An extra tax on emissions

[Val_2]

Did I imagine I read it in last weekend's papers that as from lst January all large people carriers, four wheel drive vehicles and private-use vans are going to be subject to another government tax on the emissions output here in France? I just wonder if it is true,how many people will think again and get rid of their vehicles for smaller more economic and pollution-friendly vehicles?

[Steph]

Hi Val, no you didn't imagine it .. I've read the same thing .. I think there's a backlash 'cos of all the "Parisian Tractors", plus big 4x4's are getting very popular here so another way to raise some revenue...

Steph - a non pollution-freindly vehicle driver!

[Val_2]

Thanks Steph for confirming I'm not losing my marbles. My french is pretty good when it comes to reading so I knew I had the facts but not hearing anything from any other posters on here did make me wonder if I did dream it.

[boris]

how do you define a privately owned van ? is a van owned by an artisan classed as private or commercial?

[Jc]

In the UK you can privately register a van and other commercial vehicles but then you pay VAT.If you register it as a goods vehicle you can reclaim the VAT on the purchase.Years ago,when I took my HGV test it was in a privately registered 38-tonner.The advantage then was that the VED was the same as for a car but you could not carry goods,but you were'nt allowed to for your test anyway.

[Quillan]

I did mention this at the beginning of the year; it's the move to re-introduce tax disks in France. Not so much a French thing but an EU thing as part of their centralising of car registrations, insurance, driving licences etc. All EU cars, vans and lorries will have tax disks. The EU decided to use the UK model for this in as much as the less environmentally friendly your vehicle is the more you pay which they consider fair. The other plan they have is that the registration numbers of cars will be of the same design. They will be based on the Belgian system where you get yours for life and it matches, in part, your driving licence number. They will also use the French system of having your insurance details and MOT (equivalent) displayed on your windscreen.

 

I think this is a brilliant idea as it will go a long way towards ensuring that people drive legally. It won’t fix the problem completely but it will go a long way. European police forces will of course have access to all this data. I believe, although I can no longer remember, that this will be completed by 2015.