Road Haulage Charges and Taxes
Summary analysis and data tables 1998-2012

08

Discussion Paper 2013 • 08
Bertil HYLÉNVTI, Sweden

Jari KAUPPILA, Edouard CHONGInternational Transport Forum,
Paris, France

Road Haulage Charges and Taxes
Summary analysis and data tables 1998-2012

Discussion Paper No. 2013-8

Bertil HYLÉNVTI, Sweden
Jari KAUPPILAInternational Transport Forum at the OECD
Edouard CHONGInternational Transport Forum at the OECD

April 2013

THE INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM
The International Transport Forum at the OECD is an intergovernmental organisation with
54 member countries. It acts as a strategic think-tank, with the objective of helping shape
the transport policy agenda on a global level and ensuring that it contributes to economic
growth, environmental protection, social inclusion and the preservation of human life andwell-being. The International Transport Forum organises an annual summit of Ministers
along with leading representatives from industry, civil society and academia.
The International Transport Forum was created under a Declaration issued by the Councilof Ministers of the ECMT (European Conference of Ministers of Transport) at its Ministerial
Session in May 2006 under the legal authority of the Protocol of the ECMT, signed in
Brussels on 17 October 1953, and legal instruments of the OECD.
The Members of the Forum are: Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, FYROM, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine,
the United Kingdom and the United States.
The International Transport Forum’s Research Centre gathers statistics and conducts
co-operative research programmes addressing all modes of transport. Its findings arewidely disseminated and support policymaking in Member countries as well as contributing
to the annual summit.
Discussion Papers
The International Transport Forum’s Discussion Paper Series makes economic research,commissioned or carried out at its Research Centre, available to researchers andpractitioners. The aim is to contribute to the understanding of the transport sector and toprovide inputs to transport policy design. The Discussion Papers are not edited by theInternational Transport Forum and they reflect the author's opinions alone.
The Discussion Papers can be downloaded from:www.internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/DiscussionPapers/jtrcpapers.html
The International Transport Forum’s website is at: www.internationaltransportforum.org
For further information on the Discussion Papers and other JTRC activities, please email:itf.contact@oecd.org

This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory,
to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXESTABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 5
2. THE FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................... 6
3. OVERVIEW OF CHARGES AND TAXES .................................................................... 9
4. NET TAXATION ................................................................................................. 12
5. TAXES AND CHARGES IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES .............. 17
6. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................. 19
BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................... 20
ANNEX 1. DATA TABLES ........................................................................................ 21

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

3

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

1. INTRODUCTION

The International Transport Forum at the OECD has collected data on various taxes andcharges levied on road haulage since 1998. The existing International Transport Forum
database presents these results for selected years between 1998 and 2008. These data
allow for comparison of road freight transport fiscal regimes in different countries inquantitative terms. They have also been used as core information in various international
studies. Countries use them as a basis to study cost recovery of road infrastructure by
relating all the various taxes and charges levied on transport activities to costs. The 2003
ECMT Report 'Reforming Transport Taxes' developed a methodology for making suchcomparisons, including in relation to the marginal costs of using infrastructure(infrastructure wear, congestion and environmental and safety externalities). The data
can also be used to study the existence of possible discriminatory charges. The impact ofcharges on competitiveness in road haulage markets can be assessed with the data bymodelling trips by Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) of different nationalities on standard
hauls throughout Europe and by calculating appropriate indicators. The data have also
been used in a recent study to compare the internationalisation of external effects of
HGVs using a number of European freight corridors (CTS, 2012).
This paper updates the database on heavy goods vehicle charges and taxes in Europe,with figures for 2012 on taxes and charges on vehicles, fuel and road use, including
relevant information on rebates and exemptions. A short analysis of the level of charges
and expected future developments is included. Data are collected for nearly 30 countries.
A brief discussion of similar taxes and charges in the United States, Canada and Australia
is included as well. The VTI library is the source for most of the information on thesecountries.
The first step was to prepare an inventory of existing taxes and charges. This inventory isbased mainly on a questionnaire forwarded to the respective Ministries of Transport or
the responsible government agencies. Other sources include websites for ministries andtoll operators. These data are used to analyse the fiscal and territorial structure of thecharges. In order to allow for comparisons of road freight taxation regimes in different
countries, net taxation levels are calculated for a standard domestic haul. These results
are then assessed per vehicle-km and per tonne-kilometre.
This paper summarises the results of the analysis and provides an account of themethodology and sources used. The detailed data are available at the International
Transport Forum webpage:
http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/statistics/taxation/index.html.

