Quote:
Originally Posted by stokepa31
I do feel government could help more by maybe reducing import taxes on goods that are beneficial to health and kind on the environment and perhaps increase the upper limit on the cycle to work scheme (is anyone lobbying government on these issues?) but thats a whole new kettle of kippers.
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Hi Paul
Thanks for your interesting comments regarding Government. We in the e-bike industry are very lucky by comparison to the push bike market. We pay 6% although I believe that is to rise or has just risen to 7% duty.
If you want a Chinese
non electric push bike you have to pay the 7% plus an extra 49% dumping tax plus 17.5% VAT (all compounding). Hence if you buy a decent Chinese push bike out of china for say £200.00 a further £175.00 has to be paid to the chancellor! Consider further that if the retailer sold the bike for £750.00, up to £300.00 income tax would have been paid by the purchaser and a further £90.00 employers contribution would be paid by the purchasers employer. Not a bad scam £565.00 (roughly) in tax on a bike that cost £200 out of China! That's without considering rates paid on the retail outlet, VAT on all the services to the outlet and if the retailer actually had the audacity to make a profit!
A far as I can make out, the Government is simply not interested.
Best regards David