This Article is by Hugh Knight

Hugh is an independent person. The views expressed by him do not necessarily reflect the views of the Taxpayers’ Movement of South Africa.

18^th Century

In  Great Britain during the early 18th century, many houseowners bricked-up some of their windows, to reduce the liability for a tax which the State had imposed on houses with a defined number of windows. The tax targeted people who owned large houses that had more windows than smaller houses.

21^st Century

In the Western Cape of South Africa, the provincial vehicle taxes (known as vehicle licences) are twice as high as those in the other provinces of South Africa.

A visible result of this discrepancy is seen on the many commercial vehicles, emblazoned with Western Cape addresses, which bear licence plates of other provinces. At one time, traffic patrol cars in Beaufort West bore the licence plates of Gauteng Province.

The MEC for transport in the Western Province, Robin Carlisle, recently announced that the licence fees would not be increased for three years, so that there would be parity with other provinces.

What does this tell us ?

• That taxpayers can be quite brazen about avoiding a tax which is discriminatory.
• That there are, no doubt, many private motorists in the Western Cape whose cars bear the number plates of other provinces.( Easy when you have a relation living in another province.)

• That other provinces have a clear indication that they can increase their car licences substantially over the next three years.
• That taxes are often called some other name. (levies, charges, licences,duties etc.)

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