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

5

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

2. THE FRAMEWORKThe framework for the analysis consists of two parts: an inventory of the charges leviedand a comparison in quantitative terms of all charges that countries levy on freighttransport by road. The framework was first developed in the report Reforming Transport
Taxes (ECMT, 2003) and the following description draws heavily on the above report.
First, the absolute levels of specific charges on road freight transport are collected. The
inventory includes the following variables: vehicle taxes (for the possession of a vehicle),fuel excise duties and user charges, as well as taking into account any possible refunds,
rebates and exemptions.
For each charge, the following data were compiled:•

Basis of imposition (vehicle, fuel or usage);•Amount paid (per year, per km, per litre);•

Type of payment (time period, road segment, bridge);•

VAT on diesel and tolls paid in all EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland(VAT is not paid on tolls in Germany);•

Refunds, rebates and other exemptions obtainable.

Rates of fuel duty, vehicle taxes and user charges change on different dates in different
countries and different years. The rates used in this study are set according to the rates
enforced by each country at the beginning of each fiscal year. As charges and taxes differ
by type of vehicle, a standard vehicle has been defined. The standard vehicle for thisstudy is defined as a semitrailer with 3+2 axles weighing 40 tonnes, meeting Euro IV
emission standards. For comparability, rates are collected for this standard vehicle. The
exchange rates used in the calculations are from 12th October 2012.
The inventory includes the following countries for which data were available: Austria,
Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Information obtained is organised according to an economic standard defined in theprevious study, ranging from purely fiscal charges to a price for infrastructure use (seeTable 1). This system of classification can be used to make international comparisons of
the fiscal structures applied to road haulage, by producing fiscal structures on the basisof the yearly revenues yielded in each country for each category of charge (see ECMT,2003).

6

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

Table 1. Economic categorisation of charges levied on road freight transport
User charges
Charges

Description

Economic criterion
ResultVehicle taxes

Fuel excise duties

Vignettes

Tolls + user charges
on adistance/weightbasis
The amount to be paid
is determined by usage(number of km andadmissible weight or
tonnes transported)
Prices

HGV taxes are
imposed on thebasis of ownership in
the country ofregistration

Weak link with
usage

User charges due
on a flat ratebasis

Fiscal charges

Earmarked charges

Fixed prices

Purely fiscal structure according to share of revenue generated by each category of charge

Four categories of taxes were also created according to the territorial characteristics oftheir application – i.e. the degree to which charges are linked to the use of particularsections or regions of the infrastructure network (Table 2). This is used to makecomparisons of territorial structures by producing such structures on the basis of charges
paid per standard domestic haul.

Table 2. Territorial categorisation of charges levied on road freight transport
User charges
Vignettes

Tolls + user
charges on a
distance/weightbasis

Description“National” charges
relative to theterritorial criterion

Hauliers may choose
to not fulfil theterritorial link (fillingup in country A
while using roads incountry B)

Charges bounded toa specific territory
though not linked tothe quantity used
(fixed price)

Charges strictly
bounded to a
specific territory andto the quantity used(price)Territorial
criterion

Nationality based
charges

Weakly territorial
chargesModerately territorial
charges

Strongly territorial
charges

ChargesResultVehicle taxes

Fuel excise duties

Territorial structure of taxation according to share of fees paid on specific hauls

Taxes on motor vehicles are considered as nationality based or purely fiscal because they
are levied on the possession of a vehicle regardless of where and how much the vehicle isused. They are also directly related to the country of registration.
Fuel taxes have generally a weak territorial linkage as vehicles may fill up in one country
while using the roads of another country. The fuel tax is the subject of EC Directive
2003/96/EC restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products
and electricity. The Directive sets a minimum tax of 0.33 EUR/litre for diesel (in the
Directive called gas oil) but there is no maximum level.

