Truck road tax calculation

Road tax

If you own a motor vehicle, you automatically have to deal with it: road tax. The official name is motor vehicle tax, but colloquially we often refer to it as road tax. Road tax is the tax you have to pay if you own a motor vehicle, such as a car or motorcycle. You pay this tax so that the Dutch government can properly maintain the roads. Exactly how much road tax you pay depends on a number of factors such as the type of vehicle, the weight of the vehicle and the fuel.

road tax

What does road tax cost?

The cost of road tax depends on a number of factors:

  • The type of motor vehicle
  • The weight of the vehicle
  • The fuel
  • How environmentally polluting the vehicle is
  • Which province you live in

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Road tax is calculated based on the license plate number. The cost of road tax can vary by province. This is because of the provincial surcharges. Provincial surcharge is the portion of the road tax that goes to the provinces. Provinces set the rate for the provincial surcharge each year. However, there is a certain maximum attached to it. As a result, the cost of tax can sometimes vary considerably from one province to another.

When do you not have to pay road tax?

Cars older than 40 years are exempt from road tax. Your vehicle must have been first put into service at least 40 years ago. You will then automatically receive exemption for your vintage car. Is the exemption not automatic, but you are entitled to it? Then you can fill in the form Request for exemption from motor vehicle tax via the website of the Tax Administration. If you put a car of 40 years or older in your name, you will automatically receive exemption from road tax.

Which cars are cheap in road taxes?

If you are looking for a car that is cheap in road tax, it is best to look at a gasoline car. This is because a gasoline car is the cheapest in road tax, followed by LPG and only then diesel. In addition, the heavier the car, the higher the road tax. A light car is much cheaper in road tax than a large, heavy car.

When is road tax depreciated?

You can pay road tax in two ways: monthly or quarterly. If you pay the road tax monthly, it will be automatically debited from your account around the 18th of each month. If you choose to pay quarterly, it will be by giro collection form. The giro slip will state the amount you need to pay and the final payment date.

Why do you pay road tax?

There are two reasons why you, as a vehicle owner, have to pay road tax. The first reason we already mentioned: the government uses the road tax to maintain the Dutch roads. For example, they can finance repairs to the road surface. They also use it to further expand the road network. This ultimately leads to a better infrastructure, which also benefits you as a road user. The second reason for paying road tax is environmental. Motor vehicles are obviously harmful to the environment, especially because of emissions. This is why the government is trying to encourage hybrid and electric driving, by exempting vehicles with low CO2 emissions from paying road tax.

Road tax calculation

Once a car's license plate is in your name, you are required to pay road tax. You do not have to file a separate tax return for this. As soon as the vehicle is registered in your name, the Tax Office automatically receives the necessary data from the RDW. A number of factors are important for calculating road tax, such as the type of motor vehicle you have, the weight and fuel type of the vehicle, how environmentally polluting the car is and which province you live in.

Road tax car

You must pay road tax when a motor vehicle is registered in your name. You must do so from the moment the vehicle is in your name, that is, as soon as the license plate is transferred. This is because from that moment you are officially the owner of the car. In the Netherlands, we pay road tax for owning the car and not for the number of miles driven. Therefore, someone who drives a lot of cars does not pay more road tax than someone who drives only sporadically.

Road tax hybrid

There are two types of hybrid cars: plug-in hybrid cars and normal hybrid cars. Normal hybrid cars are not much more fuel-efficient than a gasoline-powered car. Therefore, the tax break only applies to plug-in hybrid cars. In fact, owners of a plug-in hybrid get a 50% discount on road tax. This road tax discount applies through 2024. In 2025 the discount goes to 25% and from 2026 the benefit stops. This applies not only to plug-in hybrid cars, but also motorcycles and vans.

Change road tax account number

You can change the account number from which the road tax is deducted by direct debit by calling the Tax Phone on 0800 - 0749 . There you will request an authorization form for a direct debit from your new account number. Complete this form and send it to the Tax Office. As soon as the Tax Administration has processed the change, you will receive a confirmation of this. It takes about 3 weeks for the authorization to be processed. It is therefore possible that the road tax will be debited once more from your old account number before then.

Calculate your car insurance premium right away!

To calculate premiums, we need the zip code of the primary driver. For private use, the youngest driver must reside at the same address as the applicant. In case of business use, you can enter the postal code of the company here.
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