A new emissions charge for vehicles driving through central London will be coming into place on 8 April, sooner than the 2020 date originally proposed for its enforcement.
The charge will cover the congestion charge zone in London and operate 24 hours a day, with vehicles that don’t meet emissions standards having to pay £12.50. This will be on top of the £11.50 congestion charge during its hours of operation. Lorries will be forced to pay £100 per day for the emissions zone.
While welcoming efforts to improve air quality, the Federation of Small Businesses has stressed that SMEs need more time to adapt to the policy. It says the early introduction of the charge will hit those who were working to the original 2020 deadline particularly hard.
However, a spokesman for Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan says: “London’s polluted air causes thousands of premature deaths every year and Sadiq is introducing the ultra-low emission zone to help tackle pollution.”
With additional costs on the horizon for SMEs, plus the added uncertainty surrounding Brexit, it is more important now than ever that business owners look at ways of improving profitability, working capital and cashflow, enabling their businesses to be more agile and flexible to respond positively to the changing economic landscape.
At Beavis Morgan, we work with a wide range of businesses of all sizes and across many different business sectors, helping them with strategic planning, system implementation, business turnaround and improving business performance for the future.
Our diverse team of tax professionals are also committed to ensuring that your tax reporting obligations are fully satisfied and that every opportunity to lawfully exploit tax savings is made known to you, restructuring your affairs in a tax effective and efficient way.
For further information about how we can help you and your business, contact Steve Govey or your usual Beavis Morgan Partner.