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

7

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXESInfrastructure charges applied on a flat rate basis (e.g. per day, per year), such as
the Eurovignette, are categorised as moderately territorial charges. The Eurovignette has
been successively phased out and remains only in five countries.
Charges for infrastructure use levied on the basis of usage, such as tolls, are considered
as strongly territorial charges.
As countries do not all levy the same type of charges, simple comparisons of the levels
are not meaningful. In order to allow for comparisons between countries, the first step isto calculate net taxation of road haulage in the countries under study. Some countries
allow rebates on various excise taxes for road haulage companies. Therefore, all charges
are calculated with allowed refunds, rebates and exemptions deducted.
The second step is to calculate a standard haul scenario (ECMT, 2003). Calculations are
made on the basis of total charges for a 400-km domestic haul using a 40-tonne Euro IV
HGV. In countries with tolls, toll roads are set to account for half of the standard haul(200 km). Results are produced in terms of total charges per standard haul, vehicle-km
and tonne-km. Table 3 provides an overview of the calculations.
Table 3. Calculation of net taxation for a standard haul

8

Net taxation

Calculation

Total charges per trip (EUR/trip)(vehicle taxes / 276 days) + (diesel taxes x 128 litres) +(user charges /276 days) + (motorway tolls * 200 km) +(charges per tkm *400 km * 40 tonnes)

Total charges per vkm (EUR/vkm)

Total charges per trip (EUR) / 400 km

Total charges per tkm (EUR/tkm)

Total charges per vkm (EUR/km) / 40 t

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

3. OVERVIEW OF CHARGES AND TAXES

An inventory of charges levied is shown in Table 4, while detailed data are presented in
Annex 1.
Tax for the ownership of HGV (nationality-based charge) averages 1 417 EUR/year in the
countries surveyed. However, the level shows great variations and the tax varies from
4 833 EUR/year in Ireland to zero in Slovenia where no such tax exists. Tax rates for
shorter periods than a year exist in several countries. In addition, nine countries have a
20-30% rebate for HGVs with air suspension, as road wear and tear has been shown tobe significantly lower for vehicles with an air suspension. Germany and the United
Kingdom have an additional reduction of tax for lorries with reduced pollution appliedalso to other than Euro V/VI standards. In Switzerland, Spain and Italy the ownership tax
is set on a regional basis. A special rebate – not related to charges – is the subsidy forthe purchase of clean (Euro V) HGVs in Germany. This has led to a substantial increaseof Euro V/VI class HGVs (CTS, 2012). France has a 75% rebate for HGVs used in railroad combined transport.
Fuel tax (weakly territorial charge) is the subject of EC Directive 2003/96/EC
restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products andelectricity. While not necessarily regarded as a road tax, the Directive’s Recital
19 mentions the connection between diesel taxation and the introduction of a system ofroad user charges. The Directive sets a minimum tax of 0.33 EUR/litre for diesel (in the
Directive called gas oil). There is, however, no maximum level set. Fuel tax varies
typically between 0.40 EUR - 0.50 EUR per litre. Differing from the rest are, at the low
end, Luxemburg, Lithuania and Romania where fuel tax is at 0.30 EUR per litre. At thehigh end, the fuel tax in the United Kingdom and Switzerland is 0.72 EUR and 0.63 EUR
per litre, respectively.
Time based charges (moderately territorial charge) mainly consist of the Eurovignette
which today exists in five countries, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium andLuxembourg. A Vignette paid in one of these countries gives access to all roads in theother four countries (except for a few toll bridges). A similar highway vignette is in placein Hungary. These charges may be said to be on their way out and will probably be
replaced by (electronic) tolls or distance based charges with considerably moredifferentiation.
Toll roads and distance based charges (strongly territorial charges) are in place mainly
for motorways in several countries today. Toll roads with a barrier where a toll has to be
paid when stopping or passing through at lower speed were originally found mainly in
Spain, Italy and France. Since 2001 these networks show mixed developments; toll roads
have been expanding strongly in Spain while growth has been more moderate in France
and Italy. Today, large toll road networks are also found in Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Poland and Austria.

