Italian Car Tax

[Relaxed]

It being the end of a car taxation quarter, and I have spent half the day sorting out a load of "other peoples' cars" with a delightful ACI assistant, I thought I had better post this little resume of how to tax your car in Italy.
I am staggered at how many long term non Italian residents, with cars, neglect to pay this road tax, or get it just a bit wrong!!
Firstly, you do not get a reminder. You have to remember when your tax runs out, and this is not as simple as you might think. If, for example, you bought a car on April 10th, and paid the car tax after you had taken delivery of the car (and yes, you have to pay this tax yourself, the garage does not do it for you), then that first "years" tax runs out on January 31st, and must be paid within February. (It causes enormous problems to the system if you assume it runs out at the end of April, and renew it on that assumption.)
It is always safest to pay at an ACI office if you are at all confused, because their computers will flag up any anomalies, whereas the post office system does not. (In certain regions you can check your car on-line and pay the tax that way).
Secondly, the car must be taxed from first registration until it is formally demolished. Keeping it on your own land is not enough - there is no provision for this. When you finally want to rid yourself of an old car - even if it hasn't been on the road for years, you will have to pay all this back tax. I have to break it to someone that her 13 year old car "owes" 800 Euros....it will come as a shock.
So, car tax runs out only at the end of January (pay in Feb): April (pay in May): July (pay Aug) and October (pay Nov).
Another little wrinkle is that a car has two documents. One which refers to the car, (the libretto di circolazione) and the other which refers to the owner (the PRA document). It is customary (for a new car) for the car salesroom to retain the PRA document, unless you remember to ask for it about a month after the first registration. I think it is safer to have it in your own filing system - especially after thirteen years!!

[Jock Adams]

How does it work if you drive your car to Italy, say bought in Spain?

[Relaxed]

You only pay Italian car tax if the car is on Italian plates. Italian plates also means you can only insure the car in Italy, which is very expensive.

Anything to do with Italian motoring (in my opinion) is used as a tax raising opportunity, so it is very disadvantageous (and costly) to change the plates on an existing car.........until you absolutely have to.

[chillout]

does the car you bought in spain have spanish number plates or italian?

[DaveJ]

Sooooo if you register a car in a tax haven .... such as monaco .... not as far to drive back to as the UK for an "MOT" ..... Hmmm the mind is now racing away with itself

[chillout]

relaxed beat me to it.

She's right, You pay the tax only on italain plates and if you pay late you will be charged interest and a fine. (the tax is based on KW of the vehicle)

If you drive a vehicle on Uk plates for example you have to pay UK road tax and uk insurance. Some Uk Insurance companies put restrictions on the amount of days you can legally drive in europe on the green card so its worth reading the small print. Plus you will have to return to the UK to MOT the vehicle every year.

I'm sure there are companies that do not have a limit but you may have to pay a supplement.

Perhaps Relaxed or someone else can help on this.

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Remember if someone flashes headlights at you in Italy this usually means that im going to pass or the police are ahead. (not i'm giving way!!)
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Chillout

[Cassini]

As long as you are a UK resident you can insure with Saga (if over 50) - there is no limit to continental use.

[Relaxed]

Well, I'm not going to be much help on the precise "legality" of living in Italy and driving a car registered in another country. I know of one case where a UK reg car (all taxed, insured perfectly) was involved in a small accident (not its fault in any way), and the British insurance company - despite the fact that no claim was being made - instantly refunded the premium and said we want nothing more to do with you. So there is undoubtedly a level of risk involved here.

If the local carabinieri see a "foreign" car pretty well permanetly on their patch, they tend to have a friendly word in the ear after a couple of years,and get insistent after about three years - but what their precise powers are I have no idea. I get the feeling that if you are driving a UK Reg Maserati they might get fussier more quickly than if you are in a UK Reg Fiat Uno :) :) (and if it's a Bugatti Veyron on Monaco plates....well!!)

[tumshie]

I drive frequently in Italy on Monaco plates, and been stopped by the police several times outside my home. Never had any problems so far *touches his head*