Tax take on diesel

JVince · 21-03-2026 01:01PM #1

So much misinformation on this.

The usual types claim 65%.

Yet it is unbelievably easy to calculate.

On a €2.25 litre of diesel, tax is as follows

Vat 42c

Duty 42.5c

Carbon 19c

Nora 2c

Total €1.055

46.7%

High, but by no means the highest in Europe. About 10th on the table.

Duty on diesel would need a 40% cut to take 20c off the forecourt price - it will still be over €2.10 next week as the refining price has jumped to $70 (was $22 in Feb) and that will see an additional 10-12c next week on diesel.

sruthair · 21-03-2026 07:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058436150/tax-take-on-diesel

do you know what it is on HVO100?

mikeecho · 21-03-2026 08:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124330413#Comment_124330413

I think it's the same, but it has zero carbon tax.

c montgomery · 21-03-2026 10:19PM

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2024/1009/1474456-call-to-address-increasing-burden-of-fuel-taxes/

Correct figures for anyone interested

JVince · 22-03-2026 07:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124331018#Comment_124331018

That's from October.

Duty, Nora, Carbon and better energy levy (I forgot that 1.7c) stays static. At 1.66, it did come to 55%, but the increase caused by oil price increase and refinery margin increase means that at €2.25 it's 47.4% (incl the better energy levy)

At €2.35 it drops to 46.5%

A far cry from aontu and sf claims of 65%

kaahooters · 23-03-2026 11:16AM

yup, tax… its a thing.. cba

Red Silurian · 23-03-2026 12:09PM

Apologies if this post seems long but it has 3 tables so isn't massively long

As the price of fuel goes up the % the government takes goes down because 4 of the taxes are fixed and not based on the wholesale price. Just to pick 3 figures out of my head if diesel were €1.50, €2 or €2.50.

Pump Price	150.00
Price before taxes	50.64
Excise	42.57
NORA	2.00
Carbon	18.74
Better Energy	8.00
VAT	28.05
Total Taxes	99.36
Tax as a % of pump price	66%

Pump Price	200.00
Price before taxes	91.29
Excise	42.57
NORA	2.00
Carbon	18.74
Better Energy	8.00
VAT	37.40
Total Taxes	108.71
Tax as a % of pump price	54%

Pump Price	250.00
Price before taxes	131.94
Excise	42.57
NORA	2.00
Carbon	18.74
Better Energy	8.00
VAT	46.75
Total Taxes	118.06
Tax as a % of pump price	47%

Now obviously the physical amount of tax increases as the price of fuel goes up, but a rise from €1.50 to €2.50 is a 67% increase that you pay at the pump but the tax take only increases by 19%. What the govt effectively have done is they have shielded themselves against a lower tax intake in the event of a drop in fuel prices. If the base price of diesel was 0, it would still cost you 88c at the pumps (with the tax being 100%)

Tax take on diesel

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