[bikes]

I can’t find any articles questioning the UK’s (and maybe other countries’?) tax incentives for buying these vehicles. The pick ups I see aren’t being used for carrying building materials, they just look like they’re being used as company cars. I’m surprised there isn’t more questioning of the policy, unless I’ve missed something? 

Thanks to AidanR for this summary under the Road.cc article “SUVs more dangerous […] “

“The tax benefits are threefold when purchased as a company vehicle:

1) Much lower benefit in kind rates for employees and employers than cars, which aren’t linked to CO2 emissions.

2) Ability to recover VAT paid, unlike cars. In theory VAT recovery for a doublecab pick-up should be apportioned for private use, although how often that happens in practice I don’t know.

3) 100% relief against corporation tax in the year of purchase, rather than 18% or 8% per year for a car.”

    

Topic

[bikes]

Can anyone make an argument

Can anyone make an argument in favour of the policy? Did the government ever reveal the  reasoning behind it? Would a petition questioning the policy likely get enough traction for 10,000 signatures?

[Armchairanarchist]

My Pick Up wanker story.
My Pick Up wanker story.
Riding between Rotherham and Sheffield (meadowbank road), relevant because it’s about a mile and a half long and lovely and wide with a high speed limit & plenty of time to pass, after the 30mph section with traffic calming islands in the first few hundred yards.

However, Mr big man in his L200 was far too important for that and forced his way past.
There was a loud bang and his truck shook violently. I was fortunate to be wearing AG2R+ replica shorts.
Delightfully, because he was a weapons grade dildo, he had fitted giant alloys with super low profile tyres, which he had just smashed into the center islands. He pulled in at the curry house and as I passed I observed his fancy wheels now looking completely
“unfancy” with the rear one cracked and the front one resembling a Pringle.
I was still laughing when I reached my destination, with occasional bursts of giggles persisting for the next 2 weeks.
Karma seems rare, but when it happens it’s marvelous.

[bikes]

Glad it’s not just me that
Glad it’s not just me that doesn’t like them. Why not encourage innovation towards smaller, lighter work vehicles?

[brooksby]

I had some work done on my

I had some work done on my central heating in December.  I had to bite my tongue every time I saw the guy’s shiny black crew-cab pickup thing…  (I didn’t want to alienate him, as he does really good work).

I said to my wife, “I can’t believe he’s going to put all that rubbish (old boiler, pipes, etc) in that vehicle!” and you know what, he didn’t!  He arranged for a mate with a grubby white van to come and collect it all the next day! 

[Daveyraveygravey]

HoarseMann wrote:

Tom_77 wrote:

There’s a summary of the UK tax rules here.

How remiss of Auto Express to not mention that lower commerical vehicle speed limits apply to most of these 4×4 crew cab pickups.

In my experience, the drivers of these vehicles seem to have bought them to intimidate other road users, by tailgating and generally bullying others out of their way. Shame it’s also being funded by the tax payer.

I totally agree with you experience.  Anecdotal evidence, a guy I work with bought a Misubishi Warrior or something like that, I asked him why, he said it was cool and his kids love it. It barely fits a standard car park space at work.  They are almost always driven with a couldn’t-give-a-fuck-about-anyone-else attitude, although that isn’t just restricted to pick ups.

[HoarseMann]

Tom_77 wrote:

There’s a summary of the UK tax rules here.

How remiss of Auto Express to not mention that lower commerical vehicle speed limits apply to most of these 4×4 crew cab pickups.

In my experience, the drivers of these vehicles seem to have bought them to intimidate other road users, by tailgating and generally bullying others out of their way. Shame it’s also being funded by the tax payer.

[Tom_77]

The US situation.

The US situation.

In the US imported trucks are subject to a 25% tax (chicken tax). With less competition, US manufacturers can make more profit on trucks and have heavily marketed them. MPG rules for trucks are also less strict than for cars which is another incentive.

[Tom_77]

There’s a summary of the UK

There’s a summary of the UK tax rules here.

[Author]

Replies