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EU draft exempts private jets, cargo from jet fuel tax

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Re: EU draft exempts private jets, cargo from jet fuel tax

#171
post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> curbing global warming will require huge changes in the lifestyle of the global middle class. Except it won't. It will cause some large industries to cease to exist though.

If large industries will cease to exist it will cause big rise in unemployment. This will for sure affect lower and middle classes

Not necessarily. It might mean people just shift to different industries.

Re: EU draft exempts private jets, cargo from jet fuel tax

#172
post #99
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the only ones allowed to emit net positive CO2 where those rich enough to afford private planes global warming wouldn't be an issue because there are not enough of them. It is still a evil corrupt practice to except the rich like this though. The same laws need to apply to everyone, which means my time on an airplane counts for as much as anyone else even though I can only afford to fly at all because I buy one se…

And it's not even about forbidding them to so it. It's just about paying a little bit of taxes. Is the fuel taxes such a big part of the cost of flying a private jet? Is it just that those people hate paying taxes on principle (and manage to lobby for it)?

I'm fairly certain that dominating costs of a private jet besides the initial purchase price are the maintenance and employing a flight crew.

Fuel price is probably a rounding error in comparison (they get a few miles per gallon). Edit - some quick Googling suggests that jet fuel costs $1.96/gallon in the US at the end of last week.

Jets aren't cars, you can't just change the oil every 3 months and have it run for years.

Re: EU draft exempts private jets, cargo from jet fuel tax

#173
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I downvoted you. Fighting climate change is very important, and not just a power grab. People need to rise up and protest against things like these, so that power grab wouldn't happen. Just to clarify, perhaps my point is not obvious. We want to have carbon taxes because they address the problem of economic externality in combusting fossil fuels. Different example of a similar tax, that aims to solve a similar proble…

> We want to have carbon taxes because they address the problem of economic externality in combusting fossil fuels. I think unified carbon tax with rebates (to be revenue neutral) is what we need to fight climate change. OTOH, specific taxes for some kind of consumption (like jet fuel tax) is just a power grab by valuing different consumptions in a different ways, regardless of how much CO_2 they emit.

Yes, I would be in favor of unified carbon tax and dividend (which should be distributed evenly to everybody), but that is a nuance that we can discuss. I suspect such proposal would actually negatively affect super-rich even more, because they have sky high real emissions.

To clarify, I was specifically addressing GP's point where they said "fighting climate change is a power grab", not those specific consumption taxes as opposed to general carbon tax.

Re: EU draft exempts private jets, cargo from jet fuel tax

#174
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That and it's also the most wasteful use of fuel, because you're lifting an entire jet and crew for more than likely a single rich jerk who feels too special to fly passenger jets like everyone else. On a carbon-per-person metric, private jets are literally the worst .

If the only ones allowed to emit net positive CO2 where those rich enough to afford private planes global warming wouldn't be an issue because there are not enough of them. It is still a evil corrupt practice to except the rich like this though. The same laws need to apply to everyone, which means my time on an airplane counts for as much as anyone else even though I can only afford to fly at all because I buy one se…

If you’re interested in having the same laws apply, airline fuel is already exempted from most taxes in most jurisdictions. (It is in the US.) I think this proposal is trying to align business aviation to the same taxation as commercial, not to give business aviation a specific tax break not enjoyed by others.

Re: EU draft exempts private jets, cargo from jet fuel tax

#175
The key word here is probably "draft". Bill proposals usually don't amount to much, and for that reason it's generally good practice to wait for a state change (no pun intended).

Proposed bills usually go nowhere - https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...

On HN, there's no harm in waiting - https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&so...

Re: EU draft exempts private jets, cargo from jet fuel tax

#176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can’t impose a tax on jets that use their airspace?

> They can’t impose a tax on jets that use their airspace? Presumably they already signed aviation treaties that do not allow for this.

Yes, there is a tangle of 5000+ Air Services Agreements which, as international treaties, supersede national laws. Almost all agreements include mutual tax exemptions on anything not unloaded at a destination, including fuel.

Re: EU draft exempts private jets, cargo from jet fuel tax

#178
post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A significant portion of the super-rich believe they are super-rich because they scrutinize bills and are thrifty/smart with money. "If only everyone else was as smart with their money they could be as rich as I am..."

Interestingly enough the reverse is true: not being aware about your expenses is a surefire way to make sure you don't get rich. But scrutinizing bills in itself is not sufficient that get rich.

I don't think this is even true. Lots of people get rich on luck, i.e., inheritance or other connections to wealthy people, or else they happened to come into stock (e.g., employed at a startup) that beat the odds significantly. Of course, one has to spend less than he earns to stay rich, but even that doesn't demand scrutinizing one's expenses--one could simply be content or conservative or minimalist.

Re: EU draft exempts private jets, cargo from jet fuel tax

#179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The more likely they are to conclide that this is a mugs game This is one of the primary reasons I'm a pure libertarian. The more in depth research I did, the more I found it's nothing but a rigged game. It truly is like the joke that's along the lines of: "What's the difference between the government and the mob?" "The mob didn't get 12,000 hours of schooling to convince you it's necessary."

The elephant in the room, what do you do with monopolies and cartels? How 'pure' is pure libertarian? Do we allow private currencies to be issues by anyone, this used to be a massive problem? Does someone in 'pure libertatian' society get a free defence attorney or school education? Do we have fire safety laws? We used to have entire cities burn down. Do we regulate banks and financial markets at all? Do we have a re…

I'm not going to expound on all topics here. Instead I'll give you a resource that closely matches my thoughts on one of the subjects of concern.

> We used to have entire cities burn down.

https://mises.org/library/development-municipal-fire-departm...

This same resource hits nearly every one of your points with well reasoned alternatives to government intervention.

Instead of expecting an answer to every what if that immediately comes to mind, please research the viewpoint from credible libertarian sources like the Mises Institute.

Another research avenue--anything Murray Rothbard.

Re: EU draft exempts private jets, cargo from jet fuel tax

#180
post #115

> Private jets will enjoy an exemption through classification of "business aviation" as the use of aircraft by firms for carriage of passengers or goods as an "aid to the conduct of their business", if generally considered not for public hire. > A further exemption is given for "pleasure" flights whereby an aircraft is used for "personal or recreational" purposes not associated with a business or professional use. Su…

The actual reason for the exemption is that they cannot impose the tax on non-EU operators, giving the non-EU operators a competitive advantage.

The UK does (including back in the good old days when we were still in the EU).
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