The DGT pockets more than 90 million euros a year from the MOT… and the Treasury takes another 133 million in VAT

Passing the MOT has never been cheap. Every driver knows that the appointment at the vehicle technical inspection station means spending, waiting and, very often, an unpleasant surprise. What not everyone knows is that the MOT is also a gigantic money-collecting machine for the State.

We are not just talking about the price of the service itself, but about two items that few look at closely: the fixed fee charged by the Directorate-General of Traffic (DGT) and the VAT applied to the service. Between the two, the State pockets more than 220 million euros every year.

The DGT fee: a fixed charge that adds up to millions

Each inspection carries a mandatory fee of 4.18 euros, entirely allocated to the DGT. It may seem a symbolic amount, but when we multiply it by the 21.8 million inspections carried out in 2022 (AECA-ITV data), the result is staggering:

91.2 million euros flowing directly into the Traffic coffers.

This charge does not distinguish between rich and poor. It makes no difference whether you drive an old 1,000-euro city car or a 100,000-euro luxury vehicle: the payment is identical. A flat fee that becomes a guaranteed massive income.

VAT: the silent bite that almost nobody mentions

The average price of the MOT for petrol passenger cars in Spain is around 39 euros (47 € for diesel, according to FACUA). This figure already includes VAT and the DGT fee, but if we break down the items we discover the scale of the tax business.

The base price, without VAT or fee, is around 29 euros. A 21% VAT is applied to that amount, which equals 6.1 euros per inspection.

And what happens when we multiply this by the 21.8 million inspections carried out? The result is overwhelming:

133 million euros going straight to the Treasury.

More than 220 million euros collected every year

Adding the two items —the 91 million from the DGT fee and the 133 million from VAT— the State pockets around 224 million euros a year thanks to the MOT.

A safe business, protected by law, and from which nobody can escape. Because passing the MOT is compulsory: whoever does not risks fines of up to 500 euros, immobilisation of the vehicle and even being unable to drive legally.

In other words: a state toll that no driver can get out of.

Road safety or a disguised tax?

The official version is clear: the MOT exists to guarantee road safety, reduce accidents and control polluting emissions. Nobody disputes that checking brakes, lights or emissions is important.

But when we look at the figures, an uncomfortable doubt arises: is the MOT a technical inspection or a disguised tax?

• The DGT charges an identical fee to all drivers, unrelated to the real cost of the service.
• The Treasury keeps a VAT that penalises citizens for complying with a legal obligation.
• The State collects more than 220 million euros a year without lifting a finger, simply by taking advantage of the fact that the procedure is compulsory.

The result is evident: the MOT does not only control your car, it also controls your wallet.

Scandalous differences between autonomous communities

As if that were not enough, the price of the MOT varies enormously depending on where you live. In some communities, passing the inspection costs a little over 30 euros, while in others it can exceed 55.

For example, a petrol passenger car may pay 34 € in Andalusia and more than 50 € in Catalonia or Madrid. For diesel, the difference is even greater. And all of this, always, with the DGT fee and VAT added.

This disparity makes the MOT, besides being compulsory, an unfair and unequal procedure, where drivers not only finance the State but also depend on the tariff whim of their community. And we are not saying the MOT should disappear, since it provides safety on the roads, but the revenue-raising aim (hence a DGT fee and 21% VAT) remains present with a double tax.

A silent toll that nobody escapes

The great secret of the MOT is that it is a safe and constant income for the State. It does not depend on citizens’ will, nor on the economic climate, nor on inflation. All vehicles must pass it, no matter what.

This turns the technical inspection into a fiscal goldmine. Drivers believe they pay to check the safety of their car, but in reality they are financing a system that each year injects more than 220 million euros into public coffers.