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

9

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

Switzerland introduced an electronic km charge for trucks in 2001, followed by Germany
in 2005 with a satellite-based system collecting a trip distance based toll from different
categories of HGVs. Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia followed suit and France
has introduced an electronic km charge on parts of the trunk road network not alreadysubject to tolls. While Germany, Switzerland and Slovenia have the same toll per
vehicle-kilometre for all toll roads, Italy, France, Spain, Poland and Slovakia apply
different tolls per vehicle-kilometre for different sections of the toll road network. In
addition, several countries have charges differentiated according to the time of day (e.g.
higher night charges in Austria) or reductions for Euro V or higher emission standards.
In addition to national toll schemes several countries have in place local congestion
charges or charges for certain bridges/tunnels. Several countries also have low emission
zones, in some cases HGV with Euro I - III standards are prohibited to enter certain
zones.
Generalised road pricing for all vehicles (charging for wear and tear of infrastructure andexternalities) has been the subject of research, policy debate and disagreement among
the European countries for decades. Responses from countries participating in the survey
indicate that several toll or congestion pricing schemes had been elaborated during theprevious decade but resistance from stakeholder groups or politicians had stopped
legislation and implementation.
Box. Background for charges in Italy
One of the countries with a mix of motorway concessionaires and a strong differentiationof charges presented the following rationale for the charging scheme(s);The toll is the amount the user pays for the distance covered, connected with theinvestment carried out by the motorway concessionaire companies for both the designand construction of the infrastructure and for its maintenance/evolution in relation totraffic volumes. The toll consists of three components: the average tariff (Euro/km)
pertaining to concessionaire companies, an additional fee (Euro/km) to the ANAS S.p.A.
(the Italian Roads and Motorways National Company) fixed by the Law as well as VAT.
The tolls are supposed to recover investment costs, including renewal, modernisation,
innovation and operation, and also to properly remunerate the investors.
Tariffs are not freely determined but are constrained to specific levels, fixed in theconcession agreements between the State and the concessionaire companies and related
to the relevant financial plans. Therefore these agreements regulate the average toll,differentiated by type of vehicle, for each section of the motorway depending on its
characteristics (i.e. mountain section) and on the specific investments.
The concessionaire company proposes tariff changes according to the elements provided
by the contract, but it is the Government which, after specific assessments, approves or
not the requested changes, setting the new tariff level by decree of the Ministry of
Infrastructure and Transport in agreement with the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
In implementation of Directive 2006/38 and Directive 2011/76, the differentiation of roadinfrastructure charges to reduce air pollution (differentiation by Euro category of thevehicles) will be introduced at the time of renewal of concessions, and for new tollingsystems, as the existing concessions are exempted from this requirement by
the European legislation.

10

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

Table 4. Inventory of applicable taxes and charges in 2012
User Charges
Tolls + User
charges on a
distance/
weight basis

Vehicle taxes

Fuel excise
dutiesAustria√√

Belgium√√

Bulgaria√√

Czech Republic√√

Denmark√√

Estonia√√

Finland√√France√√√Germany√√√

Greece√√Hungary√√

Ireland√√

Country

Vignettes√
Eurovignette√
Eurovignette

Bridge tolls

Highway vignette

Italy

√

√

Latvia√√Lithuania√√

Luxembourg√√

Eurovignette

Netherlands√√

Eurovignette

Norway√√Tunnel tolls etc.

Poland√√√Portugal√√√

Romania√√√

Tunnel toll

Russia√√√Slovakia

√

√

√

√

√

√

√

√

Sweden√√Switzerland

√

√

√

United Kingdom√√

Urban tolls

Slovenia
Spain

Eurovignette

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

Urban toll

11

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

4. NET TAXATIONAs the countries in the study do not all impose the same types of charges, comparing
levels of a specific tax in isolation gives no indication of the impact of differences
between the levels of that tax on hauliers. Therefore, in order to allow for comparisons,the following presents total charges per standardised domestic haul (for a description of
the methodology used, see Chapter 2).
The net amount of charges paid on a standard domestic haul within the country ofregistration in selected years is presented in Figure 1. The results show significant
differences in the size of the overall charge between countries. On average, a haulage
company pays 84 EUR per haul within the country of registration. The lowest levels of
charges are in Romania, Latvia and Lithuania where a national company pays 44 EUR fora standard domestic haul. Hauliers in the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Germany,
Austria and Switzerland are charged 100 EUR or more for undertaking a comparable haul
within their own country. The introduction in Switzerland of a new distance/
weight-based user charge in 2001 (Redevance poids-lourds liée aux prestations, RPLP)
resulted in a large change in net charges paid.
Figure 1. Net amount of charges paid on a standard domestic haul (Euros)
400

Total charges per haul (A/40t/400km)

300

200

100

0

Average 2012

AT BE BG CH CZ DE DK ES ET FI FR GB GR HU IR IT LT LU LV MT NL NO PL PT RO RU SE SI SK
2000

12

2006

2012

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

Box. Sensitivity analysis of results
Assumptions regarding the standard domestic haul can have a significant impact on thecalculation of the net amount of charges paid by country of registration. To illustrate this,a second scenario is presented in the figure below. The standard haul is set here to
200 kilometres. For countries with tolls, toll roads are set to account for half the haul(100 kilometres). The shorter haul reduces somewhat net charges for countries withtolls.
Figure. Net amount of charges paid on a standard domestic haul(alternative scenario 200 km)

Total charges per haul (A/40t/400km)

400

300

200

100
Average 20120

AT BE BGCH CZ DE DK ES ET FI FR GBGR HU IR IT LT LU LV MT NL NO PL PT RORU SE SI SK

The choice of route can also have an important effect on results. For example, the choiceof the trans-alpine route affects results significantly. The following figure presents transit
fees through Switzerland (Basel-Chiasso) compared with two alternative routes via
France (Lyon-Santhià) and Austria (Wörgl-Verona). It shows that although the averageamount of charges paid on a standard domestic haul in our calculations for Switzerland ishigh, route-specific charges have a more significant impact for trans-alpine traffic.

