Car fee charged illegally "should be returned by legislation"

Tax law, one of the most controversial in recent years, suffered numerous changes, and sparked various reactions, from both the European institutions and in the country.

The Government will have to adopt a legal instrument through which to return the car fee charged illegally, said Prime Minister Victor Ponta.

The Premier noted that the measure will free up the courts of the dozens of thousands of lawsuits filed against the State for a refund.

The first variant of the car tax was introduced in January 2007.

The cars were charged then depending on seniority and the norm of pollution.

Two months later, The European Commission strongly urged to Romania to amend the charging system on the ground that the tax was discriminatory and that violated the free movement of goods within the european area.

After many changes and negotiations with the European Executive, in 2008, after almost a year and a half from the first variant, it appears a new formula of car tax.

This time, the value was reduced to old cars and increased for the new ones.

The extent of machine producers obviously were unhappy who accused that sales were going to fall so towards the end of the year, the Government has exempted from paying on the purchasers of new cars.

In exchange, fee for old cars, from import, tripled, reduced by one-third a few months later.

Following the Commission's other complaints, other changes, new cars from above are paying tax, as the ones old posted in Romania before 2007, prior to resale only.

In 2012, the car tax has been reduced, in accordance with the European recommendations, and the Romanian State is obliged to return the drivers the differences between the current tax and the different versions.


Translated by Anamaria Petrache
MTTLC, Bucharest University