Diplomatic Congestion Charge bill.

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https://news.sky.com/story/us-embassy-refuses-to-pay-163146m-london-congestion-charge-bill-insisting-it-is-exempt-from-tax-13140593#:~:text=Among all embassies%2C the total,year is £143.5m.

So the US government is refusing to pay the £14.6 million bill for accrued congestion charges, amongst others, bills totalling £143.5m

The US claims that the CC is a tax and therefore exempt as diplomats do not pay taxes in the host country

TfL claims it is not a tax but a service charge therefore the diplomats are required to pay.

My question is, if the congestion charge is a service charge, then what service is being provided?

TfL cannot claim the roads themselves because roads are paid for and maintained by general taxation.
 
IIRC things like the congestion charge are often ignored by embassies and diplomatic staff, I remember hearing about how NY was owed hundreds of millions in things like parking fines from diplomatic staff and official vehicles going back 25 years.
 
I could see it as a general charge for road use, and it's up to them what kind of vehicles they charge and how much they charge. Same as a toll road.

Idk what the legal technicalities are though.
 
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Colonel_Klinck said:
I very much doubt our diplomats pay these same charges abroad.
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From what I can tell from a quick look around, it's normal for diplomats from any country to not pay any vehicle-related charges anywhere. It seems to be the way it works. Except in New York, where unpaid parking fines reached such silly levels that the city said "enough" and started enforcing them.
 
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