Vehicle tax in Hungary 2026 – full guide

What is vehicle tax, and why is it called weight tax?

Hungarians still call vehicle tax the weight tax (súlyadó), even though for passenger cars weight has not been the basis for a long time. The name is a leftover from lorries, where own weight genuinely matters. For cars, what counts is engine power and the age of the vehicle.

The tax is payable on every vehicle with a Hungarian registration plate. Since 2021 it has been collected by NAV, the national tax authority, rather than by local councils – so if you remember the old system, do not wait for a municipal payment slip.

Who pays? The 1 January rule

This is the point that causes most arguments when a car is sold, so it is worth understanding precisely. The taxpayer is whoever is listed in the vehicle register as operator on the first day of the year – 1 January 2026. If there is no registered operator, it is the owner.

From this follows the rule that surprises many people: if you sell the car mid-year, the full year's tax is still yours to pay. Even if you sell in January. The tax is not apportioned between the old and new owner, and it does not transfer with the sale.

The buyer pays nothing for that year – they become liable from 1 January of the following year. It is worth clarifying this at the sale, because the misunderstanding is common: many buyers assume the year is theirs to settle.

The reverse is also true: if you buy a car in January, you owe no vehicle tax for that year. The seller pays – regardless of the fact that the car is already with you.

How much is the tax in 2026? The full table

For passenger cars the base is engine power in kilowatts. This is multiplied by a rate that depends on the age of the vehicle – the older the car, the less you pay. NAV indexes the rates annually; in 2026 they rose by 4.3%.

• Year of manufacture and the following 3 calendar years: HUF 375/kW
• Calendar years 4–7 after manufacture: HUF 325/kW
• Calendar years 8–11: HUF 250/kW
• Calendar years 12–15: HUF 205/kW
• From calendar year 16: HUF 150/kW

Take a typical example. A 2018 car with 85 kW is 8 years old in 2026, so it falls in the HUF 250/kW band: 85 × 250 = HUF 21,250 per year.

Another: a 2024 car with 110 kW is 2 years old, so HUF 375/kW: 110 × 375 = HUF 41,250. The same car in ten years' time would be taxed at only HUF 250/kW.

Our vehicle tax calculator gives you the exact figure for your own car in seconds.

Exemptions: electric yes, hybrid only partly

Fully electric (environmentally friendly) vehicles are exempt from vehicle tax. This exemption still applies in 2026.

For plug-in hybrids, however, a change occurred that many owners have not tracked. The date is decisive: plug-in hybrids first registered after 1 January 2025 are no longer exempt. Those registered earlier keep the exemption until the end of 2026. If you bought a new hybrid in 2025 or later, expect a tax bill.

Also exempt are vehicles that regularly transport a severely mobility-impaired or disabled person – but only up to 100 kW of power. This limit matters: on a more powerful car the exemption cannot be applied.

Payment: account number, reference, instalments

The deadline is 15 April 2026, in one payment. Transfer to NAV's domestic vehicle tax revenue account: 10032000-01079160.

One small but important detail: in the reference field put your tax identification number (or company tax number), not the registration plate. If you give the wrong identifier, the payment will not be matched to your tax account and the system will treat it as arrears.

If the full sum is burdensome, private individuals can request up to 5 monthly, penalty-free instalments until 30 June. This relief is essentially automatic; no income assessment is required.

No decision received? There are two possible reasons. Either you are exempt for the whole year – in which case NAV sends no letter. Or it is sitting in your Ügyfélkapu storage and you have not looked. You can check the current balance any time on the NAV tax account, under tax type 410.

Vehicle tax and company car tax are not the same

A common confusion. Vehicle tax applies to every registered vehicle, whether owned by an individual or a company. Company car tax is a separate, additional tax that arises when a passenger car is not owned by a private individual, or when costs are accounted for against it.

The two can run in parallel – but there is an important relief: vehicle tax paid can be deducted from company car tax. We cover this in the company car tax guide.

If you are buying a used car, there is a third item to budget for at re-registration: the acquisition duty. See our car transfer duty article.

Frequently asked questions