Hi people

To ellay some confusion over the new rates of Vehicle Excise Duty (car tax), I thought I would briefly summarise the main issues.

1. If your car says cosworth, relax, you aint gonna get stung. That said, the pre 2001 rate is likely to increase as a minimum with inflation. This means that 12 months will prob increase to about £190 odd.

2. The above rule applies to all pre 2001 cars.

3. The band G which the Chancellor is talking about only relates to vehicles registered after March 2006. As such, anything before that in the uppermost rating band will still be only band F (EG SL55 AMG on a 2004 plate).

So, If you have a car in Band F, there it will stay, and you will be subject to an additional £10 in tax per year.

If you are unfortunate to have a Band G car, then bend over, because you are his primary target. This is the band that is likely to rise to £400 in the long term.

In a nutshell, if you are gonna buy a big engined car just second hand, make sure it is a 2005 or older model!

There are some tax breaks at the other end of the scale, but I couldnt give a shit, as I have absolutely no intention of buying a sewing machine.

Hope this helps

JJ