Unpaid car tax

I am returning back to the UK in early January and am transfering ownership of my Spainsh plated car to a close friend..

I have had the car for two years and was under the impression that there is no requirement to pay road tax in Spain and that

it was funded by petrol prices instead !  I have since been told that there is a road tax system in place that should be paid yearly.

I regisstered my car at the local trafico office and have never received any payment request during the ownership.

I f I transfer qwnership to my friend, Is he responsible for any unpaid road tax on the vehicle and are the trafic office

likely to pursue payment ? 

The ‘road tax’  circulation tax is imposed by the town hall in the municipality in which the owner is resident.

It is normal that one must know that they must pay the tax, same as IBI, rubbish collected, garage entrance tax etc.

You will not be able to transfer the ownership until the tax has been paid (I believe that includes the year in which the sale takes place, e.g..1st Jan 2012,  the tax for 2012)

 On an occasion when I sold a motorcycle in around March, we had a problem as the tax due for that year was not known by the town hall.

ALSO Do not fail to ensure that the ownership has been transferred to your friend, otherwise you will be legally responsible for the vehicle,  road tax, fines etc  ’for ever.’

 Thanks John,

I bought the car from a registered garage and would have ( wrongly ! ) assumed that I would be contacted if there were any outstanding funds to be paid ! 

Does anyone also happen to know the cost involved ( apart from any unpaid taxes ) in transfering ownership of a vehicle ?

By far the easiest way to make the transfer is by using a GESTOR. 

They are in effect ' people who fill in official  forms'. 

If you ask, preferably one that does not specialise in dealing with non Spaniards, they will give you a price, over the counter.'