Petrol and diesel drivers hit by 5 ‘stealth taxes’ | Tech News

Petrol and diesel house owners are being slapped with 5 totally different “stealth taxes” to remain on the street and use their autos, in accordance with a main skilled. Jack Cousens, the AA’s head of roads coverage, careworn street customers have been being compelled to pay a vary of “environmental taxes” to get behind the wheel. 

According to Mr Cousens, these fees are usually in place due to some form of “CO2 justification,” with low-income households with older vehicles in the firing line. He warned that many road users were even being “discriminated in opposition to,” with some families unable to purchase newer and cleaner machines. Parking permit costs, new workplace levies, and fees for stopping in town centres were all among the “stealth taxes” being utilized.

He mentioned: “Environmental taxes now being levied by councils, including those that can reasonably be labelled as stealth taxes, include CO2-related residents parking permits, diesel-related residents parking permits, diesel-related public parking charges, workplace parking levies, city or town parking costs where the council has stated a CO2 justification for high fees. 

“These types of charges potentially discriminate against low-income households who may own older cars but don’t use them much.”

The AA’s remarks come after new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), revealed that fuel responsibility makes up 45% of environmental tax within the UK. 

In complete, environmental taxes are believed to have raised £54.3 billion within the UK in 2024, down barely by 0.5% in comparison with the £54.6 billion in 2023.

The statistics show fuel responsibility charges, paid by all street customers on the petrol pumps, generated nearly £25million for the Treasury.

However, the AA referred to as out the information for not bearing in mind every other charges often paid by street customers.

Mr Cousens added: “Drivers will be staggered by how much the burden of fuel duty contributes to environmental tax in the UK. Most will accept that fossil fuel car use comes with some level of tax penalty, but the share of the tax-take will be a shock.

“The AA also agrees with the ‘polluter pays’ principle of environmental tax, providing it is proportionate. It also recognises that fuel duty has been frozen since March 2011.

“However, the ONS statistics cover little if any of the swathe of environmental taxes being levied by councils against motorists.”