M1 Toll Road - Interesting Observation

pyure

Got a receipt at the M1 toll booth the other day, must be fairly new never saw one before.
Anyway I'm looking at it here and I'm curious about one thing - price: 1.80, VAT 31cent.
My understanding was that government sold the rights to toll this road to a company (possibly Celtic Roads Group?), so why are they still making money on top of that?

I'm curious to know where exactly my 31cents goes to? I'm already paying road tax and fuel tax and now apparently I'm being taxed on a toll?

I'm struggling to make sense of this, it feels like a giant rip-off - am I wrong?

truecrippler

Goes towards the electricity bill to raise the barrier.

javaboy

pyure wrote: »

Got a receipt at the M1 toll booth the other day, must be fairly new never saw one before.
Anyway I'm looking at it here and I'm curious about one thing - price: 1.80, VAT 31cent.
My understanding was that government sold the rights to toll this road to a company (possibly Celtic Roads Group?), so why are they still making money on top of that?

I'm curious to know where exactly my 31cents goes to? I'm already paying road tax and fuel tax and now apparently I'm being taxed on a toll?

I'm struggling to make sense of this, it feels like a giant rip-off - am I wrong?

Basically a private company is charging for a service (kind of - but that's another thread altogether) and they therefore have to charge VAT. I assume it's going back into the economy as VAT normally does. You're paying motor tax btw not road tax. It's a convenient difference that means you can't complain about potholes.

mikemac

You’re paying for a service so you pay VAT

Btw, you pay motor tax not road tax

antodeco

Might be worth posting in the motors forum. Better chance of "actual" replies there

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

Blanchguy

Until a few years ago there was no VAT on tolls, then the EU decided that VAT should be charged - NTR (the guys who used to do the Westlink) fought this and lost. So at one stage their money was cut - toll became the toll including VAT. (I'm sure this has been taken care of since). NTR tried to claim that they were leasing you a piece of road (for a very short time!) but the EU was having none of it.

Quazzie

The Scientist wrote: »

Goes towards receipt paper.

And toilet paper! not to be confused!!

_feedback_

I'm between here and the motors forum at the moment. But all these motors threads in here are confusing the bejaysus out of me.

EDIT: it's now in motors.

I think ........

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

moved from after hours

unkel

Blanchguy wrote: »

Until a few years ago there was no VAT on tolls, then the EU decided that VAT should be charged - NTR (the guys who used to do the Westlink) fought this and lost. So at one stage their money was cut - toll became the toll including VAT.

Largely true, but their money wasn't cut. The tolls were simply raised to include the VAT

Anyone know the exact before and after price of the Westlink for a car?

Tipsy Mac

EU decision means VAT must be charged, funny how we adopt this yet we don't adopt free trade within the EU when it comes to the free movement of cars.

Steve

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

EU decision means VAT must be charged, funny how we adopt this yet we don't adopt free trade within the EU when it comes to the free movement of cars.

Nothing funny about it at all :mad:

jayok

unkel wrote: »

Largely true, but their money wasn't cut. The tolls were simply raised to include the VAT

Anyone know the exact before and after price of the Westlink for a car?

It was 80p and VAT @ 21% was to be 16.8p. But this wasn't convenient so they charged £1. Then with the Euro changeover €1.27 wasn't convenient so it was converted to €1.30. Always seems to be rounding up :rolleyes: