I've already mentioned in a previous posting that Hungarians had a funny way of interpreting EU regulations. Here's another lovely example: registration tax for foreign cars brought to and sold in Hungary.

Having joined the EU the Hungarian government could no longer make car importers pay tolls. Oh dear, what a loss of income. Well trust Hungarians to come up with an ingenious idea. No tolls permitted? Ok then, we'll call it something different. How about... say... registration tax! So the government said let there be registration tax and there was.

According to present regulations in Hungary in order to get a Hungarian registration number for both new and second hand cars brought in from other parts of the EU special registration tax has to be paid. As far as I know one cannot object to the registration fee in case of new cars, since one has to pay the very same fee regardless of the car's origin (be it manufactured in Hungary or in the EU). However, Hungarian second hand cars already have a registration number hence there is no extra tax, whereas bringing in a foreign car necessarily implies registration costs. First opposition: Hungarian law discriminates between inland and foreign EU products.

And this isn't all, you'll see what I meant by ingenious when I'll tell you that the registration fee is completely independent from the car's actual price. Tolls used to correspond to the value of the imported objects. Not registration fees! The only thing that counts is the size of the motor and the type of fuel. See table on Index. So you'll pay the same amount for a brand new car as a veteran one provided they have the same sized motor.

Other EU countries have now objected to the Hungarian car registration practice claiming that Hungarian regulation fails to take into consideration article 90 of the European Convention. According to the Index article registration fees as such are not completely forbidden by the European Convention but I was too lazy to look it up and to tell you the truth it isn't really apparent to me why should any kind of registration tax be allowed for second hand cars. I'd very much appreciated if somebody could explain to me how could such registration tax be non-discriminative at all.

@lice

Oh, all hungarian goverment has funny idea for taxing. The most annoying is the double taxation of the salaries. So if you want a job in hungary, it is better to have a citizenship of a country with smaller personal income tax.
First you should have to pay tax after your salary, that's regular and acceptable.
Then you buy something (something other than fuel, because it has more 'funny' taxation') you will pay the price of the item plus business tax.
example
100Ft salary, -38Fts personal tax (worst case) = 62 Ft
you can buy something at net price + 20% tax = 62 Ft
net price = 62/1,2 = 51,6 Ft. that is the real value of you 100Fts salary (if an economist comes around, he/she is allowed to describe it better)

Fuel tax:

(fuel net price + road tax + environment tax) + businness tax.

you see, you pay more tax after, because you already payed some.

(fuel net price * (1+roadtax/100) * (1+env. tax/100))*1,2

And I thought I was good at maths.

It is futile to argue the points regarding the situation and taxes in Hungary. The reality is that the whole plan of the Hungarian government regarding income in based on tax and not on internal production and growth. We are one of the most taxed peoples of the World when you compare the average wage. Where else in the World does a Country with a population of ten million inhabitants have 800,000 persons involved in administering the nation? Not even the smallest of daily chores can be accomplished without having to face up too the rigors of this dilapidated, mad mans system of living.

To give you an example of the madness:-

I bought a 1982 Volvo 244 GL car the other day for 300,000 Forints.

I then have to change the ownership details to my name by undertaking the following:-

1. Pay an approved mechanic 16,100 HUF to check the engine number and chassis number against the ones written on the car paper.

2. Pay 20 HUF per CM3 in duty (the engine is 2400 cc so this = 48,000 HUF

3. Pay 6,000 HUF for the new car log book

4. Pay 6,000 HUF for the plastic bank type owners card

So for a car that I paid 300,000 HUF for it has cost me 76,100 HUF just to change it into my name!

This is the tragedy of this Country. You may say you do not buy a car every day (thank god) but this principle is applied to everything in Hungary.

Very good value used cars can be bought across the border in Austria. I was at the auctions yesterday and wanted to bid on a 1996 Mercedes which fetched only 1000 Euro or 250,000 HUF. How much would it cost me to register it in Hungary? Let me tell you, all together that would cost me 1,890,000 HUF when the car was only 250,000 HUF.

