VED havens
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• German hauliers are following the example of shipping companies and registering trucks abroad so they can run on "number plates of convenience."
At the root of the problem are the huge differences in tax rates between EC countries which the Brussels Eurocrats have so far been unable to harmonise.
In Germany, the road tax on a 40-tonner is about £3,500, compared with about £300 in Portugal.
But the Germans don't need to go far for tax savings — many firms are registering their fleets just over the border in Luxembourg where the annual road tax is only £450.
Haulier Robert Fehrenkoetter plans to register half his 90vehicle fleet in Luxembourg. He calculates the annual saving to be about £70,000.
Dr Adolf Zobel of Germany's hauliers' association BDF says: "More and more German transport companies are fleeing abroad. We can understand why."