60,000 persons fail to pay car tax on time
As of Tuesday morning, eight out of ten taxpayers had paid the motor vehicle tax on time, the Tax and Customs Board (MTA) told ERR.
The deadline for the second installment of the motor vehicle tax was Monday. As of Tuesday morning, eight out of ten taxpayers had paid the tax on time, said Kadri Kööp, head of debt management at the Tax and Customs Board's (MTA) revenue department.
In monetary terms, the total amount due was €69.9 million of which €6.1 million remained unpaid as of Tuesday morning.
As of December 15, nearly 327,100 private and legal persons were liable for the tax and around 60,000 of them had failed to pay by the deadline.
If a taxpayer is unable to meet the deadline, the agency recommends applying for a payment plan. This allows the tax to be paid in installments, though interest will be added at a rate of 0.06 percent per day or 21.9 percent per year.
Kööp noted that, as of Tuesday morning, nearly 2,500 of the 60,000 people who missed the deadline had already arranged a payment schedule, covering more than €517,000 in tax debt.
"We'll soon begin sending reminders — generally via email or text message — to individuals and businesses who haven't paid or arranged a payment plan by the deadline. For those who are unable to pay in the near future, we recommend applying for a deferral. A payment plan can be requested for a period of two to 24 months," Kööp said.
The quickest and most convenient way to request a payment schedule is through the MTA's e-services portal, e-MTA, she added. When applying for a deferral, taxpayers may also request a reduction of the interest rate by up to 50 percent, starting from the date the deferral decision is approved. This request must be included in the application.
If the tax obligation remains unpaid or no deferral has been arranged by the deadline set in the MTA's formal notice, the agency is legally required to begin collection proceedings. Typically, a 10-day window is given before enforcement begins.
"But we don't want to take collection that far with anyone. We're happy to advise every taxpayer and work together to find solutions for meeting or deferring tax obligations," Kööp said.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Marcus Turovski
