Tax omission receives discharge
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Anthony Everett, a partner in Fury St Edmunds-based S&A Haulage, has been given an absolute discharge for fairing to pay British vehicle excise duty on a Dutchregistered vehicle specified on the firm's British 0-licence. Appearing before the Leigh, Lanes magistrates, Everett pleaded guilty to using the vehicle without paying the required tax. It had been flagged out and registered in the name of a Dutch company, Transport MN, and then hired back to S&A.
Jonathan Lawton, defending, said that if a lorry was filled with diesel in the Irish Republic it would save £400; if it was taxed in any other European country a substantial amount of money would be saved.
Lawton added that virtually all the traffic out of the East Coast ports was being carried by foreign hauliers as their rates were so much lower, and many British hauliers had gone out of business as a result.
Lawton said his client had planned to fight the case, but following the decision of the Senior Traffic Commissioner in the Reids Transport case, they were unable to argue that the vehicle was only temporarily" in this country (CM 23-39 Nov 2000).
The Eastern TC had given Everett until 15 June to remove the foreign registered vehicles from his licence or to re-register them in this country, Lawton told the court.
The magistrates made no order for costs against Everett but did order him to pay £933.31 back duty.