Analysis of road tax in the international context

University of Zilina, Faculty of Operation and Economics of Transport and Communications, Univerzitna 1, 010 26 Zilina, Slovakia

^* Corresponding author: adela.poliakova@fpedas.uniza.sk

Abstract

Research background: Reducing the costs of transport companies is a permanent and important task for the sustainability of the company's development. The operation of transport companies brings externalities, which ultimately burden the company, which creates pressure to eliminate them by those who cause them. This pressure increases costs for transport companies, so they often try to avoid responsibility for environmental pollution. The European Union supports the creation of legislative instruments that would favor transport companies that give preference to greener and more fuel-efficient vehicles when operating. However, the modernization of the vehicle fleet also brings with it increased costs for investments in fixed assets.

Purpose of the article: The aim of this article is to analyze the real tax burdens in the individual Member States and to point out that rates within the European Union are not uniform and represent a space for speculative behavior by transport operators. At the same time, it should be pointed out that the motivation of carriers to reduce transport externalities is insufficient if Member States are left a large margin of manipulation.

Methods: We obtained data on road tax rates from the laws in individual countries. We used Scania truck data to analyze the impact of rates.

Findings & Value added: When creating the price, it is necessary to consider all costs related to the implementation of transport. One of these costs is the motor vehicle tax. This tax represents a fixed cost for the carrier, which burdens the vehicle regardless of whether the vehicle is in operation or in technical readiness. We found that the adjustment of road tax resp. motor vehicle taxes has significant shortcomings in the EU. Not only do some countries do not favor the use of clean vehicles, but tax rates also vary greatly from one Member State to another.