TPA – Evading The Issue

Yesterday, the so-called Taxpayers’ Alliance (TPA) issued another of their dubiously argued “reports”, this time on local Government mileage allowances, and as I noted, it contained two false assumptions: firstly that private sector mileage allowances were at or around the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) 40p per mile figure, and secondly that local Government mileage allowance was being somehow subsidised by other road users.

Neither assumption was supported by any factual analysis, or even information, and so the TPA’s assertions were baseless and dishonest. But today, non-job holder Chris Daniel has posted a follow-up piece on the subject, so I was initially hopeful that he would address the false assumptions underpinning yesterday’s “report”.

My hopes were, of course, in vain. Daniel gives the impression of addressing feedback, but does not go anywhere near the points I made yesterday. That much is predictable: the TPA do not do retraction.

So, in the meantime, I am looking out for typical private sector mileage allowance rates. Ideally, these will be those paid for casual use of employees’ own vehicles. Large corporates would be a good source, if only because such figures are more likely to have been formalised.

Anonymity is guaranteed, and information can be sent by email to the contact address in “About Me”. Since the TPA cannot be bothered to do this research, someone will have to do it for them.