Motorists whose cars run on gas will pay the transport tax in full - the government does not seem to be going to zero this fee.
“The implementation of the bill will entail a reduction in the revenue side of the budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as well as road funds,” the government concludes, RIA Novosti reports. Attempts to switch transport to gas fuel have been made for 30 years with varying degrees of success, executive director of the Russian Fuel Union Grigory Sergienko reminds RG.
The topic was first raised in the mid-2000s, and it received full support at the highest level in 2013. Then, by order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 13, 2013, it was ordered to develop a set of measures aimed at expanding the use of gas fuel.
“I think that the decision regarding this tax for cars using gas engine fuel should be made at the regional level, although it is unlikely that anyone will refuse additional income to the budget,” the expert emphasizes.
And he adds that in Russia, about 100 thousand cars out of tens of millions drive on this fuel, and the abolition of the tax is unlikely to make a difference.
At the same time, the expert continues, it is worth proposing certain measures to popularize gas as a fuel for cars.
“You can think about benefits that make driving on gas profitable. For example, they could be various preferences for buyers of a car using such fuel or for those who install equipment on an initially gasoline car. Some kind of environmental payments for gasoline engines, for example, should be introduced, and for gas - do not introduce, this method works successfully in Europe," the expert sums up.
In the meantime, there are several problems that hinder the widespread distribution of gas cars. Firstly, the number of gas stations where you can pump propane or methane into your car is very small. Taking into account the fact that there are no official statistics on this matter, various sources put the figure at 250-270 gas stations throughout the country.
To be fair, it is worth saying that we are referring specifically to gas stations, that is, gas stations where gas is pumped into cylinders; there are no gasoline “guns” on them. At the same time, many small gas stations have long had a tank somewhere on the side where you can pump natural gas into the cylinder of your car. It is clear that there are still not enough refueling places and the tanks are not weatherproof.
The second question is the price. The cost of a set of gas equipment that is installed on a car today fluctuates quite widely. If a domestic kit costs several tens of thousands of rubles, then a foreign one costs about 50 thousand or more. Therefore, of course, such equipment will most quickly pay for itself on route vehicles, and not on personal vehicles.
In January, car manufacturers will raise prices by 3-5 percent.
And this will be just the beginning, predicts automotive expert Igor Morzharetto. The ruble fell by half against the dollar, he explained, and car prices rose by only a quarter. “Therefore, I am sure that the cost of new cars will only increase in 2016,” says the expert. Nevertheless, our market will be updated. New models will come to Russia, but somewhat later than to Europe.”
Car owners whose cars are equipped with gas cylinder installations may be exempt from the mandatory payment of annual transport tax. The proposal to include it in the Tax Code was submitted by LDPR representative Alexander Starovoytov. Such changes, according to the politician, can contribute to a massive transition to a more environmentally friendly type of fuel, which will reduce the emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere, as well as significantly reduce the noise threshold when the car engine is running.
According to the deputy chairman of the transport committee, the new changes will affect both private and legal entities. He also believes that if these changes are approved, they can come into effect on January 1, 2016.
The government has ordered the development of a number of measures to significantly increase the level of use of natural gas as an alternative fuel to gasoline in public transport.
Starovoitov drew attention to the fact that a significant increase in the number vehicles running on natural gas will enable constituent entities of the Russian Federation to reduce budget expenditures due to the low cost of environmentally friendly fuel compared to traditional gasoline. Also, the deputy in the explanations to the bill indicates that these changes will have a positive impact on the creation of new networks of gas filling stations and related infrastructure, which will accordingly ensure a guaranteed transition to gas fuel for individuals and private carriers.
It is worth recalling that last year the Russian Ministry of Energy proposed zeroing out the transport tax for vehicles that use natural gas as fuel. The ministry expressed the opinion that this decision could serve as an additional cost-effective incentive for the transfer of vehicle fleets to vehicles with gas cylinder equipment. However, the project remained only on paper.
The State Duma will soon consider the bill “On the use of alternative types of motor fuel.” According to preliminary data, owners of gas-powered cars, with the permission of the Ministry of Finance, will be provided with a 50% discount on transport tax. The Russian Gas Society (RGS), which compiled the document, has already received disapproval from its main competitors - the oil industry.
“A specially created working group under the Russian Geographical Society has developed proposals for the introduction of a 50 percent payment of transport tax for companies and individuals using gas cars. The proposal requires amendments to the Tax Code, which means discussions with the Ministry of Finance,” the vice president told RBC daily Russian Geographical Society Oleg Zhilin.
By 2011 in Russia, according to government forecasts,
About 50 thousand cars will run on gas, which
10 times less than the German authorities plan
and 20 times less than the figures mentioned for the current year
Japanese.
The document, according to the gas worker, was developed for several years, but oil companies, which benefit from the use of traditional fuel, no longer supported it. The bill “On the use of alternative types of motor fuel” is being prepared for the first reading in the State Duma. “Prior to the adoption of the main law, talk about reducing the transport tax for gas cars at this stage is meaningless,” Zhilin said.