Euros

Figure. Transit fees at alternative trans-alpine routes
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Lyon-Santhià

Basel-Chiasso

Wörgl-Verona

Source: Confédération Suisse (2012).

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

13

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXESAll countries except Estonia levy a nationality-based charge (vehicle ownership taxes).
However, the share of these national charges in total charges for a domestic haul isrelatively small, being highest in Ireland at 18% of the total. The largest share of overall
tax revenue is collected from the weakly territorial charges (fuel excise duties) in most of
the countries except for Czech Republic, Austria and Russia where tolls or distance based
charges are the major part of the taxation (Figure 2). This clearly emphasizes theimportance of fuel excise duties in the overall charges and taxes for the road hauliers.
Figure 2. Territorial structure of taxation according to share of fees paid on
domestic haul in 2012

National charges

Weakly territorial charges

Moderately territorial charges

Strongly territorial charges

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

AT BE BG CH CZ DE DK ES ET FI FR GBGR HU IR IT LT LU LV MT NL NO PL PT RO RU SE SI SK

Earlier work (ECMT, 2005) examined the fairness and complexity of taxation ininternational haulage. The report focussed on non-discrimination as a basis for efficientinternational haulage markets. It emphasized abolishing transit charges and reducing theweight and complexity of nationality-based taxes, replacing them with territorial charges:
tolls, km-charges or vignette-type charges (with the option to purchase vignettes at adaily rate).
A number of potentially discriminatory taxes and transit charges have been abolishedover recent years. Evolution of the territorial structure of taxation (Figure 3) further
suggests a shift to territorially based charges, especially in the form of km-charges or
tolls for the use of infrastructure.

14

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

Figure 3. Evolution of territorial structure of taxation in selected countries

Tolls + user charges (strongly territorial charges)
Fuel excise duties (weakly territorial charges)

Vingettes (moderately territorial charges)
Vehicle charges (national charges)

Austria

Czech Republic

100%

100%

80%

80%

60%

60%

40%

40%

20%

20%

0%

1998

2001

2004

2006

2012

0%

1998

2001

Denmark
100%

80%

80%

60%

60%

40%

40%

20%

20%

1998

2001

2004

2006

2012

0%

1998

2001

100%

100%

80%

80%

60%

60%

40%

40%

20%

20%

1998

2001

2004

2006

2012

0%

1998

2001

100%

100%

80%

80%

60%

60%

40%

40%

20%

20%

1998

2001

2004

2006

2012

0%

1998

2001

Spain
100%

80%

80%

60%

60%

40%

40%

20%

20%

1998

2001

2004

2006

2012

2004

2006

2012

2004

2006

2012

2006

2012

Switzerland

100%

0%

2004

Poland

Italy

0%

2012

Hungary

Germany

0%

2006

France

100%

0%

2004

2006

2012

0%

1998

2001

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

2004

15

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXESThe net amount of charges paid per vehicle kilometre average 0.20 EUR per vehicle
kilometre with relatively little variation between countries except for few exceptions .The
highest charges are collected in Switzerland (0.61 EUR/vkm) and the lowest in Bulgaria,
Luxembourg, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania (0.11 EUR/vkm). In terms of charges per
tonne kilometre, the average net amount paid is 0.005 EUR/tkm.
Figure 4. Net amount of charges paid on t-km and v-km basis (domestic haul,
2012)
vkm

