4 ms·

A tire tax might be simpler to implement, and would capture similar information.

by ISL 13y ago

protomyth 13y ago
A tire tax is a really bad idea from a safety point of view. People will delay tire purchases past the safety line.
- toomuchtodo 13y ago
  A flat yearly tax on the vehicle.
  - waterlesscloud 13y ago
    You could call it a vehicle registration fee.
    - protomyth 13y ago
      If your vehicle registration fee was in the several thousand dollar range, it would cripple a goodly number of poor and low income folks.
      - toomuchtodo 13y ago
        They're already paying the taxes; its just streamlining the collection. If they're crippled by current fuel taxes, they'd still be crippled (or rather, unable to afford) taxes under the proposed scheme as well. See my post where I outline the math: https://news.ycombinator.com/edit?id=6623693 https://news.ycombinator.com/edit?id=6623693
        protomyth 13y ago
        No, it is easier for people to pay small chunks at different times then to be confronted by one huge bill. Planning is not something innate in people. This is the exact reason withholdings were created. Number 2, the cost addition to government budget should be unacceptable and the cost of this program will increase the tax beyond what is needed.
    - toomuchtodo 13y ago
      Exactly. I live in Illinois. I already pay $101/year for my license plate. Our federal + state gas tax comes out to be 57.5 cents per gallon [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_taxes_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_taxes_in_the_United_States]. If I drive the average number of miles per year (13,476 miles; http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm), and assuming the vehicle gets a modest 25 mpg, I'm currently paying $309.948/year in fuel taxes. So, between the $310 for fuel taxes and the $101 for the license plate/tag fee, we're at $411/year, or $34.25/month. I pay more in car insurance that that. Flat rate it and lets be done with it.
  - protomyth 13y ago
    A really bad idea for the working poor. Think of having no withholding on your income and then having to pay your tax bill. The pay-as-you-go / use tax is probably one of the easiest taxes to manage.
    - toomuchtodo 13y ago
      Offer a monthly payment option. We already subsidize license plate registration fees for the poor and senior citizens. This could be continued under a new program.
      - protomyth 13y ago
        Taking a super easy tax to pay and make it a monthly bill with late fees, tracking, and legal threats? Probably adding thousands of federal and state workers to oversee. Instead of tens of thousands of payers (the gas stations) we now have millions. It seems like a tax to add government cost and workers. Up the existing tax and tax electric cars based on the amount of electricity they use. It is easy and simple.
        toomuchtodo 13y ago
        So, what you're saying is that its easier to try to track down every source of electricity an electric vehicle might use to tax it at the point of charging vs having someone put a debit or credit card on file through a web app and charging it monthly? Seriously? You have to be joking. Because that's pretty outrageous to suggest. My tollway transponder auto-debits my credit card just fine every month for the tolls I use, and has worked like this for over 8 years. Same concept, just no transponder. Name. Vehicle info. License plate tag. Credit card info. Charge monthly. Email receipt. Done.
        protomyth 13y ago
        At this point yes. 5 years from now no. They should have a special plug on those things and charge them for the electricity they use. Right now they are middle and upper class vehicles and we should deal with them at this point instead of allowing one of the easiest to pay and plan taxes go away. These big charges are nothing but poor and low income killers. Low income have to drive more do to pricing of housing. Never mind the various articles on low-income people no longer having bank accounts. > Name. Vehicle info. License plate tag. Credit card info. Charge monthly. Email receipt. Done. Good for you and not for large chunks of the US.

A tire tax might be simpler to implement, and would capture similar information.

by ISL 13y ago

A tire tax might be simpler to implement, and would capture similar information.

protomyth 13y ago

A tire tax is a really bad idea from a safety point of view. People will delay tire purchases past the safety line.

toomuchtodo 13y ago
A flat yearly tax on the vehicle.
- waterlesscloud 13y ago
  You could call it a vehicle registration fee.
  - protomyth 13y ago
    If your vehicle registration fee was in the several thousand dollar range, it would cripple a goodly number of poor and low income folks.
    - toomuchtodo 13y ago
      They're already paying the taxes; its just streamlining the collection. If they're crippled by current fuel taxes, they'd still be crippled (or rather, unable to afford) taxes under the proposed scheme as well. See my post where I outline the math: https://news.ycombinator.com/edit?id=6623693 https://news.ycombinator.com/edit?id=6623693
      - protomyth 13y ago
        No, it is easier for people to pay small chunks at different times then to be confronted by one huge bill. Planning is not something innate in people. This is the exact reason withholdings were created. Number 2, the cost addition to government budget should be unacceptable and the cost of this program will increase the tax beyond what is needed.
  - toomuchtodo 13y ago
    Exactly. I live in Illinois. I already pay $101/year for my license plate. Our federal + state gas tax comes out to be 57.5 cents per gallon [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_taxes_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_taxes_in_the_United_States]. If I drive the average number of miles per year (13,476 miles; http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm), and assuming the vehicle gets a modest 25 mpg, I'm currently paying $309.948/year in fuel taxes. So, between the $310 for fuel taxes and the $101 for the license plate/tag fee, we're at $411/year, or $34.25/month. I pay more in car insurance that that. Flat rate it and lets be done with it.
- protomyth 13y ago
  A really bad idea for the working poor. Think of having no withholding on your income and then having to pay your tax bill. The pay-as-you-go / use tax is probably one of the easiest taxes to manage.
  - toomuchtodo 13y ago
    Offer a monthly payment option. We already subsidize license plate registration fees for the poor and senior citizens. This could be continued under a new program.
    - protomyth 13y ago
      Taking a super easy tax to pay and make it a monthly bill with late fees, tracking, and legal threats? Probably adding thousands of federal and state workers to oversee. Instead of tens of thousands of payers (the gas stations) we now have millions. It seems like a tax to add government cost and workers. Up the existing tax and tax electric cars based on the amount of electricity they use. It is easy and simple.
      - toomuchtodo 13y ago
        So, what you're saying is that its easier to try to track down every source of electricity an electric vehicle might use to tax it at the point of charging vs having someone put a debit or credit card on file through a web app and charging it monthly? Seriously? You have to be joking. Because that's pretty outrageous to suggest. My tollway transponder auto-debits my credit card just fine every month for the tolls I use, and has worked like this for over 8 years. Same concept, just no transponder. Name. Vehicle info. License plate tag. Credit card info. Charge monthly. Email receipt. Done.
        protomyth 13y ago
        At this point yes. 5 years from now no. They should have a special plug on those things and charge them for the electricity they use. Right now they are middle and upper class vehicles and we should deal with them at this point instead of allowing one of the easiest to pay and plan taxes go away. These big charges are nothing but poor and low income killers. Low income have to drive more do to pricing of housing. Never mind the various articles on low-income people no longer having bank accounts. > Name. Vehicle info. License plate tag. Credit card info. Charge monthly. Email receipt. Done. Good for you and not for large chunks of the US.