 75% of price you pay at the pump – damn those Shell and BP big oil bastards) for the privilege of being able to ferry the family around in something bigger than a 120g/kmCO2 diesel powered shopping trolley – that my dear is theft.

Comrade Jo ordered a new Wartburg from the local car co-op. Sealing the deal, the salesperson said it would be ready for collection in 10 years. What time would comrade Jo like to collect it? Says comrade Jo, “better make the afternoon, the plumber’s coming in the morning”…

NCT not bi-annually – (twice yearly);
It is every two years.

Biennual then, it’s one flippin’ letter, and everyone knows it’s every two years, unless the vehicle is ten years old, in which case it’s every year.

N.B.: This budget, and this article, do not only apply to Dublin. Ignorance is *bliss* really isn’t it?

Chris while I was in Dublin I cycled to work too. But where I am now some people are commuting 100 miles round trip a day. Bit of a spin.

Oh and while I’m here, I should also add:

Who is it, do you think, that has paid for the paving of all those roads you and your fellow cyclists are riding around on? That’s right, the *evil* planet killing motorist.

Paul doesn’t like cyclists…

Many motorists are cyclists too you know. Only some cyclists aren’t motorists too and therefore don’t pay a cent towards road usage so shouldn’t comment on things they, evidently, know little about.

Hmmm. Cyclists who are not motorists don’t fund roads through road tax, fuel excise, etc. But every economically active person pays tax one way or another. Everyone has a right to a point of view, even the most ignorant of road users. Non-motoring cyclists should have the respect of all other road users and take their responsibilities towards other road users seriously. Think that about covers it…

“That’s all!” Am I dismissed? (“, )

I wouldn’t be able to cycle 140 kilometres a day.

Errr, it actually does damage the environment because human body is terribly inefficient in converting food to energy. If you eat meat, taking into account production and your own emissions one 350g steak is equivalent to me driving my 2.5L SUV around for 20km commute to work. So unless you’re a herbivore you are damaging the environment and should be made to pay E1200 p.a. tax just like I am paying for my car.

@Dom.
Do you eat a 350g steak everyday? Ouch! The internal combustion has extremely low efficiency (<20%) at converting petrol/diesel to movement of a car. You are also transporting maybe 2 tonnes in a 2.5l SUV compared to a few kgs for a bike. Yes, you use energy using a bike (and therefore there is a carbon footprint) but it also one of the most efficient forms of transport and it is a lot more efficient use of energy than your car.

Things people come out with. Dom, there’s a clear credibiity gap comparing the energy needed to run a 2.5 lt SUV on energy used to produced and comsume a 350g streak. That Glen con Carney, or sans Carney?

Hysteria and hyperbole. I drive a car. I gave up cycling 13 years ago when I moved to Ireland. Way too dangerous here. Annual road fatality rate was 400pa. When you talk about efficiency, what are you measuring? Energy/distance? Your comment about suicide is offensive. I’m hitting the report button on that…

Wuss.

She radiated talent, energy, beauty. She took her own life at the age of 25: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2011/1126/1224308160074.html?via=mr

My uncle died in a car accident so please do not mention cars as it is very offensive.

What feckin difference does it make if they take it through PAYE, carbon tax, road tax, fuel excise, household charge or VAT???

Tell that to anyone outside of a city area in Ireland. Even in so called cities like Waterford public transport is terrible.

I agree with you on the cycle lanes, but public transport isn’t always an option. What about people with children? You can’t bring a week’s worth of Tesco bags home balanced on your handle bars with the kids hanging off the back. Generation Y will give birth to Generation Z and will eventually have to buy cars. It’s inevitable :)

There is gonna be 10 billion people in the world in a 20 years or so! Dealing with the populations explosion will be the biggest challenge of our generation. You want a house with 2 cars parked so you can drive to the super market to buy a trolley full of food half of which you are gonna throw out! Its simply not sustainable. The environmental impact of car is far greater the just the exhaust fumes the carbon footprint is massive. We’re also relying on cheap labour from the east to keep us in a life of luxury! Look at the sate that this country and the rest of the western world is in after years of excess and throw away culture. There are a la carte socialist camping on the streets cus the doll has been cut. The reality is the the 99% are more like the 20% on a global scale. I’m gone off topic but the point is, times are changing!

