CAR TAX EQUITALIA ETC

Does any one else have issues with the car tax? I suddenly got a huge bill from Equitalia - no details of which car (we had 3), apparently for a car tax from almost 7 years ago! 
We were very fastidious in paying all bills when we lived there. I do not understand why it seems the original bill for 2009 was never sent, nor was any reminder and suddenly I am hit with basically a 100% increase on the original sum. No details are mentioned or car plate numbers etc. I have not had this with any thing else. Any one know more about this, it is a mystery to me. I seemd to pay so much car tax when living there but find few traces in my statements. Surely after 7 years they are no longer able to request a bill. What is the statute of limitations in italy for invoices, any one know? Does this comply with EU law? Thanks for any helpful info.

Dembrandt wrote:We were very fastidious in paying all bills when we lived there.

'....when we lived there'.  Presumably therefore you're not living in Italy now?

Do you mean the bollo?  There are various schools of thought.  The prevalent one isthat if they dont send you a notification then the charge is cancelled after 5 years.  however, you have to prove that they didnt notify you - and if you are no longer in Italy, its hightly probable that there was a notification to the comune.  Having said that, they probably didnt affix a notice to your gate or some such.

I think Italy can claim back invoices for up to 10 years me thinks ?

V

Yes, but the bollo is an imposta and subject to prescrizione.

i just found this:  
http://www.studiolegalemongiovi.it/diritto_tributario/prescrizione_bollo_auto.html

modicasa wrote:Do you mean the bollo?  There are various schools of thought.  The prevalent one isthat if they dont send you a notification then the charge is cancelled after 5 years.  however, you have to prove that they didnt notify you - and if you are no longer in Italy, its hightly probable that there was a notification to the comune.  Having said that, they probably didnt affix a notice to your gate or some such.

Yes probably. We tried to live there for 2,5 years. After that, also kept paying all bills of course. But this seems to be the only place where this happens- ie, the car tax. We have been very punctual with paying everything - but if they never send the bill how can I pay it and why is it automatically doubled? Statute of limitations surely has to comply with EU regulations. Unfortunately there have been problems with the post, namely it often just does not arrive. I gave up ordering things by post there. 
But has any one else had these issues with car tax? All the other things seem to work quasi normally.

modicasa wrote:Do you mean the bollo?  There are various schools of thought.  The prevalent one isthat if they dont send you a notification then the charge is cancelled after 5 years.  however, you have to prove that they didnt notify you - and if you are no longer in Italy, its hightly probable that there was a notification to the comune.  Having said that, they probably didnt affix a notice to your gate or some such.

On another point - I have not been a resident since early 2013. I notified the Commune and gave them my new address. But, they failed to communicate it amongst their own internal offices. There are also some points regarding non residents and notifications I believe. And the other question is, why did they wait 5 years to send it and then charge double for their own mistakes?

The car tax people seem to be very hard core. I imported my car to Germany in 2013 and sent the bollo people an official letter from the  German car registration office, stating that the car had been imported, and giving the new licence plates etc. They decided to ignore that and one year later, wrote claiming that they don't believe it and want some other evidence. Yet, I no longer even own that car.

modicasa wrote:Yes, but the bollo is an imposta and subject to prescrizione.i just found this:  

Gosh, I found that article very confusing. Still don't get it. Does this mean 3 or 5 years from Jan 1 the following year after the tax is due?

Actually I think because I was not a resident since early 2013, that even the notification at the commune 2 years later does not hold. I understand that they have to send it to your residential address. So may be there is a chance. Thanks for your replies and the link earlier.

The bollo is due every year on the anniversary of the matricolation of the car.  Its up to you to pay it, there is no bill. If you dont the sanctions apply and it increases every month of nonpayment until its doubled by Equitalia.  
Prescription applies but only if the payment notices are not officially notified and this can take many forms - its up to you to find out if they were or not - and you can contest them.   If the comune holds post for you then it was notified and prescription cannot apply. 
If you emigratd from the comune of residence, then it is the comunes fault, but you will need the receipts of your emigration to prove it.   Notifications at the comune are legally valid if they cannot deliver to your address.

If you exported your car to Germany you are supposed to hand in the licence plates to the Italian authorities. Although how you physically do that before you have registered it in the target cuntry is still a mystery to me.

modicasa wrote:The bollo is due every year on the anniversary of the matricolation of the car.  Its up to you to pay it, there is no bill. If you dont the sanctions apply and it increases every month of nonpayment until its doubled by Equitalia.  Prescription applies but only if the payment notices are not officially notified and this can take many forms - its up to you to find out if they were or not - and you can contest them.   If the comune holds post for you then it was notified and prescription cannot apply. If you emigratd from the comune of residence, then it is the comunes fault, but you will need the receipts of your emigration to prove it.   Notifications at the comune are legally valid if they cannot deliver to your address.

Thanks for the info. We had no idea of that and yet I don't understand then why in 2010 and 2011, we were sent the bill at the start of the due period with insturctions as to the various ways of paying it (without any "sanctions" added). From this I understood that it functioned like everything else. The commune had my new address but failed to communicate anything to me about the notice filed with them. I don't have emigration receipts but rental contracts and the like. It's a pity the agency who charged us 1000 euros to import the car, didn't tell us about how to pay the tax. I had assumed it was included in the 1000 euros, but no it wasn't. In Germany when one registers the car one is informed about how to pay yearly taxes. I suppose its one of those mistakes foreigners make. Yet it seems that many Italians, on the link that was posted here, also have this trouble.

