Romania's first car registration tax, canceled from 2013 and replaced with green card

Romanians will no longer have to pay the first car registration tax, which has stirred much debate and discontent. Romanian Environment Minister Laszlo Borbely has recently said he intends to eliminate the first car registration tax by mid-2012 or early 2013. Vehicles would have a green card that would certify their pollution class and all car owners would have to pay the smaller tax. “Similarly to other countries, this green card means that each year you’ll have to go to the RAR (the Romanian Auto Register) and check your car’s exhaust, the toxic fumes that come out of it, and if the exhaust is not in line with the norms, then the car will no longer be allowed on public roads and you’ll have to fix it. So everyone will pay. It will obviously be a very small tax, and then we’ll give up on the first registration tax and everyone will obey the “who pollutes, pays” rule", said the Romanian Minister. The Government has recently approved the new car pollution tax bill, initiated by the Environment Ministry, which states the tax will be reduced by 25 percent, but also charged on the sale of cars registered before 2007, for which the tax has not been paid before. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com (photo source: Sxc.hu)