Euros/vkm

Euros/tkm (40 t)

tkm
0.03001.0
0.9

0.02500.8
0.7

0.02000.6
0.5

0.01500.4
0.01000.3
0.2

0.0050

0.1
0.0

16

AT BE BG CH CZ DE DK ES ET

FI FR GB GR HU IR

IT

LT LU LV MT NL NO PL PT RO RU SE

SI SK

0.0000Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

5. TAXES AND CHARGES IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND THE UNITED STATESIn order to compare European taxes and charges for HGVs with a few non-European
countries, preliminary information on taxes and charges in Australia, Canada and theUnited States has been collected.
Ownership or registration tax
Ownership or registration tax varies significantly in the countries reviewed. In the UnitedStates, motor vehicle registration rules and fees vary from state to state. The registration
fee may be a flat fee or based on a car’s weight, age or value (or a combination ofthese). The vehicle ownership tax varies from 90 EUR/year in Wyoming to 2 100 EUR/
year in Illinois (FHWA, 2008). It should be noted that the classification of HGVs is also
different from Europe.
There is no federal vehicle tax scheme in Canada but the provinces have their own
vehicle ownership tax schemes. To illustrate, in Nova Scotia a haulier pays a Heavy
Commercial Motor Vehicle Fee of 1 775 EUR/year (40 tonne HGV), in New Brunswick anannual registration fee of up to 2 400 EUR/year while in Ontario the haulier is responsible
for a Heavy Commercial Vehicle Validation Fee of 2 600 EUR/year for a 63-tonne vehicle.
There are substantial variations between states also in Australia. The annual registration
fee for the equivalent of a European HGV is 1 425 EUR/year in Western Australia,
3 650 EUR/year in Victoria and 4 050 EUR/year in the Northern Territories. It should be
noted that several states permit considerably larger vehicles than 40 tonne HGVs, up toand exceeding 100 tonnes. The Australian vehicle tax regime has recently beenreformed. The 2013 Heavy Vehicle National Law is intended to overcome jurisdictionalinconsistencies between states and streamline heavy vehicle regulatory functions throughone coordinated approach. However, the new law also has different tax levels fordifferent states.
Net fuel tax
The American Petroleum Institute uses a weighted average of local taxes by population ofeach municipality to come up with an average tax for the entire state. Similarly, thenational average is weighted by population of each state. Because the states with thehighest taxes also have higher populations, only about a third of the states are above theaverage.
According to the Institute’s calculations, the average diesel fuel tax in the United Statesis 0.11 EUR/litre, significantly lower than the European average 0.41 EUR/litre. Thistax (54.4 US cents/US gallon) includes a uniform federal tax of 24.4 US cents/US gallon.
There are substantial variations between states. The combined local, state and federal
tax diesel fuel tax is: Oklahoma and Wyoming 0.07 EUR/litre; California 0.15 EUR/litre;
Connecticut 0.16 EUR/litre. In addition to these, there may be state sales taxes similar to
the European VAT but at lower levels.

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

17

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXESIn 2008, the US federal diesel tax raised approximately EUR 6.4 billion and the gasoline(petrol) tax EUR 15.7 billion. This tax was last raised in 1993, and is not indexed toinflation. The federal petrol tax has therefore experienced a cumulative loss in purchasing
power since 1993. According to the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure
Financing Commission, an increase of 0.02 EUR/litre (10 US cents/gallon) would bringapproximately EUR 15 billion of annual revenue into the US Federal Highway Trust Fund.
As a comparison, it can be mentioned that the US spent nearly EUR 230 billion forimported oil in 2008.
In Canada the federal diesel tax is uniformly 0.03 EUR/litre. In addition to the federal tax
there are: Provincial excise tax, Goods and Services Tax (5-15%) and in two provinces a
Local excise tax. These taxes make the provincial variations even greater than in the
United States. The total federal and provincial diesel taxes are 0.09 EUR/litre in Yukon,
0.19 EUR/litre in Quebec and 0.27 EUR/litre in Vancouver. The Federal Government of
Canada collects about EUR 5 billion per year in various taxes on gasoline (petrol), diesel
and aviation fuel.
In Australia, the federal diesel tax, including the Goods and Services Tax, varies between
0.29 and 0.31 EUR/litre. The lower rate (ultra-low sulphur) is the same as for unleaded
petrol. In 2012, Australia has introduced a carbon tax but this does not apply totransport fuels.
Other taxes and charges
In the United States, the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) applies to highway motor
vehicles having taxable gross weights of 25 metric tonnes (55 000 pounds) or more,
including trucks, truck tractors (HGV) and buses. The tax information refers to the
Nation's Highway Programs and Levelling the Playing Field. The tax does not apply tovehicles that are used for a distance of 8 000 km (5 000 miles) or less. The tax amounts
to 410 EUR/year but a wide range of exceptions apply; for instance, for Federal
Government vehicles and Mass Transportation Authorities. Finally, a tyre sales tax which
depends on the weight of the vehicle and for a 40-tonne HGV this may amount to625 EUR.
The United States has several thousand toll roads varying from short urban stretches,tunnels and bridges to roads covering entire states. High-Occupancy Toll Lanes (HOT)exist in many areas. Subsequently, the toll systems and levels are very different. Cashflat payments for a certain section are still common although some electronic payment
systems do exist. Most widespread is the E-Zpass, an electronic toll-collection systemused on most tolled roads, bridges and tunnels in the Northeastern United States.
However, there are no GPS-based charging systems in place today like those in Europe.
Relevant comparisons with European tolls are difficult but a 225-km trip for a five-axle
HGV on the Ohio turnpike costs 0.09 EUR/km (cash) or 0.07 EUR/km (electronic
payment), much lower than most European tolls.
Canada has, apart from a few tolled bridges, only a limited number of toll roads. One
rare example is the 107-km 407 Highway in Ontario, where the charges vary between
0.42 – 0.56 EUR/km depending on the time of day.
In Australia, there are mainly short urban toll roads and toll bridges. The fees are
relatively high compared with other countries (1.50 EUR/km for an HGV on a Sydneyurban motorway).

