Show Gasoline Tax Taxes arcas s Now ow Top First firs Years Year's Revenue In 8 Days Friday January 8 marks the day on which total gasoline tax collections in Utah just dust since the beginning of this new year will reach the sum of Utah motorists now pay as much gasoline tax in eight days days' as they originally paid in a whole year This was pointed out today by John II H Klas executive di- di ector dector of the Utah Petroleum Council in commenting on present present present pres pres- ent estimates that Utah car owners will pay million this year in direct taxes on on gasoline including the cent 6 state tax and the increased 4 cent federal tax With U combined taxes on gasoline gasoline gasoline gas gas- oline in this state now adding 1 an nn approximate 46 percent to the price of the product this extreme tax burden is causing concern he stated Klas noted that the 1960 estimate es estimate es- es indicates that tax revenues revenues revenues rev rev- are arc now rolling into the state at the rate of 1 million every 11 days This means as much tax in 8 days as the collected in a whole year following enactment of Utah's Ut Utah's Utah's Ut- Ut ah's original cent gasoline tax in 1923 This years year's tax lax estimate is based on the as assumption that gasoline sales will continue as in inthe inthe inthe the past despite signs of growing growing growing grow grow- ing public resistance to this tax noted particularly in the present trend toward small ec economy economy economy ec- ec onomy cars Klas said It uIt is a surprise to most motorists motorists motorists mo mo- that today's regular gasoline gasoline gasoline gas gas- oline price excluding taxes is substantially below the cent average price excluding tax of the gasoline of or 40 years ago Other retail prices are arc now 44 percent above the 1920 level but gasoline prices except for the tax arc are actually lower |