Taxes and tolls could increase starting 2013

Taxes and tolls could increase starting next year with 16,05 percent, which would represent the inflation rate cumulated in the last three years.

The increase is provided within a draft governmental decision initiated by the Finance Minister.
The draft provides the actualization of local tax and tolls levels, but also of some applicable fines starting with the fiscal year 2013, with the inflation rate for three years since the last indexation, which is 2010-2012.

In this way, taxes and tolls on buildings, on lands, on means of transport and also the taxes for deliverance of certificates, notifications and authorizations could increase starting next year with 16,05 percent.

In the same proportion will increase certain fines or the extra judiciary taxes for stamping in order to deliver the certificates, identity cards, for drivers’ examination in order to receive the driving license, for cars registration and for deliverance of the property titles on the lands gained within the land law.

The incomes from local budgets will increase with 891 million lei.

The economic analyst Constantin Rudniţchi considers that the applying of this normative act regarding the actual circumstances is unjust.

“Fundamentally speaking, it is not at all a correct law.”

“What seems to me unfair is the applying of inflation from the past, which means an increase in relation to inflation of years 2010-2012, because the amount can become massive for the budgetary staff whose salaries were cut, for employees from private section who maybe were restructured or who also have received their salaries half cut, some of them, or even smaller”, sustains Constantin Rudniţchi.

The economic analyst considers that another problem comes from the fact that many pensioners are still owners, they pay local taxes and tolls.

“So, any referring to inflation, when it comes to state, either it has to pay, or there are pensions or delay penalties, either there are delays from bill payment, it is not applicable. When it comes to pay the citizen, they automatically enter the calculation and a law appears; thereafter the citizen is obliged to pay.”

“From this point of view, it seems to me unfair. So, I can accept the idea that local taxes and tolls are situated at a relatively small level and that they can be increased; but, I repeat, not so suddenly, as the state does it and with arguments of this type, regarding inflation”, added Constantin Rudniţchi.

The draft government decision is elaborated under the Tax Code, and after the local tax and tolls indexation to inflation it is foreseen that the annual incomes of local budgetary people will increase with 891 million lei.

Translated by Alexandra-Diana Mircea
MTTLC, Bucharest University