Car/Motor Tax costs year on Year (2005-2014) Increase costs of motoring

limklad · 14-08-2013 12:34pm #1

Today I received my Motor Tax disc Today. As a hoarder of thing, I went through the costs of my car/motor tax, year on year with the same trusty Toyota Corolla 1.4 petrol car I brought in 2005 that saw me through many weather conditions without failure, not even a wheel puncture and still going strong.

Today my Motor Tax cost more than the car insurance.
I drive a modest 1.4L petrol car and my Motor Tax increased by 32% in 6 years since the Bank crises started (that includes the Carbon Tax increase). I hate to see my Car Tax of a bigger engines size, if I had brought it at the time. I now pay €93 more Motor Tax than I did 6 years ago. I need to look at fuel costs and check the approx fuel tax I paid.

Since I brought the car, I added TPMS, Cruise controls which helps in keeping my fuel costs down and less stress when driving (no longer wanting to put the foot down in thinking I driving too slow on the motorway). I was never a speed manic i.e no fines for speeding. I install a driving Black box monitor which will help when someone else crash into me or record crazy driving of others. It also helps with certain rogue or sarcastic gardai with the attitude test when they spot the camera!! (Most are just doing their job fine)

I am interested in seeing other Road users Motor Tax increases or if anybody monitor their Vehicle costs not just Motor Tax? i.e. Fuel costs, vehicle depreciation, Tolls, Maintenance costs, Insurance, NCT, upgrades, etc.

Do motorist just put their head in the sand or just get on with it?
or
Do you diligently or bit by bit monitor costs of having a vehicle and compare that to other vehicles when buying?

Matt Simis · 14-08-2013 12:37pm

Considering my tax went from around EUR1500 to over EUR1800, a smaller percentage but a vastly higher real number, you shouldnt feel too put out.

Max Power1 · 14-08-2013 12:43pm

I remember when the top rate of CC tax was 1400, now it is 1809...

Mine is a 3.0, so the rate went from c1200 to 1494pa in the past couple of years.

pred racer · 14-08-2013 12:44pm

Mine went up €90 in the last budget alone.......:mad:

Valetta · 14-08-2013 12:49pm

An average of about 3.5% year on year.

Doesn't seem too bad.

dgt · 14-08-2013 12:50pm

My 525 was €784 to tax for the year in 2004. Considered expensive then, 10 years later I now pay €710 for the Pug, or €800 by quarters

Max Power1 · 14-08-2013 12:50pm

Valetta wrote: »

An average of about 3.5% year on year.

Doesn't seem too bad.

The problem is when the 3.5% equates to 75-90 Euro though..

September1 · 14-08-2013 12:53pm

It seems that it grow faster than inflation, on other hand Ireland has better road system than Germany so you got some value for above inflation contributions.

miller50841 · 14-08-2013 1:01pm

There should be a standard tax base similar to the UK seen as we pay huge money on fuel which is taxed then carbon tax on top of that and then VAT at 23% also.

Why can't there be a much simpler system which in turn the tax intake would be higher for example minimum tax €250 and top €550.
So up to 1.6 pay lower after that pay the higher it would keep things simpler and maybe not so much of a kick to us all while we are down already.

There is no joy in having a decent car any more.

I love car's and it's a hobby but because I like having the big engine I am screwed over for it in more ways then just motor tax.

pcardin · 14-08-2013 1:08pm

September1 wrote: »

It seems that it grow faster than inflation, on other hand Ireland has better road system than Germany so you got some value for above inflation contributions.

sarcastic joke? :eek:

galwaytt · 14-08-2013 1:11pm

Matt Simis wrote: »

Considering my tax went from around EUR1500 to over EUR1800, a smaller percentage but a vastly higher real number, you shouldnt feel too put out.

...we're not all on Big Bucks like you Matt

:pac:

Supergurrier · 14-08-2013 1:15pm

Motor tax yay !

September1 · 14-08-2013 1:15pm

pcardin wrote: »

sarcastic joke? :eek:

No, objective option.
Motorways per capita Germany: 149.97
Motorways per capite Ireland: 149.9

Public road per capita Germany: 7.18
Public road per capita Ireland: 22.58

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OECD_countries_by_road_network_size

My question, why would you think that was a joke?

