Sign our fuel tax petition

You're probably already all too aware how much more it's costing to fill up your car these days, but do you know how much the Treasury rakes in with extra VAT revenue from fuel?

At June 2007 pump prices, motorists handed the Government over 19 million every day in VAT from fuel, the equivalent of more than 7 billion a year.

Today, in June 2008, the Government's take from VAT on fuel is up to almost 25 million a day, a phenomenal 9 billion a year.

For every penny that fuel increases, the Treasury nets almost 200,000 a day (almost 73 million a year) extra.

As well as VAT on fuel, the Government also nets almost 30 billion a year in fuel duty, which stands at 50 pence per litre.

What Car? believes a massive windfall like this should be put back into road transport and is calling on the Government to ring-fence the cash for motorists.

What Car? editor Steve Fowler said: 'Every motorist would surely welcome an extra 2 billion to be spent on transport.

'We're all being hit hard by price squeezes, so some cash for motorists could help to take the edge off them.'

Get involved
What Car? needs you to help drive home the point about the fuel windfall. Here's how to help:

1.Sign up for our Downing Street petition by clicking here if you believe that the extra VAT cash raised from increased pump prices should be spent on motorists;
2.Take our quick online survey here and let us know what you think about fuel prices and how they've increased;
3.Tell us your stories. Click here to let us know how you've been hit by the rising cost of fuel.

Perhaps you can't afford to fill up, or maybe you've found that the pumps shut off at 100 before you've been able to top up your tank completely.

Have you stopped using your car as much as you used to, or have you cut back on other household expenditure to make up the difference?

Have the high fuel prices changed the way you drive? Do you think it's fair that you should have to pay so much for fuel? How do you think the Government should spend the extra VAT revenue from fuel price increases?

Let us know!