Motoring – the costs involved always seem to creep up somehow.

The latest blow to your pocket will be delivered tonight by Alistair Darling, when the Chancellor will finger your pockets for an additional 1.84p per litre in fuel duty tax.

For those of you, like me, that cannot reclaim the VAT, the actual increase is 2.12p per litre. In old money that’s 9.64p per gallon – virtually 10p!

It’s an outrage really, typical of Labour’s weasel ways. At a time when the government bangs on about how it wants to help the economy and businesses weather the recession, it makes life tougher for us all. By taking more money out of the economy. The opposite of what the government is – ostensibly – trying to achieve.

The fuel duty rise – whatever its rights or wrongs – should focus all our minds on fuel-efficiency and low emission cars.

Because this government isn’t going to stop hitting the motorist. The changes to company car writing down allowances – also starting on 01 April for all new business car expenditure – makes this quite clear. The lower the CO2 emissions, the less tax you’ll pay. Buy a less fuel-efficient business car, and you could be paying for the privilege for years.

You can find more on the tax changes in our Total Card supported Knowledge Bank. Look for the free download Taxation and the business car

Cost of petrol and diesel rises by 1.84p