Supergurrier · 14-08-2013 1:18pm

That's only because a lot of Irish second diary and below roads are just cattle tracks with loose chippings

pcardin · 14-08-2013 1:24pm

September1 wrote: »

No, objective option.
Motorways per capita Germany: 149.97
Motorways per capite Ireland: 149.9

Public road per capita Germany: 7.18
Public road per capita Ireland: 22.58

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OECD_countries_by_road_network_size

My question, why would you think that was a joke?

well I'm not a numbers geek and won't shout or run for a source for everything I read or hear...but...I've spent loads of time between these 2 countries and that certainly isn't what I see.

djimi · 14-08-2013 1:40pm

limklad wrote: »

Do motorist just put their head in the sand or just get on with it?

This one, basically! If I ever sat down and worked out just how much my car costs me per month/year Id probably have a heart attack, and to be honest it would probably take a lot of the enjoyment out of owning it. I can afford to run it for the moment, I cringe whenever I have to pay tax but just get on with it, and I try not to think about it to much.

Obviously if I was looking at changing car then I would work out fully how much the new car would cost to run.

limklad · 14-08-2013 1:48pm

Valetta wrote: »

An average of about 3.5% year on year.

Doesn't seem too bad.

With the costs of other taxes increases in the cost of living included and wages stagnated or dropping. Every bit counts to a very much shrinking disposable income where budgets were already tight in most families.

A 32% Increase over 6 years with addition VAT & Duty increased not included in my original figure. Costs of motoring in all areas of motoring have increased very much by the government, independent of Fuel cost increases due to external reasons. Valetta you may can afford these cost rises, but many people cannot afford it when they were already struggling to pay bills before the Tiger economy crashed.

That ontop of where we had already pay high VRT (non existence in other EU countries) when we buy our new vehicles which is already making vehicles far more expensive than the UK and other European countries. A standard model here is more expensive that a deluxe model in other countries.

Now our fuel cost have been increases to high Tax countries in Europe

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/tax-hikes-drive-price-of-petrol-and-diesel-up-european-league-table-29121314.html
If a car does 12,000 miles per year (19,200km) at a fuel consumption rate of 30 miles per gallon (9.42 litres per 100km), that car will use 150 litres of fuel per month.
For a typical motorist, that means paying €240 for fuel every month of which €131.50 is tax.
In a year, a typical Irish motorist will pay nearly €1,600 in tax on fuel.

AA corporate affairs spokesman Conor Faughnan said: "We used to have the cheapest petrol in Europe in 2008. But since October that year, the various government taxes have added 23c onto a litre of petrol."

"In countries like Norway they have higher fuel taxes, but they don't have the full range of motor taxes we have, such as VAT, insurance levy, Vehicle Registration Tax, tolls, motor tax. We have them all."

Mr Faughnan said speculation on oil markets is probably adding about 4c to a litre of petrol across all countries.

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/drivers-boosted-recent-fuel-price-2062779

Drivers pay out hugely through a combination of excise duties – carbon tax and VAT (57% of the price of diesel and petrol is tax).

The current policy of super-high taxes on fuels hits Irish businesses as well as ordinary motorists.
“It is in effect an anti-stimulus measure that increases transportation and business costs across the board.”

High Cost of Transport put up our cost of living and VAT on top of that as cost of goods we buy have transport costs built into them.

It would not surprise me if we are paying the highest of Taxes and charges to the government coffers in Europe for motoring, if you combined every Tax and charges and levies.

munchkin_utd · 14-08-2013 1:57pm

limklad wrote: »

<snip>

It would not surprise me if we are paying the highest of Taxes and charges to the government coffers in Europe for motoring, if you combined every Tax and charges and levies.

quite possibly, but the income taxes are low in Ireland (pension in germany is 9% and medical insurance 15% on top of income tax for instance) as is the almost non existent household charge/ rates (which in Northern Ireland/ Britain are 1000pounds+ per bog standard house).

In other countries your rates would pay for a lot of your local roads whereas in Ireland property tax was abolished to give everyone a fuzzy feeling inside, but the missing cash has to come from somewhere.

Max Power1 · 14-08-2013 2:19pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

quite possibly, but the income taxes are low in Ireland (pension in germany is 9% and medical insurance 15% on top of income tax for instance) as is the almost non existent household charge/ rates (which in Northern Ireland/ Britain are 1000pounds+ per bog standard house).

In other countries your rates would pay for a lot of your local roads whereas in Ireland property tax was abolished to give everyone a fuzzy feeling inside, but the missing cash has to come from somewhere.

Way off the motoring topic here, but the rates in the UK (including the north) pay for services, here we will get nothing for them.

_Kaiser_ · 14-08-2013 2:33pm

Max Power1 wrote: »

Way off the motoring topic here, but the rates in the UK (including the north) pay for services, here we will get nothing for them.

