The PSD today presented a proposed amendment to the 2024 state budget that eliminates all changes that the government plans to make to the Single Circulation Tax (IUC), one of the first from the social democratic corner.
In the motivation note, PSD representatives state that, if the change becomes a reality, “the government will punish the middle and lower classes, especially citizens with more economic difficulties and for whom it will be difficult to find a newer, less polluting car”.
“If an IUC reform of this nature is to be implemented, it should be preceded by studies and a broad debate and should not be hidden in the state budget”they defend and criticize the government for: “under the cover of environmental concerns”wants to change “substantially changing the assumptions of the tax calculation and promoting a brutal increase in the IUC” for cars registered between 1981 and June 2007 and for motorcycles registered since 1992.
For the PSD, the existence of a petition on this issue has already been signed by more than 350 thousand citizens “should be enough to make the government reconsider and withdraw from its intention to increase the IUC of older vehicles”.
That’s what deputies say “Before 2024, the government proposal includes a limit on the increase in the IUC of 25 euros”but think about that “Nothing guarantees that this limit cannot be abolished in the future, which could lead to disproportionate tax increases”.
“And even if the limit remains, taxpayers will pay 25 euros more every year than the year before until the new IUC value is reached. Here too, the guarantees given by the government, taking into account how these changes are to be pursued, are insufficient to put the Portuguese at ease.”say the deputies.
For this reason, the PSD proposes to delete all changes to the IUC that appear in the OE2024 proposal.
Opening the budget debate in general, Prime Minister António Costa on Monday accused the opposition of trying to scare the Portuguese with the IUC, and countered that there would be an annual brake limiting the increase to a maximum of 25 euros. euros.
“Once again, just like last year, the opposition wants to scare the Portuguese. This time by announcing stratospheric increases – in some cases of around 1000% of the IUC. In a year everyone will know who told the truth.”he said.
The Prime Minister assured that “any citizen who pays his IUC will be able to verify that he will pay, at most, an additional 25 euros during the entire year 2024.”
“And in the next budget debate we will be here again to see that this brake on the 25 euro increase remains in place in 2025, and that the same will happen in each of the following years. In other words, in a year from now, again, when you know who is telling the truth and who just wants to scare the Portuguese”he claimed.
This is a measure from OE2024 that changes the tax rules, in terms of IUC, for category A vehicles registered before 2007 and motorcycles (category E), providing that they are no longer taxed solely on the basis of cylinder capacity. is currently the case) is now considered as the environmental component.
OE2024 was generally approved on Tuesday, with votes in favor from PS and abstentions from PAN and Livre, and the discussion started today in the specialty, with the deadline for parties to submit proposals for changes to the government document ending on November 14.
Source: DN
