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Annual road tax for vehicles requiring prior declaration (e.g. trucks, buses, etc.)

Some vehicles registered at the Vehicle Registration Service (Dutch: Dienst voor Inschrijving van Voertuigen/DIV) need an additional declaration from the Flemish Tax Service (Dutch: Vlaamse Belastingdienst) before they can be used on public roads in Belgium. This is the case for trucks, buses and coaches, trailers, etc.

Conditions

A fiscal declaration is needed for following vehicles:

  • vehicles or vehicle combinations used for goods transportation with an MMA > 12 tons
  • buses and coaches
  • vehicles with a special Belgian number plate (number plate for traders/merchants, number plate for test drive vehicle or B number plate)
  • certain trailers:
    • trailers MMA > 3,500 kg
    • trailers (MMA < 751 kg) which are not registered at the DIV, but towed by a vehicle registered under the name of a leasing company
    • glider trailers
    • camping trailers and boat trailers weighing less than 751 kg

Procedure

You must notify the Flemish Tax Service of any modifications (e.g. scrapping of the licence plate or end of the life of the vehicle).

If you want to use the vehicle immediately, you should go to one of the five provincial offices with your declaration form (in Dutch), your technical specifications sheet (or a copy thereof) and your e-ID to file the declaration form.

  • The Flemish Tax Service sends the tax sheets each year in October.
  • You must pay the tax within two months after the mailing date of the tax sheet into the bank account of the Flemish Tax Service.
  • If you think your road tax is incorrect (its calculation for example), you can file a complaint (in Dutch).

Rates

The amount of the tax is calculated depending on:

The age of your vehicle is not taken into account for the calculation of the tax.

The amount of the tax can sometimes be fixed, as is the case for certain types of trailers (in Dutch).

Vehicles with an MAW lower than 12 tons do not need to be declared and are not subject to annual road tax. They still need to pay the kilometre charge.

Reductions

Depending on the vehicle type or on the activity of the vehicle, you may be entitled to a discount on the annual road tax.

Types of reduction:

Exemptions

In some cases, you are entitled to an exemption from the annual road tax.

  • Exemption for occasional transport (in Dutch): under certain conditions, trucks (with or without trailer), tractors (with or without trailer), and light trucks which drive on public roads only occasionally can be exempted from annual road tax. The vehicle must be used for the transportation of goods, but goods transport can not be the main activity of the user.