VAT on car registration

A few weeks ago we announced that the Government will be refunding the full amount of VAT paid on the registration tax to vehicle owners who had a vehicle registered between the 1^st May and 31^st December 2004.  3,308 were eligible. 2,406 submitted their application.  This scheme will be available until the 31st July.

There will be one full payment by cheque. The same process will be adopted in the following years, until all payments for the eligible applicants up till the end of 2008 are settled.

Transport Malta notified the eligible applicants who registered their vehicle between 1st May and 31st December 2004.  Those who received the notification should verify the personal details, sign and send the application to Transport Malta.

Grant Scheme

Sa Maison Road, St. Francis Square,

Floriana.

Grant Scheme

Transport Malta Gozo Licensing Office

Land Transport Directorate Ministry for Gozo

Rabat, Gozo.

No additional documentation is required to be submitted if a person is submitting his/her own

application.

In the case of deceased persons, the heirs should, together with the application form, submit a joint declaration signed by a notary public, enlisting the names of the heir or heirs of the eligible deceased person and the person who will be actually receiving the grant.

Vehicle owners who had registered a vehicle for private use between 1^st May 2004 and 31^st December 2004 are eligible for the scheme but had not applied for the grant during 2014, may also fill in and submit an application form to Transport Malta.

For further information or assistance, vehicle owners may call either on Free Phone 8007 2373 from Monday to Friday between 08.00 and 16.00 or send an email to the following address: grantscheme.tm@transport.gov.mt

VAT Refund for vehicles registered in 2004

As announced during the last Budget, Government will be refunding the full amount of VAT paid on the registration tax (less the grant paid last year to all vehicle owners who were eligible for the scheme that was published during 2014) to vehicle owners who had a vehicle registered between the 1^st May and 31^st December 2004. This payment will be issued in one full and final settlement. As was announced the same process will be adopted in the following years, until all payments for the eligible applicants up till the end of 2008 are settled.

Transport Malta will be notifying in writing the applicants who were eligible for the grant and who had registered a vehicle between the 1^st May and 31^st December 2004. The amount will be paid to eligible applicants by cheque, which shall be posted to the address indicated on the application form.

In order to apply for the refund, vehicle owners who receive the notification by Transport Malta must verify their personal details, sign and return the application form to Transport Malta in order to accept the conditions stipulated in the grant. The application form must be duly filled in, signed and sent by post or submitted in person by not later than the 31^st July 2015 to one of the following addresses below:

Grant Scheme
Transport Malta
Land Transport Directorate
Sa Maison Road,
Floriana. 

Grant Scheme
Gozo Licensing Office
Ministry for Gozo
St. Francis Square,
Rabat, Gozo.

Documents required with the Application Form:

No additional documentation is required to be submitted if a person is submitting his/her own application.

In the case of deceased persons, the heirs should, together with the application form, submit a joint declaration signed by a notary public, enlisting the names of the heir or heirs of the eligible deceased person and the person who will be actually receiving the grant.

Furthermore, vehicle owners who had registered a vehicle for private use between 1^st May 2004 and 31^st December 2004 and are eligible for the scheme but had not applied for the grant during 2014, may also fill in and submit an application form to Transport Malta between the 1^st – 31^st July 2015.

For further information or assistance vehicle owners may call either on Free Phone 8007 2373 from Monday to Friday between 08.00 and 16.00 or send an email to the following address: grantscheme.tm@transport.gov.mt

506 vehicles benefit from the Scrappage Scheme

The grant scheme on the Purchase of New Environment-Friendly Vehicles proved to be a huge success.

The scrappage scheme, as announced in the 2015 Budget, has been taken up completely in the first two months. A total of 506 vehicles benefitted from the €400,000 grant allocated by the Government for this scheme. The successful initiative was planned to encourage people to dispose of their old vehicles and to invest in new cars with lower emissions.

Vehicle owners who applied for the scheme were entitled to a payment of between €700 and €900 upon the purchase of a new M1 motor vehicle (used for the carriage of persons and which may carry no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver, the CO2 emissions of which do not exceed 130g/km and its length does not exceed 4460mm, and is licensed for private use only) that qualifies for the grant scheme whilst at the same time de-registering a vehicle in the same category.

Transport Malta informs the general public that the scheme in the form of a grant to incentivise the purchase of Battery Electric Vehicles and Battery Electric Quadricycles which was announced last week is still applicable.