This madness has to end but I am afraid that it wont in the near future. The Government are already finding another way to collect this tax if the EU outlaw the current method. It will just reappear under another name.

This is the consequence of not prosecuting the communists after 1989 and allowing them to remain in politics. Gyurcsany and his cronies are raping this land of everything that has even the slightest value. There is no productivity, no plan, no leadership and no future. From a man that made his fortune from corrupt activities and illegal activities after 1989 and his families sickening abuse of their positions.

This is one miserable, corrupt Country which I would advise anybody to stay away from, and let me tell you that I am very sad that I have to tell you this.

Hi John,
eye dont have a car in Hungary, but if eye bought a car in Austria using an Austrian mail box address. Could eye then become a "permenant tourist" using the car in Hungary. Thus avoiding the nightmare scenario you described?
many thanks

John,

Taxes are pretty disgusting in Hungary. True. But I wouldn't say this is a miserable corrupt country. Or anyway not more than any other countries. But if you're so discontent with Hungary why not try moving to somewhere else? (France seems a very warm country, the hot-spot of Europe to be precise.)

But I'm afraid as long as you confound socialists with communists Western Europe will be much of a disappointment to you...

Alice

:roll:sorry old son , fink you got the wrong end of the stick. eye never mentioned the words "miserable" "corrupt" you did. just trying to find an easy answer to YOUR gripe about having to shell out . eye live here by choice, perhaps you are the one who if you cant hack it should move on??

Hi green arrow,

What exactly are you answering to? Or to whom???

I replied to john the optimist. How about you?

alice

sorry Alice. eye got it wrong.
apologies again.
dident read the sender name properly.

Miserable and corrupt is absolutely bang on correct. And more besides. We've been living out in the countryside for 3 years - we have our own house and plot and are just about self sufficient. Everyday, we come across some new example of Hungarian corruption, cretinous stupidity, shortsightedness, conceit and arrogance. It's eye-wateringly awful, to see how monstrously stupid people can be. And yet we stay here. Why? Because we didn't come here for the people. We love the country, the wildlife, the weather, the food and wine, and the peace and quiet we have on our little island. We just hate what the Hungarians are doing to their own country and their own people. It's absolutely criminal that a country can behave this way. Eventually the MSZP will bankrupt the country (if they haven't already), and the IMF will have to move in to run the place - a day that can't come too soon.
Actually, that suits us just fine - all my earning are in Pounds or Dollars, so the Forints decline into the toilet means we get more in the exchange. I have nothing but pity for the Hungarians, but they seem determined to do the wrong thing at every opportunity and blame someone else for it, rather than take responsibility for the situation.
Welcome to Hungary - the dark heart of Europe.

I wouldn't set foot in a country that I detested so much. Wildlife, weather, food and wine wouldn't compensate for all the horrors you just mentioned. I'd go to Slovenia for the wildlife, Italy for the weather, Austria or France for the food and wine... Must be a sad and miserable life if these are the greatest joys and comforts you find in Hungary.

God, now I come to think about it, what could it have been like in your own country if in spite of everything you chose to settle down in the dark heart of Europe.

Seems as though aemann has cocooned himself away in the country, on an island probably avoiding all contact with those "Hungarians"
If you "choose" to live here then at least try and offer some positive suggestions rather than being so depressingly negative.

By the sounds of his post aemann would not be happy anywhere.

I am miserable at the moment. But it has nothing to do with taxes or corruption. I am suffering from ghost tooth syndrome. Having had a nice juicy molar ripped from my jaw i keep thinking he's still here somewhere. Well thats what the pain is saying to me. Or is that just the huge amount of Cataflam i have comsumed today? Fantastic stuff. Actually if someone hates Hungarians so much whay doesn't he go to Slovakia?