AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

TAXMAN TOPICS

22nd March 2001, Page 20
22nd March 2001
Page 20
Page 20, 22nd March 2001 — TAXMAN TOPICS
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

I read with interest your recent article on the Inland Revenue looking sympathetically at hauliers paying their income tax (CM14-20 Nov 2000).

My audited demand came at the beginning of March, with

a note attached saying: "Help us to help you." The next day I rang the tax office to explain that I was a haulage contractor and would have difficulty in paying the amount all at once because I had subsidised my business with the money— diesel prices, insurance and so on had all gone up. I then offered to pay by instalments but the monthly figure I suggested was flatly refused.

I was then told by the inspector that I would be meanstested on surplus income to ascertain whether I could get a loan from a bank or building society. If this was not possible the bailiff would evaluate my assets for a sale.

At this point I felt like a criminal and accepted the monthly figure the inspector proposed.

I don't think the inspector knew the difference between a haulage contractor and an estate agent, and certainly knew nothing of the sympathetic approach supposedly offered by the government. Furthermore, Mr Blair in a recent speech said the backbone of this country is the small business, and our industry has more small businesses than any other sector.

Mr Blair and the government have set standards for being in the industry: I think it's time they set the rates too, so professional hauliers' only competition would be on quality of service and not how cheaply a commodity can be moved from A to B.

And so on to diesel: if the revenue generated by diesel "tax" were spent solely on the road infrastructure, it would mean a truck could set off from, say, Leeds on Monday morning 08:00hrs, do six drops in the London area and return on the same day.

At the moment, because of traffic congestion this is basically impossible, tying the vehicle up for two days when the revenue in most cases is for only one.

Name suppled.

Tags

People: Blair
Locations: Leeds, London

comments powered by Disqus