Spare Wheel

(02-05-2013 03:48pm)scrannel Wrote:  Are you saying if you changed spec you would have to have the car re-tested for emissions?

No, the car is only tested once, before launch but if LR made a spare standard issue you add something lie 30kgs to the car's weight and that could be enough to put the car into a higher tax band

(02-05-2013 05:39pm)XFullFatTim Wrote:  No, the car is only tested once, before launch but if LR made a spare standard issue you add something lie 30kgs to the car's weight and that could be enough to put the car into a higher tax band

Funny. Over here heavier the better. Years back when I bought my first Range, there was a federal luxury tax in force meaning any car over a certain cost had a really fat tax levied against it. But my expensive (and of course, luxurious) Range which was very heavy and a 4x4 was exempted as... farm equipment. This amazing policy was largely responsible for the SUV craze in the States.

We no longer have "luxury" car tax in the UK, we get taxed on CO2 emissions, whether the car is for business or pleasure use ( company owed cars are taxed as a "benefit in kind" and considered part of salary so it's effect is on income tax) and the there s the 20% VAT and in the first year only Vehicle Excise Duty is doubled ( this s charged on a sliding scale again depending on emissions from Zero for an electric car through to, I think £450 annually, for the big emitters like sports cars) of corse then we get all sorts if taxes on the fuel we fill the tank with that increase its price by about 125%.....

Our luxury tax is history as well, but the "farm equipment" dodge remains. My son just bought a big Jeep through his company, and because it qualifies as "farm gear" (due to weight) he is able to depreciate the entire cost of the car in a single year -- instead of spread out over several years.

There is no sales tax on cars in California, just a road tax. Which means they can tax the car endlessly until it disintegrates. But, that also means you can "title-only" a car and pay no tax at all. Some extreme survivalist types do this, then spend $2 for "one trip permits" which allow a one time round trip from and to where ever. And you can literally buy as many as you want.

... OK, time to go out and see how close that fire is getting!