Exactly.. here it all just disappears into the central government pot for the government of the day to hand over as payment for debts we shouldn't be paying, squander in other ways, or sure just help themselves to.

This breakdown of the Taoiseach's departmental credit card spend has some interesting entries (what looks like someone's weekly Tesco shop, Maplin/Amazon/Elara, the Palace bar!!)

But sure, just like the motor tax we'll just say nothing as usual :rolleyes:

munchkin_utd · 14-08-2013 3:05pm

Max Power1 wrote: »

Way off the motoring topic here, but the rates in the UK (including the north) pay for services, here we will get nothing for them.

aigh, but its VERY on point as the reason that theres so many motoring taxes that are so high (and VAT and excise higher than it would be abroad) is that the government in Ireland over the years has bent over backwards to create that warm fuzzy feeling through low income related taxes BUT has to then recoup it in other ways.

By rights there should be lower motoring taxes and a corresponding (fairer) rise in income related charges.

unfortunately, the very smart voters of Ireland will never vote for a party that proposes such a thing.... which means that every party in government then has to gouge folks through all classes of thoroughly unfair (i.e. non income proportional) taxes.

limklad · 14-08-2013 3:25pm

djimi wrote: »

This one, basically! If I ever sat down and worked out just how much my car costs me per month/year Id probably have a heart attack, and to be honest it would probably take a lot of the enjoyment out of owning it. I can afford to run it for the moment, I cringe whenever I have to pay tax but just get on with it, and I try not to think about it to much.

Obviously if I was looking at changing car then I would work out fully how much the new car would cost to run.

To me the Motor Tax is not the biggest costs increase due to Taxes but the amount it % increase in 6 years did surprise me spurring me to look into other Tax increases includes what the government does not call taxes but government lead increasing on our motoring and living costs. I been looking at it for cost of fuel, tires pressures with cost and quality up to now. Before I uses E85 and my car is still adapted for it. I did a lot of Start and go traffic which it was useful for but not motorway/dual carriage driving in which I used petrol. The increase of duties Taxes on E85 spur Maxol to drop it from their pumps on the 1st January 2011.

The AA website have a good list of Types of cost that motorist face for previous years.
http://www.theaa.ie/AA/Motoring-advice/Cost-of-motoring/Cost-of-Motoring-Explained.aspx

http://www.theaa.ie/AA/Motoring-advice/Cost-of-motoring/

Unfortunately we now are paying the price of their incompetent governments and paying higher Motoring Taxes while trying to get on with our daily lives. As a island nation and reduce Public Transport in rural areas we have to pay the price for electing stupid politicians. For many people having a car is a must for getting to and from work and getting around. For the government it was easy picking by direct and stealth means for extra revenue despite what different names they call it. Costs are still increasing with no signs of abating. While wages have not kept pace with costs of living more like failing to stand still more likely dropping.

It looks like I have to look into more avenues in reducing motoring costs and one options includes having a few words with our Minister of Finance who is my Local TD in which I never have met before and will be waiting for his explanation and threatening him with my voting options which includes Large number of relatives. Last Election proves that people are no longer willing to vote on historical grounds out of habit or loyalty or desire to please others. Children of older generation losing jobs or barely surviving with their parents help or head off to work abroad to pay for basic survival dash that hope for Politicians of getting repeating business in the way of people votes. Many people are still angry even with this government and more increases and reduction of benefits have yet to come in the next budget.

So minster of Finance if you are reading this expect me if not my vote will transfer else where.
I am one person who did not splurge during the boom times nor did I buy recklessly into property and I always kept my vehicle in good shape and well maintained and drove responsibility. Yet I along with others have to pay heavily for the damage and decisions of others and through the neglect of oversight of those including you when in opposition.

Rest of the options I have to explore for reducing my cost of motoring in this country, one option includes emigration along with family extended members.

keithclancy · 14-08-2013 4:15pm

pcardin wrote: »

well I'm not a numbers geek and won't shout or run for a source for everything I read or hear...but...I've spent loads of time between these 2 countries and that certainly isn't what I see.

Drive around the smaller regional roads and a lot of them are like this:

Menden-Fahrbahnschaeden-Schlagloecher-schlechte-0-300x402.jpg

A lot of the German roads are terrible, as a whole the the Autobahn between big cities is very good, although some have very poor road drainage.

People tend to mix up No speed restriction with fantastic roads.

Car/Motor Tax costs year on Year (2005-2014) Increase costs of motoring

Comments