18

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

6. CONCLUSIONS

The inventory of taxes and other charges levied in 2012 on road haulage in European
countries shows differences in the charges paid for standard domestic hauls and rather
different fiscal patterns associated with these charges, although the general trend showssome convergence of the main fiscal charges. Fuel taxes remain the largest charge in theoverall mix of charges and taxes levied on road hauliers.
In Europe, the Eurovignette for unlimited operations each year was introduced in 1999 in
12 countries. This charging system is now on its way out and remains in force only in fivecountries. Increasingly, countries are introducing distance-based charging systems where
the distance operated is tracked by on-board units, in some cases by satellite-based
systems. Countries with older toll booth systems continue to expand their toll road
networks. These developments are in line with the recommendation to abolish
discriminatory charges by reducing the weight of national-based taxes and replacing
them with territorial charges.
Directive 2011/76/EU on HGV charging requires that EU Member States (as well as
Norway) shall implement this Directive by 16 October 2013. The Directive sets common
rules on distance-related tolls and time-based user charges (still called vignettes) for
heavy goods vehicles (above 3.5 tonnes) for the use of certain infrastructure. These rules
stipulate that the cost of constructing, operating and developing infrastructure can be
paid through tolls and vignettes levied on road users. The Directive permits but does not
require charging for external costs such as air pollution, congestion and noise, subject tocertain limits. Countries surveyed for this report did not report any need to adjust
charges as a result of the Directive.

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

19

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ACEA (2102), ACEA Tax Guide 2012, European Automobile Manufacturers Association.
ASECAP (2012), ASECAP Statistical Bulletin 2012, Association Européenne professionnelle
des concessionnaires d’autoroutes et d’ouvrages a péage.
CEMT (2005), Phasing out discriminatory charges in international road haulage,
conclusions and recommendations, CEMT Council of Ministers, CEMT/CM(2005)5.
Confédération Suisse (2102), Fair and efficient, The Distance-related Heavy Vehicle Fee(HVF) in Switzerland, Federal Office for Spatial Development, 2012.
CTS (2012), Impacts of different environmentally differentiated truck charges on
mileage, fleet composition and emissions in Germany and Sweden, Centre for Transport
Studies Working Paper September 2012.
Delft (2007), Handbook on estimation of external costs in the transport sector (IMPACT),Report to the European Commission, DG TREN 2007
EC (2003), Council Directive 2003/96/EC of 27 October 2003 restructuring theCommunity framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity (Text with EEA
relevance).
EC (2011), Directive 2011/76/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27
September 2011 amending Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods
vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures.
ECMT (2003). Reforming Transport Taxes, Paris.
Ecosys (2008), working files for the ECMT database.
EREG (2012), Road Pricing in Europe, Association of European Vehicle and Driver
Registration Authorites.
NEA (2010), Driving Restrictions for Heavy Goods Vehicles in the European Union, Reportto the European Commission, DG MOVE 2010.

