The Fiscal Unit of the GNR has been busy checking foreign registered vehicles being driven in Portugal and so far has raked in €1.3 million in fines.
Foreigners and Portuguese returnees who have a vehicle in the country for more than six months in a year, consecutively or otherwise, and officialy have not imported it, are being stopped and fined an average of €250 a time.
In two and a half years to June 2014, 5,126 fines have been issued for non-payment of the ISV import tax, 95% of cases were for vehicles owned by individuals, 5% were company owned.
"We take action on cars being driven over the six months limit in Portugal and which do not have Portuguese number plates," according to the Fiscal Unit chief.
Fines are issued to returnees to Portugal who have not regularised their cars but also those who come back to their country for an extended period to deal with family issues, nobody is exempt.
For those foreigners living in Portugal who think they can argue the case when stopped, think again as the authorities now are using a range of electronic surveillance techniques at borders to establish times and dates for those drivers who just can’t give up the family car, or who in acts of futile defiance refuse to pay the often ludicrously high import taxes demanded.
