Today is April Fool’s day. This video, featuring BMW Group Australian Managing Director, Phil Horton, was uploaded to YouTube a few days ago. However it was brought to our attention today thanks to a tweet from the official @bmwau twitter account.
In the clip Horton delivers a stinging attack on Australia’s Luxury Car Tax. In his message Horton says, “it might surprise you to learn that the brand with most cars falling over the Luxury Car Tax threshold isn’t BMW, or Mercedes, or even Porsche. Actually, it’s Toyota.”
He goes on to add, “As far as I’m concerned the Luxury Car Tax is nothing more than an April Fool’s Day joke. So, that’s what I’d like to call for—the abolition of a misguided and counter-productive and antiquated tax.”
The BMW Group Australia twitter feed goes on to claim that they will be exempt from the LCT.
That’s clearly a gag. Horton’s message, though, is that a case of many a true word is spoken in jest?
9 replies on “Not sure if serious”
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Toyota probably sells the most cars over the Luxury Car Threshold because every second mid level executive thinks a Prado or Land Cruiser is a must have. For that reason alone I say keep the tax. Most people do not need 4WD vehicles, and most people that do own 4WD vehicles do not seem to know how to drive them safely.
You’d think the prestige auto makers would support the tax, as it makes their cars more expensive, and hence more exclusive, and hence more desirable to the sort of people that desire these vehicles.
the whole ‘lets punish the high income earners’ mentality is getting worse with the current government.
No April Fool’s joke as far as I can see (apart from the tax!)
Good to see an industry leader put his head above the parapet, and speak the truth.
That Toyota sell most cars subject to the tax, at the same time as they (Toyota) are calling for subsidies for continued car mfrg in Australia, simply shosw the absurd discontinuity between tax policy, on the one hand, and industry policy, on the other.
Maybe a tax should be put on 4WD’s then pinball to people who aren’t primary producers or purchasing through an ABN? Luxury car tax is a real joke though and the limit it is set at too.
@mark Not sure ‘punish’ is the right word. Very hard to feel sympathy, despite the fact I find the LCT ludicrous. No one is forced to buy a car over the threshold.
But Horton makes a decent point about taxing innovation, even though it’s a bit of a furphy since BMW doesn’t actually make cars here.
@ Mark. the LCT was a liberal initiative.
It’s probably the huge number of 4WD’s Toyota sell to fleets.
Sick of LCT. Cars in this bracket are the safest in the world. They go beyond 5 stars. Perhaps if they were more affordable 18 year olds would be driving safer cars in 5-10 years time (second hand). Less fatalities. Also $75,000 threshold for seven litres or less is a joke. I can buy a Holden V8 which uses twice the petrol for half that price. You tell me which is better for the environment. Why not penalise that purchase!!! You don’t need to be rich to afford a luxury car. This is an additional tax for lower income earners who love cars too. The government needs to sort this out!!!! It’s causing depression…..
[…] You can read the VACC’s statement in full after the break. The video above shows BMW Australia boss Phil Horton share his displeasure for the LCT, originally posted as part of an April Fool’s Day gag. […]