Finance Act 2014 (c. 26)

SCHEDULES

Section 86

SCHEDULE 18 Abolition of reduced rates for vehicles satisfying reduced pollution requirements

PART 1 Amendments of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994

1 VERA 1994 is amended as follows.

2 Omit section 61B (certificates as to reduced pollution).

3 In consequence of the amendment made by paragraph 2—

(a) in section 45 (false declarations etc), in subsections (3A) and (3B) omit “or 61B”,

(b) in Schedule 1 (annual rates of duty)—

(i) in paragraph 3(6) omit paragraph (a) and the “and” following it,

(ii) in paragraph 4(7) omit paragraph (a) and the “and” following it,

(iii) in paragraph 5(6) omit paragraph (a) and the “and” following it, and

(iv) in paragraph 7(3) omit paragraph (a) and the “and” following it, and

(c) in paragraph 22 of Schedule 2 (exempt vehicles: vehicle testing etc)—

(i) in sub-paragraph (1)(a) for “, a vehicle weight test or a reduced pollution test” substitute “or a vehicle weight test”,

(ii) in sub-paragraph (2) omit “a reduced pollution test or”,

(iii) in sub-paragraph (2A), in both places it occurs, omit “or a reduced pollution test”,

(iv) in sub-paragraph (3) omit “, or a reduced pollution test,”,

(v) omit sub-paragraph (6AA),

(vi) in sub-paragraph (6B) for “, a vehicle weight test or a reduced pollution test” substitute “or a vehicle weight test”, and

(vii) in sub-paragraphs (8) and (9) omit paragraph (d) and the “or” following paragraph (c).

4 In paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 (annual rates of duty: buses)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (1) omit “with respect to which the reduced pollution requirements are not satisfied”, and

(b) omit sub-paragraph (1A).

5 In paragraph 6 of Schedule 1 (annual rates of duty: vehicles used for exceptional loads), in sub-paragraph (2A)—

(a) in paragraph (a) omit “in the case of a vehicle with respect to which the reduced pollution requirements are not satisfied,”,

(b) omit the “and” following paragraph (a), and

(c) omit paragraph (b).

6 In paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 (annual rates of duty: haulage vehicles), for sub-paragraph (3A) substitute—

“(3A) The rate referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(b) is £350.”

7 Omit paragraphs 9A and 9B of Schedule 1.

8 Omit paragraphs 11A and 11B of Schedule 1.

9 In paragraph 11C of Schedule 1 (annual rates of duty: tractive units), in sub-paragraph (2)—

(a) in paragraph (a) omit “in the case of a vehicle with respect to which the reduced pollution requirements are not satisfied,”, and

(b) omit paragraph (b).

10 In consequence of the amendments made by paragraphs 4 to 9—

(a) in section 13 (trade licences: duration and amount of duty) omit subsection (7)(a) and the “and” following it,

(b) in section 13 (trade licences: duration and amount of duty) as set out in paragraph 8(1) of Schedule 4 to VERA 1994 which is to have effect on and after a day appointed by order, omit subsection (7)(a) and the “and” following it,

(c) in section 15 (vehicles becoming chargeable to duty at a higher rate), omit subsection (2A),

(d) in paragraph 9 of Schedule 1 (annual rates of duty: rigid goods vehicles)—

(i) in sub-paragraph (1), omit “is not a vehicle with respect to which the reduced pollution requirements are satisfied and which”,

(ii) omit sub-paragraph (3)(a), and

(iii) in sub-paragraph (4), omit paragraph (a) and the “and” following it, and

(e) in paragraph 11 of Schedule 1 (annual rates of duty: tractive units)—

(i) in sub-paragraph (1), omit “is not a vehicle with respect to which the reduced pollution requirements are satisfied and which”,

(ii) omit sub-paragraph (3)(a), and

(iii) in sub-paragraph (4), omit paragraph (a) and the “and” following it.

