motorists paid €104m in tax

MOTOR tax paid by Clare motorists exceeds the Local Government Fund allocation to the county council by €24.7m, new figures have revealed.

Clare motorists have contributed €104.8m in motor taxation and driving licences from 2008 to last September, which compares to a total of about €80.1 million from the Local Government Fund and special water services allocation over the same period.

It excludes €4.091m paid by Clare householders under the Household Charge in 2012 and 2013 and €4.3 million this year from the Local Property Tax.

In 2008, Clare motorists paid €20.9 million on motor tax and driving licences. While this figure has fallen steadily in recent years it still provided €15.98 million for the national exchequer in 2012 and €12.455 million from January to September 2013.

The huge disparity between the two figures have prompted Councillor Christy Curtin to request the Government to substantially increase the Local Government Fund allocation to the council, which has fallen by 40% from €16.3m in 2008 to €9.932m last year.

Councillor Curtin pointed out motor tax and property taxes from Clare householders realised €36m  for the national exchequer over the last two years. The corresponding figure for the Local Government Fund allocation to Clare was about €20 million during this time.

Even though the council carries out the administration for motor taxation, Head of Finance, Niall Barrett has confirmed all receipts from Clare are paid to a central government motor tax account and this income doesn’t form part of the council’s budget. He pointed out the local receipts from the Household Charge and Local Property Tax has to be remitted to central funds.

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