The car tax, the car tax on vehicle ownership, from 2026 it changes face. With the approval of the 17th implementing decree of the tax reform by the Council of Ministers, a simplification arrives that promises to streamline the relationship between citizens and administration, but which also brings substantial changes for those who will buy a new car starting from that year. changes will not affect vehicles already registered, but only the new ones, registered from 1 January 2026 onwards.
Car tax 2026: stop to installments
The most important change concerns the payment method: From 2026 the car tax will have to be paid all at once. It then comes the possibility of dividing the amount into monthly or half-yearly installments has been abolished, an option that until now was available in several Italian regions. The payment deadline will be linked to the month of the first registration of the vehicle, and this reference will remain valid for subsequent years. In concrete terms, anyone who registers a car in March will have to pay the tax by the end of April, and then every year by the end of that month.
Car tax 2026: unchanged calculation, but more uniform rules
Il stamp duty calculation system does not change. The amount will continue to depend on the power of the vehicle, expressed in kilowatts, and the environmental class it belongs to. The regional competence in managing the tassa. In fact, the Regions will establish the rates, any exemptions and the benefits provided for, for example for electric, hybrid, methane or LPG vehicles. The collection will also be managed exclusively by the Region of residence of the owner of the vehicle.
Used vehicles, administrative seizures and super tax
Remain in effect the rule according to which, in transfers of ownership, The person who is the registered owner of the vehicle is required to pay the stamp duty to the Public Automobile Registry (Pra) on the first day of the tax period. This period corresponds to 12 months starting from the month of registration, with expiry set on the last day of the following month.
However, the rules on vehicles subject to administrative seizure are changing. Until now, based on a 2017 ruling by the Constitutional Court, no road tax was due for cars no longer in circulation due to serious violations of the Highway Code. From 2026, this exemption will be abolished and therefore even vehicles subject to seizure will have to regularly pay the road tax.
However, the so-called does not change super stamp, that is, the additional tax foreseen for the most powerful cars, with engines above 185 kW. Despite the hypotheses of revision or abolition that have emerged in past years, the super tax will remain in force with the current modalities.
Car tax 2026: a simplification that weighs on taxpayers
The reform is part of a broader plan of rationalization of the tax system, but it also introduces a change that will have an impact on motorists' wallets. The payment in one solution, if on the one hand it simplifies bureaucratic and fiscal management, on the other it imposes a larger annual outlay, just when you are already facing the costs associated with purchasing a new car.
