Utah will charge some vehicles for every mile driven on the roads

[Chris]

From the article:

The state is already contracting with a third-party to handle GPS tracking to avoid privacy concerns.

Facebook has an excellent track record to handle this

The vehicle miles tax is also a recurring theme in Dutch politics over the past 25 years. The problem in the Netherlands is not a lack of funding for roads since the taxes on motoring are far higher than what is spent on infrastructure.

The proposal is highly controversial, especially because most proposed systems include a congestion charge, which is seen by many as a punishment for going to work. People don't sit in traffic if they have reasonable alternatives. Going to work at 5 a.m. or using public transport which on average takes twice as long is not seen as a reasonable alternative. The potential for cycling and public transport are pretty much maxed out - leaving 75% of travel by car.

GPS / distance-based tolling is already commonplace in Europe for semi trucks, however no country has implemented it yet for cars. Congestion charges so far use license plate recognition on single locations (so you pay per trip or passage, not by distance traveled).

[Verlanka]

From the article:

The state is already contracting with a third-party to handle GPS tracking to avoid privacy concerns.

Is there a better way to escalate privacy concerns?

I doubt there is.

[kphoger]

Of course, there is the issue of driving out of state, but that is always an issue.  So what?  I drive across North Carolina at least 10 times per year, but never buy gas there, as Virginia and South Carolina are cheaper.  It all works out in the end.

And what about an ex-pat who lives in Mexico on a visa, spends 11 months out of the year driving in Mexico, but keeps his vehicle registered in the USA because he is either unable (legally) or unwilling to nationalize it in Mexico?  Nearly all of the miles he drives would be outside the USA, yet he would then pay a tax to the USA based on total miles driven throughout the year.

[kalvado]

Of course, there is the issue of driving out of state, but that is always an issue.  So what?  I drive across North Carolina at least 10 times per year, but never buy gas there, as Virginia and South Carolina are cheaper.  It all works out in the end.

And what about an ex-pat who lives in Mexico on a visa, spends 11 months out of the year driving in Mexico, but keeps his vehicle registered in the USA because he is either unable (legally) or unwilling to nationalize it in Mexico?  Nearly all of the miles he drives would be outside the USA, yet he would then pay a tax to the USA based on total miles driven throughout the year.

They would still have to file 1040, so not really the biggest thing

[kphoger]

Of course, there is the issue of driving out of state, but that is always an issue.  So what?  I drive across North Carolina at least 10 times per year, but never buy gas there, as Virginia and South Carolina are cheaper.  It all works out in the end.

And what about an ex-pat who lives in Mexico on a visa, spends 11 months out of the year driving in Mexico, but keeps his vehicle registered in the USA because he is either unable (legally) or unwilling to nationalize it in Mexico?  Nearly all of the miles he drives would be outside the USA, yet he would then pay a tax to the USA based on total miles driven throughout the year.

They would still have to file 1040, so not really the biggest thing

How does filing a 1040 make paying mileage tax on your vehicle any smaller of a thing?  (FYI, non-resident aliens are not required to report foreign-sourced income on their taxes.)

[SP Cook]

And what about an ex-pat who lives in Mexico on a visa, spends 11 months out of the year driving in Mexico, but keeps his vehicle registered in the USA because he is either unable (legally) or unwilling to nationalize it in Mexico?  Nearly all of the miles he drives would be outside the USA, yet he would then pay a tax to the USA based on total miles driven throughout the year.

What about him?  That is less than 0.1%.  Spillage.  In any tax issue there are always going to be "what abouts" that you can come up with.  What about the guy who lives in northern Kentucky who buys all his food in grocery tax free Ohio?  What about the guy in Cincinnati who buys all his liquor in lower tax northern Kentucky?  What about the Christiana Mall?  What about the guy in Pensacola who buys all his gas in Alabama?  What about...

Spillage.

[kphoger]

And what about an ex-pat who lives in Mexico on a visa, spends 11 months out of the year driving in Mexico, but keeps his vehicle registered in the USA because he is either unable (legally) or unwilling to nationalize it in Mexico?  Nearly all of the miles he drives would be outside the USA, yet he would then pay a tax to the USA based on total miles driven throughout the year.

What about him?  That is less than 0.1%.  Spillage.  In any tax issue there are always going to be "what abouts" that you can come up with.  What about the guy who lives in northern Kentucky who buys all his food in grocery tax free Ohio?  What about the guy in Cincinnati who buys all his liquor in lower tax northern Kentucky?  What about the Christiana Mall?  What about the guy in Pensacola who buys all his gas in Alabama?  What about...

Spillage.

They're all coming out ahead of the game.  The ex-pat I described would paying a tax he shouldn't reasonably have to pay.