When ownership of hobby cars changes, it is often the case that no money changes hands and the vehicles are simply exchanged. Nevertheless, both new owners are required to pay a hefty registration fee.
The car tax introduced this year has added significant extra costs to car swaps, which are common among hobby car owners.
Erkki Ots, head of Bassadone Baltic, told ERR that it is often customary for hobby cars to be swapped after two or three years of tinkering and driving. While owners may want something new, selling such vehicles outright can be difficult. Today, a substantial registration fee must be paid for both vehicles during a swap, often causing the deal to fall through.
Cars over 20 years old are typically only used in the summer, as they are unsuitable for Estonia’s winters. However, swapping these cars also incurs a registration fee, which Ots described as completely unreasonable.
“If you have a hobby car in Finland, there is a special system that allows you to pay a partial car tax if you stick to a limited number of days of use and mileage,” he explained. “If I have a 1960s American car with a six-liter engine, I can’t even drive it in winter due to its age. Yet they slapped the full fee on these cars too.”
More read: ERR.EE
