“Check when to register your new car and save money”
People buying a new car need to check whether it is cheaper to have the vehicle registered this year or next. A couple of days’ difference could save you a hundred euros.
Starting 1 January the car registration tax in Flanders will be calculated in a different way. Owners of cars with high C02 emissions will pay more, while greener vehicles will set you back less.
The Flemish ombudsman Bart Weekers notes that owners of petrol cars can make a buck or two: “The Renault Clio is the best-selling car in Flanders. You can save 100 euros on this car depending when you register.”
The legal trick is to get your garage to deliver your vehicle after New Year’s. For some cars registering this year is more profitable.
“The registration tax for diesel cars is getting far more expensive. Figures can amount to up to 700 euros.”
The ombudsman isn’t criticising the new way car registration tax is calculated but insists people should have been informed earlier: “People ordered a car months ago. Now they are discovering tax is going up or down depending on when the vehicle is registered.”
The ombudsman urges buyers to check what is most beneficial for them and to take account of the fact that the registration department and many insurers will be closed over the festive season.