20

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXESANNEX 1. DATA TABLES

Table A1. Vehicle taxes (EUR/year)
Country

1998

2000

2005

2008

2012

Austria

2,747

2,747

2,962

1,500

Belgium

823

818

870

845

Bulgaria
Czech Republic

1,752
845
1,390

1,219

1,301

1,613

1,036

2,020

335

337

537

537

926

Finland

2,015

2,015

2,015

2,015

1,233

France

707

707

600

600

932

Germany

1,790

1,790

1,523

929

929

495

672

1,162

1,475

802

697

722

731

Denmark
Estonia

GreeceHungary

1,320

Ireland
Italy

852
4,833

Latvia825
543

Lithuania

571

771

Luxembourg

705

Malta
Netherlands

955

940

975

1,089

1,152

Norway

731

1,136

1,291

1,384

1,591

Poland

580

690

1,102

1,139

750

Portugal

424

424

514

627

941

Romania

1,210

Russia787

Slovakia

1,533

2,471

Slovenia
Spain

605

605

714

748

900

Sweden

2,203

2,203

2,083

2,001

1,093

Switzerland

2,063

2,063

2,135

2,033

3,800

United Kingdom

1,876

4,101

1,725

1,990

2,283

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

21

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

Table A2. Net fuel taxes (EUR/litre)Country

1998

2000

2005

2008

2012

Austria

0.28

0.28

0.30

0.36

0.40

Belgium

0.29

0.29

0.34

0.31

0.43

Bulgaria

0.32

Czech Republic

0.20

0.24

0.38

0.36

0.44

Denmark

0.32

0.32

0.41

0.41

0.44

Estonia

0.39

Finland

0.26

0.26

0.27

0.27

0.47

France

0.37

0.34

0.39

0.39

0.43

Germany

0.32

0.38

0.47

0.47

0.47

GreeceHungary

0.41
0.28

0.31

0.34

0.32

Ireland
Italy

0.39
0.50

0.39

0.28

0.40

0.40

0.44

Latvia0.33

Lithuania

0.30

Luxembourg

0.30

Malta

0.38

Netherlands

0.29

0.33

0.36

0.38

0.43

Norway

0.46

0.50

0.42

0.49

0.50

Poland

0.15

0.22

0.33

0.36

0.39

Portugal

0.27

0.25

0.31

0.36

0.37

Romania

0.31

Russia0.11

Slovakia

0.37

Slovenia

0.36

Spain

0.26

0.27

0.29

0.30

0.33

Sweden

0.29

0.32

0.37

0.41

0.51

Switzerland

0.47

0.49

0.49

0.49

0.63

United Kingdom

0.66

0.80

0.69

0.74

0.72

22

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

Table A3. Time based charges (EUR/year)
Country

1998

2000

2005

Austria

1,214

1,214

Belgium

1,224

1,250

2008

1,250

2012

1,067

1,250

Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark

115

354

443

1,250

1,250

1,251

1,251

1,250

1,250

1,250

39

39

766

762

835

Estonia
FinlandFranceGermany
GreeceHungary
IrelandItaly
LatviaLithuania

43754

Luxembourg

1,250

Malta
Netherlands

1,250

1,250

1,250

1,250

512

512

512

525

Sweden

1,233

1,359

1,250

1,210

Switzerland

3,689

3,850

1,250

NorwayPolandPortugal
Romania
RussiaSlovakia
Slovenia
Spain
1,250

United Kingdom

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

23

ROAD HAULAGE CHARGES AND TAXES

Table A4. Tolls and distance based charges (EUR/km)
Country
Austria

1998

2000
0.15

2005
0.15

2008
0.27

2012
0.36

0.35

0.16

0.26

0.21

0.22

0.20

0.12

0.16

0.18

Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
FinlandFrance0.17

0.16

Germany
GreeceHungary

0.19

0.19

0.09

0.09

0.12

0.12

0.13

0.06

0.06

1.63

1.57

-

0.02

0.09

0.09

0.09

0.19

0.19

0.09

IrelandItaly
LatviaLithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
NorwayPolandPortugal
Romania
Russia*0.09

Slovakia

0.19

Slovenia

0.22

Spain

0.16

0.16

0.15

0.18

0.17

0.017

0.016

0.0185

SwedenSwitzerland**
United Kingdom* There were 430 km of toll roads in Russian Federation in 2012. For federal roads, the Ministry of Transport
has limited tolls for 0.038 EUR/km but for concession roads there are no such limitations. The length of toll road
network is planned to increase up to 3044 km by 2015.
** Switzerland EUR / km / weight.

24

Hylén, Kauppila, Chong — Discussion Paper 2013-8 — © OECD/ITF 2013

International Transport Forum
2 rue André Pascal
75775 Paris Cedex 16
itf.contact@oecd.org
www.internationaltransportforum.org