VOLUNTEER car drivers, who take patients to hospital and clinic appointments, are objecting to newly-enforced taxes on their mileage allowance.
Paul Wilson from Lifton, who spends 25 to 30 hours a week transporting patients in his car, said that after discussions with his accountant it appeared he would have to pay just over £2,000 for the four tax years ending April 6 2004.
Mr Wilson said: ?This amounts to .018p per mile on the miles I claimed for that period from the Westcountry Ambulance Services.?
He added that he could not bring himself to pay tax on mileage expenses when he gave so much of his time voluntarily.
?Up until the tax year 2002/3 there was no tax payable on cars whose engines were over 2001cc, and for cars 1501cc to 2000cc the first 4,000 miles had an allowance of 45p and 25p over 4,000 miles.
?But in 2002/3 the Inland Revenue, in their wisdom, decided to abolish the engine size categories and dropped the allowance to .40p for all engine sizes for the first 10,000 miles and .25p over that mileage.?
Mr Wilson said fuel costs, servicing, road tax, insurance and tyre costs had all risen.
?I have never seen a running cost less than .44p per mile for 36,000 over three years. Cars with engines of 2000cc are usually between .60p and .80p per mile,? he said.
?If the Government insists on taxing people who often give 30 to 40 hours of their time each week then many will probably not continue.
?The drivers I have spoken to were not aware they may be liable to tax on their voluntary hours worked. None have paid tax and many have been driving for many years,? Mr Wilson said.
Most of the volunteer drivers are retired and can drive to their 72nd birthday.
Mr Wilson said the tax would force the NHS to increase the mileage rate to drivers or provide extra ambulances and crews that, in turn, would push the trust further into debt and lose another star.
Kate Smith, press officer for the Westcountry Ambulance Trust, said they valued their volunteers really highly and they were an integral part of the non-emergency service.
?We can?t change the tax situation, but we do tell volunteers of the tax and are aware of some tax relief. We are trying to make it as easy as possible for them to claim,? she said.
?It may affect the number of volunteers coming forward, but we work to actively encourage people to volunteer,? she added.
Any volunteers wanting advice on tax relief, or anyone wishing to volunteer as a driver, should contact the patients transfer service manager, Frank Mallet, on 01392 261500.