Nevertheless, experts are confident that clearly defined economic mechanisms will be able to stimulate the transition of motorists to gas-powered cars. It is noteworthy that, being an interested party, Gazprom is not actively lobbying the issue of gas cars, since the company’s fuel consumption is already at a sufficient level. As representatives of the corporation note, “a large-scale transfer of vehicles to gas motor fuel is possible only with full government and legal support.”
One of the leading oil companies, LUKOIL, is also not against stimulating the use of gas fuel. “We are very actively building refueling complexes that contain propane-butane mixtures,” company representatives noted to the publication.
According to the head of the analytical department of I2BF Venture Capital, Alexey Belyakov, the installation of gas equipment pays for itself in a year of intensive use, but it is not in wide demand due to a drop in consumer characteristics. “A gas-powered car loses power, it’s difficult to start in cold weather, the equipment is heavy and takes up most of the trunk, and the gas supply infrastructure is underdeveloped. Gas fuel, even in Central Russia, is not sold everywhere. Exemption from 50% tax will most likely radically change the situation will not change,” the expert believes.
Director of the Center for Technical Expertise of the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation FSUE “NAMI” Andrey Vasiliev answers readers’ questions.
I want to install gas equipment on my car. What documents must be submitted to obtain a design inspection report after changes have been made? What are the possible difficulties?
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LPG should be installed in accordance with the requirements of the technical regulations of the Customs Union “On the safety of wheeled vehicles” (TR CU 018/2011).
To receive a protocol of technical examination of the design after making changes to it, you must submit to NAMI:
- application for changes to the design of the vehicle with a resolution from the traffic police;
- a copy of the document for the vehicle (registration certificate, registration certificate);
- a declaration statement on the scope and quality of work (filled out by the service that performed the work) with a technical description of the changes made and the characteristics of the car after the changes were made;
- certificate of the service station that installed the gas equipment;
- a diagnostic card filled out after the conversion and entered into the database of the Unified Automated Information System for Technical Inspection (UAISTO);
- a copy of the preliminary examination report.
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In addition, documents are required for the installed gas equipment:
- copies of certificates of conformity certified by the manufacturer, supplier or seller for individual elements of equipment (according to UNECE Regulations No. 67 or No. 110), as well as for the type of gas cylinder system as a whole for the corresponding family of vehicles (according to UNECE Regulations No. 115);
- passport of a gas cylinder of a wheeled vehicle, issued in a unified form (approved by the decision of the board of the Eurasian Economic Commission dated November 18, 2014 No. 211);
- certificate of periodic testing of gas equipment.
The cylinder passport and the certificate of periodic testing are issued in a single form (approved by the decision of the board of the Eurasian Economic Commission dated November 11, 2014 No. 207), introduced instead of the previously used forms No. 2a and No. 2b. We warn you that some unscrupulous LPG installers offer outdated equipment that does not comply with current safety standards.
I installed a tow bar on my car. Is it necessary to arrange for refurbishment?
You can equip a vehicle with a towing hitch (TCU), for which the manufacturer provides the ability to operate with a trailer. The identification plate placed on the car body indicates the technically permissible maximum weight of the road train if the vehicle can be used to tow a trailer (semi-trailer). When installing a trailer hitch, it is necessary to formalize the changes made to the design. The trailer hitch is subject to mandatory certification, so when purchasing, ask the seller for a copy of the certificate of conformity.
The manufacturer has provided for the possibility of operation with a trailer: the maximum weight of the road train is 2700 kg (left). Operation with a trailer is not provided by the manufacturer (on the right). The manufacturer has provided for the possibility of operation with a trailer: the maximum weight of the road train is 2700 kg (on the left). Operation with a trailer is not intended by the manufacturer (right).
Is it possible to increase the environmental class of a car (from Euro-2 to Euro-4) by replacing the engine or installing additional converters?
Compliance with the environmental class is determined during certification tests of each car model with a specific power unit and its systems. Compliance with environmental standards after replacing a car's engine, power supply or exhaust system components is confirmed only by the results of tests carried out in a specially accredited laboratory (in Russia this is only the Dmitrovsky NAMI test site). The cost of their implementation is comparable to the price of a new car, so this only legal way to improve the environmental class is economically unprofitable.
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My car is more than 20 years old, the engine no longer produces the characteristics declared by the factory. Is it possible to obtain a certificate of power reduction and reduce transport tax?
The tax is levied on the nameplate power of the vehicle, established by the manufacturer at the time of release and declared during certification. The actual power and age of the car are not grounds for reducing taxes.
Installed disc brakes on the rear axle of a VAZ-2110. Do such changes need to be registered with the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate?
Replacing brake mechanisms has safety implications and must be completed in the prescribed manner. Brake system components are also subject to certification, and only certified components are allowed to be installed on a vehicle.
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