UK politicians demand fuel tax is shown on receipts

Fuel tax should be shown on all petrol receipts so Ministers “come clean” to motorists, UK MPs and motoring chiefs have demanded.

The RAC backed calls for the amount of fuel duty and VAT to be shown on the receipt every time a driver fills up at the forecourt.

This would allow motorists to see that 65 per cent of current petrol price goes to the Government in fuel duty and VAT, the organisation said.

In all, the Chancellor of the Exchequer pockets £35 billion a year from petrol tax.

Sources claim Treasury ministers have told MPs it would be too “impractical” in legal and policy terms to list the taxes on forecourt receipts.

But Conservative party backbencher Peter Aldous is demanding a change in a new Bill tabled in the House of Commons this week – saying it’s time to be “open and honest” with motorists.

The RAC’s Simon Williams said: “We have been calling for some time for fuel receipts to show how much of each fill-up goes to the Treasury so we wholeheartedly support the bill.

“Motorists know how much Vehicle Excise Duty they have to pay to keep their vehicle on the road so it seems ridiculous they have no idea how much duty they are paying to the Treasury when they fill their vehicles with fuel.”

He added: “This Bill really shouldn’t be controversial. It is just a long overdue form of transparency that everyone who drives a vehicle ought to be entitled to see.”

FairFuel UK said the change would allow motorists to see how much they are contributing to the economy through “unfair” taxes.

The campaign group’s co-founder Howard Cox said: “When prices at the pumps fell to around £1 per litre in 2016, the tax the Government took from drivers reached a massive 75 per cent.

“What other huge tax contribution is kept so hidden every time 37 million UK drivers fill up at the pumps.

“The Prime Minister says she wants to help working families. This is an ideal Bill for her to support.”

A Treasury spokesman said: "Purchase receipts are a matter for buyers and sellers but information on fuel duty is readily available online. Requiring sellers to include this would mean legislation and regulation – and could impose red-tape on businesses.”