Admin wrote:If you exported your car to Germany you are supposed to hand in the licence plates to the Italian authorities. Although how you physically do that before you have registered it in the target cuntry is still a mystery to me.

Well I had to hand them in to the German authorities - that is the procedure. They then destroy them and inform the Italians. However they did warn me that the Italians don't like people exporting cars.

As it was all within the EU, technically, it is not an export. The online requirement is to get a new registration... Did you get any document from the German Police stating that the Italian plates had been handed over to them, or that they had informed the Italian Police accordingly?

Gala Placidia wrote:As it was all within the EU, technically, it is not an export. The online requirement is to get a new registration... Did you get any document from the German Police stating that the Italian plates had been handed over to them, or that they had informed the Italian Police accordingly?

Yes I got an official document in German and Italian which I forwarded to the Italian authorities. It also had the new licence plate number on it. They did receive it, but one year later wrote to my old residential address in italy - as if nothing had happened - claiming that this is no proof. (The German's authority has obviously gone down in the world!) 

Is the online requirement the procedure by which one pays the car tax? Because this is how I paid it each year following receipt of an invoice. I used the possibilty to pay by credit card, when that didn't work (as the site was faulty) then I paid it by post transfer.

You can pay the bollo at a tabacchi or at the PO.  If its gone to Equitalia then you pay Equitalia and not the motorizzazzione.

Equivalía acepta payments on línea https://www.equitaliaservizi.it/was/Pagamenti/FormCartelleAvvisiWeb.action

Gala Placidia wrote:As it was all within the EU, technically, it is not an export......

Unfortunately it is one of the many areas where the EU is not joined up in the slightest. Despite my UK car being in my name I have to import it which involves an inspection and pay the passaggio even though I am not selling it or putting it in anyone else's name.

The only exemption seems to be new cars where they have finally got the paerwork in order and they now come with an EU-wide certificate. In Italy we still have to pay the passaggio which frankly is a rip off!

Acordonó to this http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/taxes/index_en.htm
It Israel simple a mater of new registration and relevant taxes... Not really an export or import as such, but I do agree, the "union" is not a real one

Each region has different rules though. In Marche I just had to pay the money and pick my plates up, in Liguria they want to inspect the car after I have changed the headlights and mileometer to Kilometers oh and make he towbar pass a test.

Admin wrote:

Gala Placidia wrote:As it was all within the EU, technically, it is not an export......

Unfortunately it is one of the many areas where the EU is not joined up in the slightest. Despite my UK car being in my name I have to import it which involves an inspection and pay the passaggio even though I am not selling it or putting it in anyone else's name.
The only exemption seems to be new cars where they have finally got the paerwork in order and they now come with an EU-wide certificate. In Italy we still have to pay the passaggio which frankly is a rip off!

It was exactly the same for us. Brought our car from Germany - Italians charged 1000 euros, took 3 months and were grumpy. Later transferred same car back to Germany - it cost 50 euros, took 5 minutes and they joked around whilst attending to the formalities. Always in my name. We simply wanted to do th correct thing - get the residency and transfer car to Italian plates.

Have had a couple of experiences with cars in italy, which is a complete rip off.
Export a UK registered car and have to pay hundreds of euros to re-register it, although it cost nothing in the UK. Just new plates and a revisione, which do not cost much, as well as 10 mins of paperwork.
Buy a second car, more hundreds for a few minutes work.
Scrap a car, nearly as expensive.
Buy a third car, another rip off.
Give away first car from the UK, poor guy who got it for nothing, had to pay hundreds to have it registered in his name.

Geotherm wrote:Have had a couple of experiences with cars in italy, which is a complete rip off.Export a UK registered car and have to pay hundreds of euros to re-register it, although it cost nothing in the UK. Just new plates and a revisione, which do not cost much, as well as 10 mins of paperwork.Buy a second car, more hundreds for a few minutes work.Scrap a car, nearly as expensive.Buy a third car, another rip off.
Give away first car from the UK, poor guy who got it for nothing, had to pay hundreds to have it registered in his name.

All not worth it. My English friend, who has been living in Italy for 30 years, told me the trick. Keep UK plates and thats that.

You know,............I really sympathise with 'Dembrandt'.............he/she has a PROBLEM............I cannot help, but as always, some regulars (who know it all !) send LINKS...argggh !!!, to help the person better understand what they should be doing.

Interpret the link, understand the link, act ................grrrrrr !

Some of the contributors here give their interpreted VIEWS which is great, not just links !

ooh...........I could crush a grape !

V

Vicino wrote:You know,............I really sympathise with 'Dembrandt'.............he/she has a PROBLEM............I cannot help, but as always, some regulars (who know it all !) send LINKS...argggh !!!, to help the person better understand what they should be doing.Interpret the link, understand the link, act ................grrrrrr !Some of the contributors here give their interpreted VIEWS which is great, not just links !

ooh...........I could crush a grape !

V

Well thanks - not sure I understand what you are trying to say. But, yes it is hard. I did not feel at all welcome in the area we bought a house in and have been trying to get out since 5.5 years! They seem particularly hostile to foreigners of every kind - and I could be Italian by heritage. Now I am alone trying to deal with them since my husband died last year.

I still do not understand why the Region sent a bill some years - with no fine - and then didn't in other years and why it was not stated clearly on that document that one is supposed to pay it somewhere somehow automatically  without any idea of how much depending on the arbitrariness of the authority. I never would pay a bill at the Tabacci. I want a record on my bank statements and not some tiny slip of paper. All this dysfunction is so unnecessary.