Spitting Bullets

Anger Over Tax Disc Cost

When I recently purchased a new 6 month tax disc (road fund licence / road tax – I imagine it is called this because the money goes towards the roads, in the same way that income tax goes towards our income), I once again boiled with anger.

Allow me to explain.

4 years ago, I wrote to my local MP. I asked her why it was that those of us struggling to afford a full 12 months road tax were penalised for buying 6 months instead (the Government’s website doesn’t help much - but it’s bound to be something to do with the ubiquitous modern day ‘Admin cost’). I’ve never received a reply from her directly – just a limp note from her then secretary, on Houses of Parliament note paper no less, advising me that Gillian would, in so many words, be noting my concerns - which was nice.

Buy One Tax Disc, Get On Free?

Now, I fully understand the fiscal theories concerning bulk buying power, for they are not particularly hard to comprehend – for example, 12 months road tax would boundless be cheaper than 6 if Asda’s were allowed to sell it. A dead hamster could (there’s one buried in the garden of my childhood home), given the right circumstances, understand this concept too.

However, my gripe is not that road tax exists at all (although it soon could be) – it’s that it is not, unlike an offer on baked beans, something one chooses to buy. For example, imagine oneself sitting on the loo one morning. Through the kitchen door one can hear the sound of the kettle coming to the boil. One’s apprehension builds as the egg timer inevitably goes off and the terrible task of wiping one’s arse is offset by the thought of the pleasure that will soon be derived from the eating of a perfectly soft boiled egg, with a runny yolk and buttered soldiers; in a circumstance like this, does one think to oneself:

“Do you know, I didn’t have any expectations that today would turn out to be anything special, but because of the excellent shit I’m having, the thought of dipping my soldiers in that creamy yellow yolk and the knowledge that in twenty minutes I shall undertake a depressing thirty mile car journey to work, I’m going to treat myself to a brand new tax disc damn it. No no, two tax discs. To f*** with the expense - I deserve it. Yes I do! And good for me!”.

Or does one?

Questions for MP Gillian…

…if you might be so kind.

Here are 3 questions for the lady who ‘noted’ my letter of 4 years ago and from whom I am still awaiting a sensible reply:

1. Averaged out over 12 months, why does it cost more to buy 6 months road tax than it does to buy 12 months road tax?

(Tip for Politicians - Answer this one with the reason why)

2. Assuming that less cash rich households (ie those that are as poor as f***) buy their road tax in 6 month installments, is it fair that people with less money should pay more for their road tax?

(Tip for Politicians - Answer this with the reason why it is fair, or the reason why it isn’t)

3. How do you buy your road tax (If you run this ‘through the books’, then this tedious aspect of life won’t concern you and it would also imply that the public subsidises your road tax anyway)?

(Tip for Politicians - Answer this with “That is what the ‘Admin Charge’ is for”)

Replies to lordgobshot@spittingbullets.co.uk

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