Boaters tax themselves...
The RYA (Royal Yachting Association) have submitted their response to the Government’s consultation on the future of waterside diesel.
And they, like the British Marine Federation, are backing a future where leisure boaters themselves calculate what they owe the Treasury.
Under this system recreational boaters would continue to purchase red diesel at the rebated rate, but would declare and pay the additional duty periodically.
Should HMRC (Customs) choose a different system, for instance where the suppliers of red diesel would collect the duty, there could be a detrimental effect on supply, the RYA believe.
“Our overriding consideration throughout the red diesel debate has been safety; securing the ongoing availability of marine diesel throughout the UK,” says Neil Northmore, RYA Government Affairs Adviser. “The self regulation system, we believe, offers the best system in terms of safety because it will safeguard the supply and availability of red diesel throughout Britain.”
Neil continues: “We know that suppliers in remote or rural areas, such as Scotland and the south west of England, have indicated that they would not sell red diesel to private recreational craft because they do not want to be burdened with the cost and bureaucracy involved in recording every sale to private recreational craft.”
The RYA has also urged Government to look seriously at reducing the rate of duty payable by recreational boaters on red diesel to the lowest possible rate, ideally the EU minimum rate.
The proposal at present is that red diesel would be taxed at the full, road fuel rate of duty – 54.68ppl.
The RYAs full response to consultation is available on www.rya.org.uk
