Changes to UK Air Passenger Duty
 

I see the UK has announced changes to the APD for flights leaving the UK

At the present time, an economy class flight to NZ has a duty of £40 imposed by the UK government

From 1st November 2009 this will rise to £55 and from 1st November 2010 it will rise to £85, more than double.

I really dont see this rise as helping the airlines at these difficult times.

Rising taxes are a fact of life, but what really annoys me is that the UK Government justify it as a "Carbon Emissions Reduction" measure.

How can it be? The new rates are based on distance traveled, sure, but take no account of the type of plane used.

For example a brand new A380 airbus produces a lot less carbon per passenger mile than, say, a 20 year old 747 yet the duty is the same !!

Face it, APD is just another way to raise revenue.

Fact : APD raises £2.4 billion for the UK goverment each year and by 2010 this is set to double !!!

Re: Changes to UK Air Passenger Duty
 

I thought they were going to change it to a 'per aircraft' tax not a 'per passenger'...what happened to that idea? :huh:

Re: Changes to UK Air Passenger Duty
 

They were going to go that way, went through consultation and everything

But according to the Government briefing paper, they've decided to scrap that idea in favour of a "Per Passenger" scheme.

They probably worked out they could extract more money from the passengers that way !

Re: Changes to UK Air Passenger Duty
 

As much as it's annoying, it's difficult to argue against the principal, airlines paymuch less fuel tax than per gallon than the average punter in the UK.

Re: Changes to UK Air Passenger Duty
 

There in lies the answer of why they are doing it!

Re: Changes to UK Air Passenger Duty
 

If you accept it is OK to have excise duty on road transport petrol and diesel to cover costs of infrastructure and environment, then its hard to argue against the same approach for airlines.

Does anybody know if this carbon tax is being plowed back into emission reducing or carbon sink projects?

NZ tourist operators are not at all happy about this. Could be a few campervans mothballed in the Auckland carpark come summer 2010.

Re: Changes to UK Air Passenger Duty
 

I really don't think a few wee tourist operators are going to make any inroad or doubt on the minds of the discission makers to stop this tax.

As it really doesn't have an effect on the British people on a whole daily it will not make any difference to them and it will slip past with no issues, the only time most brits will notice it is when they pay for their 2 weeks in lanzagrotie. Unlike when they brought in the Poll Tax when it hurt everyone and change happened by force. As we are 99% british on this website and as the the name would lead us to believe we are mostly expats or soon going to be we will not be heard and rightly so, we do not live there anymore! Anyway most of us voted here the other week and that is the only way we will make a difference in the UK also is by voting next year at the elections. Although going on previous the next government wont reduce the tax but may change it's name and as environmental issues are big news and offer huge kudos for everyone nowadays to hide sh*t that is the place to put it

Considering they had been doing this to visitors to Auckland for the last how many years and no one batted an eyelid.

So I dont see NZ(pop.4.5m on a good day) persuading UK(pop.70m ish) having much influence and rightly so in any democratic state

Re: Changes to UK Air Passenger Duty
 

"Does anybody know if this carbon tax is being plowed back into emission reducing or carbon sink projects?"


I doubt it, the British government rarely look at taxation that way.
Petrol duty and car registration for example don't specifically go into road management. Inheritance tax doesnt help to improve cemataries. :D

As far as I'm aware It will just go into the general revenue pot and be used for whatever purpose its needed

Re: Changes to UK Air Passenger Duty
 

"Carbon" taxing seems to be just a huge revenue generating exercise.