TAXATION OF MOTORS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR, —I have been following with interest your Motoring Correspondent's efforts to prove that motoring costs more in England than in other European countries. Unfortunately his figures concerning taxation in France are somewhat out of date, as the present scale has been in force since the beginning of 1927.
My car is rated in this country at 13-h.p., and pays a tax of £10 13s. 6d. per year. As I run on an average 15,000 km. a year, with a petrol consumption of 19 m.p.g., the petrol tax (at Frs. 4.60 per 5 litres) works out at £16 14s. The total yearly taxation is therefore £27 7s. 6d.
In England the car would be rated at 15.9 h.p., and with the petrol tax at 4d. per gallon the taxation would only amount to £24 Os. 2d. In addition, all cars sold in France, other than for trade purposes, pay a luxury tax of 10 per cent., which k included in the catalogue price and which in the case of my car was about £40. Considering the average life of a car and interest on the money, this is equivalent to nearly £10 a year in addition to the yearly taxes.—I am, Sir, &c., A PARIS MOTORIST.
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