If you have road vehicles transported on railroad tracks using freight transport, you can have the vehicle tax refunded under certain conditions. Whether and how much the refund is depends on the number of journeys within 12 months and the distance traveled.

Reimbursement of vehicle tax

The tax for the vehicle being transported

• must be paid regularly in advance,
• cannot be deferred due to expected refunds and
• can only be refunded if you have submitted an application within 5 years. Otherwise the claim is time-barred.

You can also apply for reimbursement of the tax-relevant trailer surcharge, regardless of whether the vehicle was transported by rail alone or with a trailer.

The following applies to the refund and payment period:

• The refund period is 12 months.
• This must coincide with the start of the payment period, i.e. the period for which you pay tax on the vehicle.
• As the vehicle owner, you can determine which payment period the decisive 12 months should begin with.
• Several refund periods do not have to follow each other seamlessly. This means that there can be any amount of time between individual refund periods.
• If your vehicle is permanently or temporarily immobilized, you have the option of applying for a tax refund for a shorter period.

It is irrelevant for the refund whether

• the vehicle was transported loaded or empty,
• all or only part of the journey was made by rail.