On paying fines/taxes for your "free" waste veggie oil
Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, Vegetable Oil, Legislation and Policy
Most roads are build and maintained using funds that governments collect from taxes on gasoline. So, what happens when you use alternative fuels, including some you make yourself? You might get a knock on the door from the Illinois Department of Revenue, asking for money. That's what happened to one biofuel-loving retired couple. Also, that 15-year-old in the UK who made his own biodiesel (see below) was hit with a per-liter tax, wasn't he? Techdirt lists a few other such cases, and their comments section lit up with people saying it's an outrage. Kind of, but somebody's got to pay for the roads we all use. I remember a biodiesel co-op that I profiled back in Georgia that was smartly proactively talking about setting aside money for each gallon the members bought to pay for any taxes that might be assigned in the future. Looks like that's the right idea.
Related:
[Source: Techdirt, h/t to Matt Perkins]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-09-2007 @ 10:51PM
MikeW said...
They can spare it.
http://www.cafrman.com/Articles/Art-IL-S1.htm
Who voted for Blago anyhow?
Reply
3-10-2007 @ 8:49AM
Tim said...
This brings up a very good question. As more and more people charge thier EVs & PHEVs via home solar PV, how will the funds be collected to build & maintain roads? Can you accurately measure and tax the sun and the wind?
Reply
3-10-2007 @ 9:19AM
a54 said...
It's simple, hybrids and EVs will be charged a mileage fee. This can be assessed annually when safety inspections are required.
Reply
3-12-2007 @ 11:49PM
MikeW said...
No fracking way. Mileage assesment would assume all the miles are taxalbe, which they aren't.
The old timer is wrong about current hybrids, the energy comes from the gasoline which was already taxed.
Plug-ins might be different. Cars aren't the ones causing damage to roads, trucks are.
and from the surplus loot (it is stolen if it is tax money that is collected but not used, or returned) the people can afford the small minority of the vehicle fleet that will be plug-ins or homebrew fuels.
People that purchase gasoline for not transport use [say cutting grass], they still pay the tax, so it balances out.
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