Grant Scheme to purchase Electric Vehicles Extended

Government extends the current Grant Scheme on the Purchase of Electric Vehicles to include registered NGOs and Private Companies

Transport Malta, in conjunction with the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure, is extending the current scheme in the form of a grant to incentivise the purchase of Battery Electric Vehicles and Battery Electric Quadricycles

This scheme is aimed at reducing the number of old motor vehicles from the road while promoting the use of clean and energy efficient vehicles as a way to contribute towards the  reduction of traffic generated pollution and   improvement of  air quality levels.

Subject to various conditions, the grant is divided in three combinations and besides applicable to private persons it has now been extended to registered NGOs and the business community as indicated in the scheme itself.

A grant of €4,000 will be given to persons registering an electric car and €1,500 to those registering an electric quadricyle. The grant shall increase from €4,000 to €5,000 in cases of persons registering a Battery Electric Vehicle while at the same time opting to de-register another internal combustion engine propelled vehicle which is at least 10 years old from the year of its manufacture.

The scheme is also open to both new and second hand Battery Electric Vehicles which should not exceed 12,000 km on the odometer and would not be more than 24 months old.

Applications will be handled on a first come first served basis.

This is another initiative of the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure and Transport Malta as part of Government policy to promote the use of clean and energy efficient vehicles.

Over the last few years Government had published its policy to promote the introduction of    electromobility in Malta with the publication of the Malta National Electromobility Action Plan (MNEAP) and the set up of the Malta National Electromobility Platform (MNEP).

Besides the promotion for the use of electric vehicles in Malta and facilitation of market entry and penetration of the latest technologies being introduced on the European and International markets, the Government has also embarked on a phased approach to install the necessary infrastructure to compliment the use of these vehicles. Malta also have a European Target to install at least 500 electric vehicle charging points nationwide by 2020 as well as to have at least 5,000 electric vehicles registered on Maltese Roads by the same year.

With respect to the deployment of public electric vehicle charging points,  Government has a adopted a phased approach such as to make sure that this deployment is carried out in a manner to benefit from the continuous developments taking place in the field of electric car charging infrastructure as well as the  developments of the vehicles themselves.

It is the intention of the Government that for the short to medium term, the electric car charging infrastructure would be a mix of both medium and fast charging units so that electric car charging is carried out in the least possible time for the convenience of the electric vehicle owners, especially those who do not have access to a car garage.

Besides promoting sustainable and clean mobility, the scope of these initiatives is to assist the government in addressing Malta’s National environmental targets, which range from climate change and energy targets as well as the improvement of Air Quality Levels. At this point the public is also being reminded that besides this grant another grant for the conversion to LPG is still open.

It is the intention of the Government to continue with its drive to promote sustainable mobility with a number of measures that will be introduced in the near future such as the granting of access for electric vehicles to use the bus-lane infrastructure being introduced on various road sections of the National Road Network, The public is also reminded that the annual vehicle license for electric vehicles is just €10 year.

Applications for these schemes are available from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Unit, Hornsworks Ditch, Floriana or downloaded from the Authority’s website: http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transport/electric-cars

Notes:

The Notice relating to this scheme will be published in today’s Government Gazzette, Tuesday 17^th February 2015.

Vehicles for Weekend Use

New scheme launched for the registration of vehicles for weekend use

Transport Malta will be receiving applications to register high emission vehicles and motorcycles to be used during Weekends and Public/national Holidays Only.

The objective of this optional scheme is to introduce a concept where high emission vehicles and motorcycles are kept off the roads during the week and hence reducing pollution. It is also intended for vehicle enthusiasts who would like to register a high end vehicle, which normally would be high powered and thus with high emissions, to be used exclusively on weekends and public holidays.

Through this scheme, vehicle enthusiasts who only use their cars for particular occasions, events or shows would also benefit from the new scheme.

The registration tax payable under this Scheme will amount to 40% of the full registration tax, thus a saving of 60%. The Annual Circulation Licence Fee will be paid annually in full.

Such vehicles will be registered and licensed through the normal system, but the registration plates will be of a red colour and hence differentiate from the current fleet.

The scheme launched in Budget 2015 is open for vehicles used for the carriage of persons and which may carry no more than 8 passengers in addition to the driver (Category M1) and Motorcycles to be used during weekends and Public/National Holidays Only. This optional measure will apply ONLY to M1 vehicles with CO2 emission levels equal to or greater than 221g/km with an emission level equivalent to the latest Euro standard (Euro 5/6) or Latest -1 Euro standard (Euro 4) and also to motorcycles with an engine capacity equal or greater than 801cc.

