Lowering the basic vehicle tax
Act amending the annex to the Vehicle Tax Act
The basic vehicle tax on passenger cars and vans will be reduced, with the reduction weighted towards low-emission vehicles. The tax on cars emitting more than 200 grams per kilometre and cars taxed on the basis of weight will remain unchanged.
- Status
- Passed
- Submitted
- 4 Oct 2018
- Latest event
- 28 Nov 2018
- Votes
- 2
- Speeches
- 34
- Confirmed
- 5 Dec 2018
- Statute
- 1071/2018
- Source
- eduskunta.fi ↗
What is proposed
The tax tables in the annex to the Vehicle Tax Act will be amended so that the basic tax based on carbon dioxide emissions is reduced. The largest reduction is targeted at zero-emission fully electric cars, and the reduction gradually decreases as emissions increase, ending at an emissions level of 200 grams per kilometre.
What it means
Vehicle tax on cars taxed on the basis of emissions will decrease by an average of around 20 euros a year, and the basic tax on fully electric cars will be halved to around 53 euros a year. The change applies to more than 70 per cent of passenger cars and will reduce central government tax revenue by 50 million euros a year and business sector costs by 6–7 million euros. The act will apply to tax levied for days on or after 1 January 2020.
How Parliament voted
2nd reading · 21 Nov 2018Parliament passed the act by 137–20.
Only the Left Alliance and the Greens against. 42 MPs were absent. Minutes ↗
Filled dot = yes, ring = no, grey = absent. The seating plan at the time of this vote is not archived, so MPs are grouped by party in indicative seats.
A passed act does not enter into force immediately: the President of the Republic confirms it, and it enters into force on the date set in the act. This act was confirmed on 5 Dec 2018.
Debate in the chamber
What was argued and where each group stood, followed by MPs' speeches verbatim from the parliamentary record. Speeches are shown in their original language.
34 speeches · 3 debates
Key points of the debate
The debate centred on the climate impacts and regional fairness of the 50 million euros reduction in the basic vehicle tax. The government parties considered the tax cut a necessary helping hand for motorists and businesses, especially in areas with long distances where public transport is not available. The opposition opposed the proposal, arguing that lowering the costs of motoring and extending the tax cut to cars with internal combustion engines runs counter to Finland's climate targets.
- Will the reduction in vehicle tax increase transport emissions contrary to climate targets?
- Should the tax cut be targeted only at fully electric and low-emission cars?
- Is the tax cut on motoring a necessary measure for residents in rural areas and areas with long distances?
- National Coalition PartyIn favour
The party considered the tax cut a justified relief for Finns dependent on motoring and took the view that renewing the vehicle fleet requires a broader tax reform.
”Kun ihmisiä asuu eri paikoissa ja kaikkien etua pitää ajaa, niin sen takia on täysin oikein, että ajoneuvoveroakin on pienennetty.”
— Markku Eestilä - Centre PartyIn favour
The party supported the proposal as a step in the right direction towards lower-emission transport and considered lowering taxes on motoring necessary in a sparsely populated country.
”Tämä autoveropäätös on mielestäni erittäin hyvä ja perusteltu.”
— Hannu Hoskonen - Blue ReformIn favour
The group stressed the importance of lowering taxation on motoring, especially for rural families and businesses in situations where public transport options do not exist.
”Joka tapauksessa tämä esitys on kannatettava, vaikka itse isolla dieselautolla ajavana en tästä mitään hyödykään, mutta joka tapauksessa luonto kiittää.”
— Kari Kulmala - Social DemocratsAgainst
The party took the view that the proposal benefits high-emission cars too much and that tax cuts should only be targeted at genuinely low-emission vehicles to achieve climate targets.
”Hallituksen esityksessä veronkevennyksen paino on siis lievästi vähäpäästöisissä ajoneuvoissa, mutta esitystä ei voi pitää Suomen ilmastotavoitteiden mukaisena.”
— Joona Räsänen - GreensAgainst
The group demanded the rejection of the proposal, as lowering the costs of private motoring increases emissions and works against the set climate targets.
”Me emme missään nimessä voi olla tässä ajassa hyväksymässä tätä esitystä, ja koska tämä on aivan selvästi ilmastotavoitteiden vastainen, esitän tämän lakiesityksen hylkäämistä.”
— Emma Kari - Left AllianceAgainst
The group supported rejecting the proposal, stating that the tax cut on motoring is in conflict with transport emissions reduction targets and the steering effects of taxation.
”Lopuksi, arvoisa puhemies: kannatan edustaja Emma Karin tekemää hylkäysesitystä.”
— Kari Uotila
This digest was generated by AI from 34 speeches 13 Sep 2026. Group positions are read from the speeches, not from votes; quotations were checked verbatim against the record.
Keskustelu päättyi. Asia lähetettiin valtiovarainvaliokuntaan.
Yleiskeskustelu päättyi. Eduskunta hyväksyi hallituksen esitykseen HE 170/2018 vp sisältyvän lakiehdotuksen sisällön mietinnön mukaisena. Lakiehdotuksen ensimmäinen käsittely päättyi.
Keskustelu päättyi ja asian käsittely keskeytettiin.
Stages of consideration
The bill's path from the preliminary debate to the decision, as recorded by Parliament.
- 4 Oct 2018Eduskuntakäsittelyn vireilletulo · Valtiovarainministeriö
- 9 Oct 2018Lähetekeskustelu · Täysistunto
- 9 Nov 2018Valiokunnan mietintö tai lausunto · valtiovarainvaliokunta
- 15 Nov 2018Ensimmäinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 21 Nov 2018Toinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 26 Nov 2018Eduskunnan vastaus ja kirjelmä
Decisions by law proposal1
- 1Laki ajoneuvoverolain liitteen muuttamisestaHyväksytty · 1071/2018 · 5 Dec 2018
Proposed law text
The law proposals in the bill as the Government presented them. The final act may differ after committee consideration.
The law text is shown in Finnish or Swedish from Parliament's official documents; it is not translated into English.
Laki ajoneuvoverolain liitteen muuttamisesta
Eduskunnan päätöksen mukaisesti muutetaan ajoneuvoverolain (1281/2003) liitteen verotaulukko 1 ja 1 A, sellaisina kuin ne ovat, verotaulukko 1 laissa 1482/2015 ja verotaulukko 1 A laissa 571/2018, seuraavasti:
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Tämä laki tulee voimaan päivänä kuuta 20 .
Päivää kohden kannettavan veron määrä lasketaan lain voimaan tullessa voimassa olleiden säännösten mukaisesti 31 päivään joulukuuta 2019.
Main content of the bill (official)
The summary and title were produced with AI on 2 Sep 2026. They are not official documents – check the details in the original bill. The title and summaries are machine translations of the Finnish AI summaries. Speeches and quotations are always shown in their original language.