Car Tax Appeal

[ronrubies]

My apologies for posting yet another aspect of the car tax....

Does anyone have experience appealing a car tax decision by Tulli? What works and what does not? Does a call from a family friend who is a government minister help, or would it be inappropriate?

Background: My wife and I are not contesting the car value, rather Tulli is not allowing the car tax credit. Tulli now claims we did not have the car for 6 months (1 week short) based on when the movers picked up the car, though this contradicts advice given over the phone many months ago. [Note: to Tulli's credit, because the this is a questionable interpretation, Tulli waived customs duties. ]

Thanks for any guidance,
Ron (and Paivi)

[Guest]

Since when is the car property dated on when the movers pick it up?
You have proof of acquiring the car, I assume?
The date on that bill counts for the date when the car was purchased by you.

[Hank W.]

Well,

If I knew any such, of course I'd use the minister card -
<start evil rant>
...but ask him to explain to you why he needs the money - they are the idiots who implement these leeching taxes to screw the common people out of their money in the first place. He and his ilk are the reason I'm looking for a way to leave this tax paradise where people who know them can get corrupt favors while they only sit and get rich and I struggle to keep a 1987 car on the road and they still want tax on it. They just sit in their big Mercedes and laugh at us common people who struggle to keep a positive balance on the bank account, and give money to cat-killers in Kiasma, they raise the taxes and then raise their own salaries, and they need a new Mercedes so they save a bit and close the mental hospitals and old folks homes, problems solved...
<end evil rant>
- what, animosity towards politicians... never!

The Customs is notorious of having different opinions even at different stations, so you definitely need to make an appeal, and then take it to appeals court and maybe in 10 years they might make a decision. Now if the car is from outside the EU it might be somewhat difficult as from within the EU the 6 months time has been contested but I am not sure from outside. So appeal. They have a backlog so it might take time. There is an option to go higher and higher, but every round takes time, and logging a complaint costs. As Arno said, its the date of purchase; but I think they look at the time as "on the road" - remember the motorcycles, winter and the 2 year rule?

Hopefully you have a lawyer in the family too - battling with Customs is an ordeal I want to avoid, been there, done that, paid 2 grand tax for a car worth 1 000...

[ronrubies]

Since when is the car property dated on when the movers pick it up?

We have evidence of when we purhcased the used car, and this is the date when the minimum 6 months' use begins. Tulli [Helsinki] is saying that the use period ends when the movers took the car, rather than when we arrived in Finland or even when the car left the US.

If I knew any such, of course I'd use the minister card -
The Customs is notorious of having different opinions even at different stations, so you definitely need to make an appeal, and then take it to appeals court and maybe in 10 years they might make a decision.

Good advice. We will appeal, and use whatever influence might be available. -- The luck of knowing a government minister comes from the very small probablibility that someone from my wife's very small town in Keski Suomi actually is one. However, once that small probability is realized, we have the 100% probability that everyone in the town knows each other.

Thank you both for the quick response.

--Ron

[Hank W.]

Yes, now the question probably is on the interpretation of "in your personal use" or "in your personal possession". I'll see if I can dig up a precedent from higher court or a customs decision, but I haven't been about and around that database for a while.

And yes, I know the "everyone knows everyone" thing of small towns.

BTW there is only one option to get the car on the road - pay the tax. (You can't appeal some decisions until after you pay) Otherwise you need to garage it well. Problem is where you store it, as if it takes 3-4 years the car will blow its electrics and stuff when taken on the road again.