PART 2 Commencement

Introduction

11 This Part of this Schedule makes provision for the coming into force of the amendments made by Part 1.

Licences taken out on or after 1 April 2014

12 In the case of an exceptional load vehicle—

(a) which is charged to HGV road user levy, and

(b) which satisfies the reduced pollution requirements for the purposes of VERA 1994,

the amendments made by paragraphs 5 and 10 have effect in relation to licences taken out on or after 1 April 2014.

13 In the case of a rigid goods vehicle or tractive unit—

(a) which has a revenue weight of not less than 12,000 kgs, and

(b) which satisfies the reduced pollution requirements for the purposes of VERA 1994,

the amendments made by paragraphs 7 to 10 have effect in relation to licences taken out on or after 1 April 2014.

Licences taken out on or after 1 April 2016

14 In the case of the vehicles described in paragraph 15 the amendments made by paragraphs 4 to 10 have effect in relation to licences taken out on or after 1 April 2016.

15 Those vehicles are—

(a) a bus, light exceptional load vehicle or haulage vehicle which satisfies the reduced pollution requirements for the purposes of VERA 1994 because paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations applies to the vehicle as result of it falling within item 1 or 2 of Table 1 or any of items 1 to 3 of Table 2 in that paragraph (or being taken to be a vehicle falling within item 1 of Table 1 or Table 2 as a result of paragraph 5 of that Schedule), and

(b) a rigid goods vehicle or tractive unit—

(i) which has a revenue weight below 12,000 kgs, and

(ii) which satisfies the reduced pollution requirements for the purposes of VERA 1994 because paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations applies to the vehicle as result of it falling within item 1 or 2 of Table 1 or any of items 1 to 3 of Table 2 in that paragraph (or being taken to be a vehicle falling within item 1 of Table 1 or Table 2 as a result of paragraph 5 of that Schedule).

Licences taken out on or after 1 January 2017

16 In the case of the vehicles described in paragraphs 17 and 18 the amendments made by paragraphs 4 to 10 have effect in relation to licences taken out on or after 1 January 2017.

17 A bus, light exceptional load vehicle or haulage vehicle which satisfies the reduced pollution requirements for the purposes of VERA 1994 because—

(a) paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations applies to the vehicle as result of it falling within item 3 or 4 of Table 1 or item 4 of Table 2 in that paragraph,

(b) paragraph 4A of Schedule 2 to the Regulations applies to the vehicle as result of it meeting the requirements of paragraph 4B of that Schedule, or

(c) paragraph 4C of Schedule 2 to the Regulations applies to the vehicle as result of it meeting the requirements of paragraph 4D of that Schedule.

18 (1) A rigid goods vehicle or tractive unit—

(a) which has a revenue weight below 12,000 kgs, and

(b) which satisfies the reduced pollution requirements for the purposes of VERA 1994 for any of the reasons in sub-paragraph (2).

(2) Those reasons are—

(a) paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations applies to the vehicle as result of it falling within item 3 or 4 of Table 1 or item 4 of Table 2 in that paragraph,

(b) paragraph 4A of Schedule 2 to the Regulations applies to the vehicle as result of it meeting the requirements of paragraph 4B of that Schedule, or

(c) paragraph 4C of Schedule 2 to the Regulations applies to the vehicle as result of it meeting the requirements of paragraph 4D of that Schedule.

I January 2017

19 The amendments made by paragraphs 2 and 3 come into force on 1 January 2017.

Interpretation

20 In this Schedule—

• “bus” has the same meaning as in paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 1 to VERA 1994;

• “exceptional load vehicle” is a vehicle to which paragraph 6 of Schedule 1 to VERA 1994 applies by reason of falling within sub-paragraph (1) of that paragraph;

• “haulage vehicle” has the same meaning as in paragraph 7(2) of Schedule 1 to VERA 1994;

• “light exceptional load vehicle” means an exceptional load vehicle which is not charged to HGV road user levy;

• “the Regulations” means the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2742);

• “rigid goods vehicle” and “tractive unit” have the same meaning as in VERA 1994.