Vehicles registered under this scheme must be garaged and may not be used and/or parked on the public roads between Monday to Friday (both days included). To deter abuses, the scheme also includes penalties for vehicle owners caught driving such vehicles between Monday to Friday (both days included). These fines could amount to paying double the registration tax with a minimum of €2,500 together with the registration tax due.

Applications for such schemes are available from the Vehicle Licensing Unit, Hornsworks Ditch, Floriana.

Scrappage Scheme

Transport Malta Receiving Applications for the New Grant Scheme on the Purchase of New Environment-Friendly Vehicles as from 1st December 2014.

As announced in the Budget 2015 speech, Transport Malta, in conjunction with the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure, has launched another grant scheme to incentive the purchase of new category M1 motor vehicles (passenger cars).

This scheme is aimed at reducing the number of old motor vehicles from the road and thus reducing pollution. Subject to various conditions, the grant that varies between €700 and €900, shall be given upon the purchase of a new motor vehicle M1 that qualifies for the grant scheme whilst at the same time de-registering a vehicle in the same category.

The Government has allocated €500,000 for this scheme. Applications will be handled on a first come first served basis.

Applications for such scheme are available from the Vehicle Licensing Unit, Hornsworks Ditch, Floriana (map) or downloaded from these links (Maltese, English).

In the coming days, Transport Malta will also launch the other schemes announced during the Budget 2015 speech, namely the Conversion of Vehicles to run with Autogas and the Purchase of Electric Vehicles.

Further technical details are available in this pdf.

Renewal of Scrappage scheme

A scheme will come into effect whereby a one-time grant will be given to every person who scraps an M1 (passenger vehicle) with an age of 10 years or more and registers a New M1 (passenger vehicle) with a CO₂ of not more than 130g/km and having a length of not more than 4,460mm.

The grant will be on a first come first served basis and will be higher for those vehicles which pollute the least, as follows:

1. €900 will be given to persons registering an M1 vehicle with CO₂ emission levels not exceeding 100g/km;
2. €700 will be given to persons registering an M1 vehicle with CO₂ emission levels between 101g/km and 130g/km;

Vehicles registered under this scheme must be used for private use only, and the the vehicles being deregistered/scrapped must be scrapped at an authorised destruction facility. The scheme will be applicable for vehicles registered as of the 1^st December 2014, and more details will be announced in the coming days. 

VAT paid on Registration Tax returned

VAT paid on Registration Tax for vehicles registered between 1^st May and 31st December 2004

Government will refund the full amount of VAT paid on registration tax, less the amount of grant paid this year to vehicle owners who were eligible for the grant and had a vehicle registered between the 1^st May and 31^st December 2004. Payment will be issued in 2015 in full and final settlement. The same process is to be adopted for the following years until all payments up to end 2008 are settled.

 A letter will be sent to all applicants who were eligible for the grant. Applicants who did not apply may submit an appeal. Further details of this measure will be announced shortly.

Increase in Annual Circulation Licence Fees

Staggered Increase to the Annual Circulation Licence Fees for M1 Vehicles that expire as of January 2015 onwards

The Annual Circulation Licence Fee for vehicles with up to eight seats besides the driver’s seat (category M1) registered on or after the 1^st January 2009 and having CO₂ emissions of more than 100g/km will have a staggered increase ranging between €5 to €15 annually as of the 1^st January 2015.

The annual circulation licence fee for vehicles which were registered on or after 1^st January 2009 and with a CO 2 of 100g/km or less will not increase. The Increases will be as follows:

The Annual Circulation Licence Fee for Category M1 vehicles (passenger carrying vehicles with up to eight seats besides the driver’s seat) registered before the 1^st January 2009, will  have a staggered increase ranging between €5 and €15 annually as of the 1^st January 2015.

Vintage Motorcycles

Vintage motorcycles with a cubic capacity of less than 250cc had their Registration Tax removed.

Motorcycles with a cubic capacity of less than 250cc and approved vintage by the vintage classification committee will be exempt from the payment of registration tax.

Furthermore, Budget 2015 measures meant that the definition of  both ‘vintage vehicle’ and ‘vehicle classification committee’ were amended.   The right of appeal was also introduced, so any decision taken by the vintage classification committee can be appealed.

On another note, offences were introduced for defaulters.