I took the car off the road — does the tax stop too?
No — taking the car off the road does not stop the tax. This is the most expensive misunderstanding surrounding the old car in the yard. When a vehicle is taken off the road, the registration plates stay with you and the car continues to exist in the system as your property — so the municipality keeps charging the vehicle tax. The tax stops only when the registration is terminated: you go to the traffic police with the plates, declare the reason, and the car is struck off. From then on, no tax is due from the month following the termination. Note: to strike the car off, the police require a certificate that the tax is paid as at the date of the application — so old liabilities must be settled first.
📋 The rules
- Off the road: the plates stay with you
- The tax keeps accruing
- The tax stops on termination of the registration
- Termination: the plates go back to the traffic police
- A certificate of paid tax is required to strike the car off
🔓 Exceptions
- On scrapping, the car is struck off and the tax stops at once
- A vehicle with a terminated registration needs no third-party cover either
- Scrapping requires a certificate of destruction from a licensed centre
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Unpaid vehicle tax is a public debt: interest accrues and it is enforced — with attachment of bank accounts and wages. The more practical bind is different: without a certificate of paid tax the police will not terminate the registration, and without termination the tax keeps running — a closed circle in which the old car costs you money every year. Do not forget third-party insurance either: for a registered vehicle it is compulsory even if the car never moves, and the cameras detect the uninsured and cancel the registration automatically.
📎 Official sources
- lex.bg · Local Taxes and Fees Act →
- Ministry of the Interior · Vehicle registration →
- National Revenue Agency · Vehicle tax →
❓ Frequently asked
Is tax due on a car that is off the road?
Yes. Taking a car off the road does not end the tax — the plates stay with you and the car remains yours in the system, so the municipality goes on charging.
When does the tax stop?
On termination of the registration. From then, no tax is due from the month following the termination. The plates go back to the police and the car is struck off.
What do I need to strike the car off?
The registration plates, a declaration of the reason, and a certificate that the vehicle tax is paid as at the date of the application. Without it the police will not proceed.
How is scrapping different?
On scrapping the car is struck off for good and the tax stops. It requires a certificate of destruction from a licensed centre, and the car cannot be put back on the road.
Do I need insurance for a car that is off the road?
If the registration has not been terminated, yes. Third-party cover is compulsory for every registered vehicle, even one that never moves.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “car off the road tax bulgaria”
- “terminate vehicle registration plates bulgaria”
- “scrapping a car tax stops bulgaria”
- “certificate of paid tax deregistration”
- “insurance for car off the road bulgaria”
- “certificate of destruction bulgaria”