Road tax Schaffhausen cantonal council redefines vehicle tax

The Schaffhausen Cantonal Council approved a new calculation model for road tax on Monday: The tax will be calculated annually and will apply to vehicles with combustion engines as well as those with electric or other drive systems. The voters have the final say.

The amount of cantonal revenue for road maintenance is not to change - a total of CHF 14.5 million is to be received annually as in 2022. The Cantonal Council removed the automatic adjustment of the amount in line with inflation from the draft. Instead, it gave itself the authority to adjust the amount itself if necessary.

The cantonal council approved the corresponding amendment to the almost 60-year-old law on road traffic tax in the second reading by 39 votes to 18 with one abstention. The Schaffhausen electorate will decide on the bill at the ballot box.

Weight, engine capacity and performance count

The model revised by the Cantonal Council after a long debate provides for a road tax that is now dependent on the unladen weight, engine capacity and power in kW or PS of the vehicle.

It would therefore apply to all vehicles regardless of their drive system, stated the responsible cantonal councillor Martin Kessler (FDP). As it correlates with CO2 emissions, this is a small step on the long road to climate neutrality.

On the left, the changes were generally well received: The old law is now really in need of revision, said Matthias Freivogel (SP), for example. The commission had brought together the best from various cantons. Serious work had been done.

The changes met with little enthusiasm on the middle-class side. Peter Werner (SVP) stated that the entire formula, which also takes into account the annual number of vehicles, was too complicated. This would be too abstract for the people.

The Road Traffic Office will make an input mask for calculating road tax available on the Internet. The government had already promised this in the first reading in March.

SDA