Motorists in the UK should be screaming just about now. That's because they have the highest tax burden in the entire EU, according to official figures that were recently released. In England, 60% of the price of gas and 58% of that for diesel comes from duties and VAT. Only in Italy are the figures remotely similar, with 53% of the cost being accounted for by taxes and duties.
Luxembourg, at the other end of the spectrum, for instance, has only 38% of its gas price from taxes and duties and France and Germany have 47% and 48%.
These taxes have created a situation where the diesel prices in England are the highest of any place in the EU, and the unleaded gas prices are the 8th highest. Disgruntled citizens met with Treasury Minister Chloe Smith recently to discuss these figures and to demand action for UK citizens.
To add fuel to the fire, these figures come just after Chancellor George Osborne refused to cut the fuel duty for the budge in the coming month. He explained that, as far as he was concerned, he had already helped rivers enough that that "the British government has run out of money."