Times are a changing alright, the biggest growth in car ownership is in the place you mention; the East.

Try getting weeks groceries from the shop with two small kids alongside on a f***** train. You won’t be talking through your self-righteous backside after such a thrilling experience.

I get 3 weeks shopping in one go and I take the bus. I don’t have kids etc but I know I could do a weeks shopping. Just think of using wheels on a bag e.g. a suitcase or even a backpack. You think a lot more about what you will buy (so you save money),and you get some exercise. You also save on parking fees. You could go once and a while in a car with a friend to bulk up on things that last for months e.g. tinned food. I understand that not everyone can do this especially in the countryside (where I live) but there are loads of people that can. There are also delivery services from tesco in a lot of areas. If you live in a city you could also hire a car when you need it – In the end it could work out cheaper than paying tax.

Tesco and Superquinn do home deliveries you know. You need never leave the house.

Hope Neal remembers his comments when he is balancing his newborn baby on his bike in the snow. Hilarious naivety.

Glenn, due respect but you have no idea what you’re talking about. Hire a car to go shopping? And rent-a-car is next door? You have no idea what’s it like to be in early 40′s with a responsible job and a young family, wife working and because I am not native I have zero family support. You have no f***** idea what it’s like to wake up at 6am on a Saturday morning to feed a 2 year old cornflakes. Make breakfast, make snack, move the lawn, take out the bouncy castle, walk the kids, fix the leak, paint the shed, take calls on Sunday morning from foreign clients who operate on a different week. And you are suggesting I should lose two hours of my valuable time to go to the rent-a-car agency and rent a car for weekly shopping so that some sanctimonious greenie-chop can feel better about himself for making me do so by means of punitive taxation? Listen mate, I ain’t that stupid. I saw this coming so I moved back to the Middle East now filling up my 80l tank for a fiver and a half and no one telling me I should do this or that to avoid stupid taxes on hot air.

Will the commie who clicked thumbs down on my entry above make him/herself known?

No, SOME tax is theft. It is theft if it does not take into account a persons means to pay, if it is excessive, disproportianate or causes hardship.
At the point of this reply, Dom, eleven commies seem to have given you the ‘thumbs down’!
Not including this commie.
It is not beyond reason to suppose that, had we been a communist state, we would not be quite as deeply in the shite as we are at present. Fianna Failure and Fine Mess have excelled themselves.
Certainly the ruling parties appear to have magically reversed the communist doctrine, “To each according to his needs, from each according to his abilities” unless we misunderstand the definition of both “needs” and “abilities”

People don’t like the truth spoken in a provocative fashion. Few posts above I wrote against taxes in a different form and got 100% thumbs up. People are hypocritical and like to believe they are good (and this is the narrative in the last 50 years – taxes are good) but in fact majority cringes when they get the pay slip and see 30-40% taken. Except of course those with productivity in 0-10% bracket who just adore having their existence subsidized through the efforts of others. And who knows, perhaps most of those who clicked thumbs down are commies.

And another thing, Graham, it is quite easy to be an armchair philosopher. You have no idea what it is like to wait 24 months to have your Wartburg (google it up, I am sure you have no idea what it is) delivered, get up at 5 to buy brown (cheaper) bread or having to go to black market to change your salary into Deutschmarks and than sell 50 Deutschmarks every week so as to avoid the 1000% inflation. Mate, you’re spoiled you have no idea what communism is and bad it got.

The motoring correspondent is also a fiscal expert…

Paraphrasing Karl Marx’ good friend PJ Proudhon: “all property is theft”…

Hi Eamon,
That comment was deleted as you were posting the reply (just in case you were wondering!)