The Right say large car tax arrears a sign of growing alienation from state

TALLINN - According to recent data, more than 23,000 people in Estonia have not paid the car tax introduced from this year. The total unpaid amount -- over 1.8 million euros -- is not merely a financial issue but a warning sign of a dangerous trend in which people are losing trust in their state, The Right party argues in a press release published on Wednesday.

"People in Estonia have had an exceptionally strong tax discipline for decades. Taxes have been paid because the majority of society believed the state was a fair partner. Now that trust is rapidly eroding," said Kadri Kullman, deputy chair of The Right. "Not paying the car tax is not yet a rebellion, but it is a growing sign of disappointment."

The average unpaid amount -- 77 euros per person -- is not particularly large, which suggests that at least some of the non-payment is intentional.

"If tens of thousands of people are refusing to pay, we must ask -- why? The answer lies in the government's behavior: successive tax hikes, outright lies, and a lack of clear purpose," Kullman said.

"The car tax arrears are a symptom. The real diagnosis is that people in Estonia increasingly fail to understand what is going on in the country, what they are paying for, and why they have to pay so much -- all while the central government continues to inflate spending," she added.

So far, despite promises, the government has not seriously addressed the need to cut central government expenditures. This year alone, costs will rise by nearly 500 million euros due to the automatic increase -- or indexation -- of various social benefits. Adding to public frustration is the fact that only 27 percent of the tax revenue collected under the banner of national security actually reaches national defense, that is, the budget of the Defense Ministry.

"This is not sustainable governance. We must stop the unchecked growth in spending and abandon indexation," said Kullman.

"The government needs to cut its expenses. The biggest savings can be found within the area of administration of the Ministry of Social Affairs, whose budget already makes up 41 percent of the entire state budget," the deputy chair of The Right, a party with no seats in parliament, said.