Double Cab U-Turn

No, not taxi cabs - although the rules say that in London at least, they have to be able to do a U-Turn within a 25 foot turning circle.

This story, though, is about double-cab pickup trucks like this one...

...and the rules concerning the tax on them.

I saw this story at lunchtime on the Auto Express website but that appears to be broken right now so here's a link to the local newspaper of the small Hampshire town of Fleet - Fleet News.

On Monday last week, the HMRC announced that vehicles like that yellow one above would be treated as cars rather than commercial vehicles and would therefore no longer be getting the tax breaks afforded to commercial vehicles.

This upset quite a few people - business people and farmers and people who sell double-cab pick-up trucks.

On Thursday, the Government got thrashed in a by-election.  Not really relevant  to this but it pleased me and it's further proof that The Conservatives don't want to be upsetting people - especially business people and farmers and people who sell double-cab pick-up trucks. 

So yesterday the Government did a U-Turn. Nigel Huddleston, financial secretary to the Treasury, said: “We will change the law at the next available Finance Bill in order to avoid tax outcomes that could inadvertently harm farmers, van drivers and the UK’s economy.”

Then maybe they shouldn't have made a law that produced tax outcomes that could inadvertently harm farmers, van drivers and the UK’s economy.

But, let's be honest - they do have form.