Irish Taxes Cause Alarm
Page 29
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
CONSTERNATION has been caused l■-• among members of the Irish Merchant Lorry Owners' Association over the proposed increases in vehicle taxation, to become effective on January 1, 1953. A Government White Paper states that damage caused to the roads by vehicles has caused extra expenditure from the Road Fund. In August, 1939, there were 10,741 goods vehicles in Eire, and 26,721 in August last year.
Details of the proposed rates were given in last week's issue. Battery-electric vehicles not exceeding 25 cwt. unladen retain a concession, in that their annual tax will be £10.
In addition to the basic duty on prime movers, an annual duty of £12 will be payable on any goods vehicle used for drawing a trailer. The duty on a trailer will bear morelrelation to the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle and, therefore, to the capacity of the trailer. The following annual scale of trailer duty is proposed: Up to 2 tons, £14; 2-3 tons, £18; 3-4 tons, £24; 4-5 tons, £32; 5-6 tons, £42; over 6 tons, £54 (weights specified refer to the tractor). Goods vehicles assembled in the republic from parts manufactured in Ireland, in a manner and to an extent approved by the Minister for Industry and Commerce, have hitherto been allowed a special concession, those not exceeding It tons unladen weight being taxable at the rate of £20, £10 lower than the rate applicable to vehicles not so assembled. The concession was intended to encourage the use of Irishbuilt bodies.
Representations have been made that the concession is no longer effective, and it has been suggested that the concession should be extended to vehicles not exceeding 1 t tons unladen weight.
The new rates proposed for Irishassembled goods vehicles are: 1-14 tons unladen, £24; tons, £28. These taxes will still be £10 lower than the general rates.
Vehicles employed to carry goods in connection with agriculture have hitherto been taxed as agricultural engines. In future, such vehicles will be Liable for duty at the rates appropriate to ordinary goods vehicles.