Anecra criticizes OE2027 proposal and asks for tax reform

A National Association of Commerce Companies and Automobile Repair (Anecra) considers that the proposal of the State Budget for 2027 is a disappointment for the sector, asking for a serious program for slaughter and tax reform.

“ What we find in the State Budget [OE2027], with the exception of the extent to which we realize that we will again have the program of incentives for electrical mobility – and yet we do not understand well the perimeter of the measure, nor the values involved or the type of impact it may have, it seems to us very little ", Lusa told the Secretary-General of Anecra, Roberto Gaspar.

In a telephone conversation, Roberto Gaspar pointed out that the latest program to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles was “very small”.

“The value was very small. It covered, basically, around a thousand cars, and then, even the model [...] was little planned, which in hours completely exhausted its value and mixing a little concepts ", said, recalling that for the purchase of an electric car it was necessary to put a car with more than 10 years.

Roberto Gaspar recalled that this is a requirement that “makes absolutely no sense” for the current car park, which has more than 1.8 million cars over 20 years old.

In this sense, he argued that “it is very important” to move forward with “a serious programme to encourage the slaughter and renovation of the car park”, pointing out that its aging has an impact on emissions and on road accidents.

At the same time, Roberto Gaspar asked for “some sign” that car tax reform is being considered.

“ It is absolutely essential to start a structural reform of car taxation, adapted to technological developments, increasing electrification, new mobility models”, he pointed out, stressing that the current system is designed for another reality and that it has inconsistencies in taxation.

One example concerns hybrid cars which, because they have higher cylinders, end up being taxed more than vehicles solely for combustion with smaller blocks but with higher emissions.

Roberto Gaspar also warned that with the increase in the penetration of electric vehicles in the market and consequent decrease in revenues by the non-collection of the Vehicle Tax (ISV) and the Tax on Petroleum and Energy Products (ISP), “there is a need to touch it”.

Asked whether the association follows the proposals for the reform of taxation on the sector suggested by the ACAP, the Secretary-General of Anecra admitted that they are placed “some reticence”, but that they are completely in agreement with the progressive elimination of the ISV.

Among the main proposals presented by ACAP at the beginning of the month is, in addition to the progressive elimination of the ISV, the updating of the levels of the Single Circulation Tax (IUC).

“ It makes perfect sense for us to be more and more dependent on the use and less on the acquisition”, he stressed, adding that it is also a way of dealing with the phenomenon of importing used cars.

The average age of imported cars is around eight years since the first registration, which, for Anecra’s manager, “does not help at all for the renovation of the Portuguese car park”.

“What happens is that as cars are expensive, there is a very important part of the private segments A [citadinos] and B [utilitarians] who, as cars became very expensive, at this time buy used cars. In some cases, the Portuguese market does not have the offer that these people need, logically imports grow,” he stressed.

Roberto Gaspar also stressed the importance of updating autonomous taxation.

“ Companies have an autonomous limit of taxation adjusted in relation to cars and it is normal, even through what inflation is, that these values of autonomous taxation should be adjusted, and what we perceive, is that they have not been adjusted again”, he reinforced.