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Estonia to introduce road tax for heavy vehicles from 2018

BC, Tallinn, 12.12.2016.Print version
The Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications has notified the European Commission of its intention to start levying a tax on road use by vehicles with a maximum mass of 12 tons or more, the planned rate of the tax being 10-12 euros per day and 700-1,300 euros per year, writes LETA/BNS.

So far, Estonia has levied an annual tax on trucks.


Simson said that to avoid additional taxing of trucks, Estonia has inquired with the Commission about the possibility to stop levying the heavy vehicle tax when the road user tax is introduced. It has been explained to it, however, that the annual vehicle tax on heavy goods motor vehicles is mandatory for all member states of the European Union regardless of the application of road user levies and it is not possible to relinquish it in accordance with the directive, the minister said in the letter.


Simson said it appears from a survey conducted by the Government Office in 2015 that the most appropriate solution for Estonia would be to introduce a time-based road user charge for heavy goods motor vehicles. She said that speaking in favor of a time-based charge are its low investment and maintenance costs and the fact that a similar road user charge is already being levied in Latvia and Lithuania, which make up the Via Baltica road transport corridor with Estonia.


Alongside the possibility to pay the levy online, Estonia will make available to carriers a network of sales points where the levy can be paid 24/7 using conventional payment methods.


Similarly to Denmark, Sweden and other member states of the EU, Estonia is planning to levy the tax on vehicles the maximum mass of which is 12 tons or more.


The rates of the tax will be the same for all vehicles regardless of their country of registration, and will depend on the emissions class of the engine and the number of axles. The daily rate will be from 10-12 euros and the annual rate from 700-1,300 euros.


The revenue generated by the road user charge will be used for the maintenance of transport infrastructure, Simson said.


Estonia and Finland are the only EU member states not to have imposed a road user fee for heavy goods motor vehicles.






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