Taxes to rise for all lease cars, even all-electrics

State Secretary of Finance Eric Wiebes has set out his third plan for the additional tax for cars in a letter to the Second Chamber.

This plan has four additional tax categories and the largest amounts will be paid by those driving highly polluting cars.

This plan is most beneficial for owners of fully electric cars, the will pay an additional tax of 4 percent. Owners of hybrid cars - half petrol, half electric - will pay 15 percent. Drivers of petrol and diesel cars get a less attractive rate of 21 percent. Highly polluting cars will pay an even higher rate of 25 percent.

This proposal only applies to cars purchased in 2016. "Existing leases are protected: no one will be faced with with new additional tax rates during his lease period", Wiebes wrote in the letter.

This is Webes' third plan for the additional tax. His first plan received a lot of criticism from his own party, the VVD. The subsequent proposal has now been replaced by the plan suggested by the automotive industry and environmental organizations.