The registration tax on a new electric car (TMC, "taxe de mise en circulation" in French) costs €61.50 in Flanders since 1 January 2026, €78.88 in Brussels and between €50 and nearly €1,900 in Wallonia, depending on power and weight. You pay it once, when the car is registered, in the region where you live.
How much is the registration tax in each region?
It depends on your address first, not on the car. The same purchase gives three different bills, and I checked the amounts on 26 October 2026 against the pages of the Flemish Region, Brussels Taxation, SPW Finances (the Walloon tax office) and Moniteur Automobile.
| Your situation | New electric car, private buyer | What moves the amount |
|---|---|---|
| Living in Flanders | €61.50 flat since 1 January 2026 | Nothing: same amount for all, not indexed |
| Living in Brussels | €78.88 (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027) | The 1 July indexation |
| Living in Wallonia, up to 120 kW | €50 | Nothing: the legal minimum applies |
| Living in Wallonia, 150 kW | roughly €280 to €310 | Authorised weight of the car |
| Living in Wallonia, 220 kW | roughly €1,100 to €1,200 | Authorised weight of the car |
For a 100 kW city car, Wallonia is therefore the cheapest of the three. For a 220 kW saloon, it is by far the most expensive.
Why has Flanders charged electric cars since 2026?
Because the exemption cost too much in road revenue, according to minister Ben Weyts quoted by VRT on 9 October 2025. Any electric or hydrogen car registered in Flanders from 1 January 2026, by a private individual or a company, pays the registration tax and the circulation tax again. The registration tax is fixed: €61.50, not indexed.
Cars registered before 2026 keep their exemption. KBC also mentions a transitional measure for orders placed before 6 October 2025 and registered before 15 January 2026, but presents it as under consideration: I could not confirm a final version.
The Flemish Region's own page shows neither an amount nor a last-updated date. It lists the calculation criteria and points to a simulator.
How does Wallonia calculate the tax on an electric car?
With a four-factor formula in which power decides almost everything. Since the reform of 1 July 2025, the Walloon tax equals: base amount (MB) × (CO2 ÷ 136) × (maximum authorised weight ÷ 1,838) × energy coefficient. For an electric car, the CO2 factor is 1, since nothing comes out of the exhaust.
That leaves the base amount, read from a power grid (from €61.50 up to 70 kW to €4,957 above 155 kW), and the energy coefficient, which is the real lever.
- 0.01 up to 120 kW
- 0.10 from 121 to 155 kW
- 0.18 from 156 to 249 kW
- 0.26 from 250 kW
The maximum authorised weight (MMA) is read on the registration certificate, in field F.1. I redid the calculation by hand on the SPW Finances scale valid from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, using realistic weights for an electric car of that size.
| Power | Base amount | Coefficient | Assumed weight | New-car tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 120 kW | €1,239 at most | 0.01 | 2,400 kg | €16, so €50 (minimum) |
| 121 to 155 kW | €2,478 | 0.10 | 2,100 kg, 2,300 kg | €283, €310 |
| 156 to 249 kW | €4,957 | 0.18 | 2,300 kg, 2,500 kg | €1,117, €1,214 |
| 250 kW and above | €4,957 | 0.26 | 2,500 kg, 2,700 kg | €1,753, €1,893 |
These amounts are orders of magnitude: the grid is indexed every 1 July, and yours depends on the exact weight of your version. The legal minimum is €50 and the ceiling €9,000.
Two details change the bill. Large families deduct €250, and since 1 July 2026 so do single-parent families, without ever going below €50 and without combining the two reductions. And the more powerful the car, the more the choice of version weighs: going from 150 kW to 190 kW, at equal weight, multiplies the tax by more than three (€310 against €1,117 in my example).
In Brussels, do all electric cars pay the same minimum?
Yes, according to Moniteur Automobile: an electric car owes only the minimum tax there, €78.88 for a private buyer from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Whether you register a city car or a 400 kW SUV, the bill is the same.
I could not find that figure on a public page of the tax office, though. The Brussels Taxation page describes the TMC without naming electric cars once, and points to MyTax for the rates. Before signing an order form, ask Brussels Taxation for the amount or simulate it on MyTax: it is the only source that binds the administration.
Does a used car pay the same tax?
Not necessarily, and Wallonia is where the gap is clearest. The base amount there drops by 10 points a year: 100% in the first year, 55% at five years, 10% at fourteen, then a floor of €61.50 from fifteen years. My 150 kW, 2,300 kg example, at €310 new, falls to about €171 at five years.
In Brussels, a used electric car follows an age scale, with the same floor of €78.88 for a private buyer. In other words, it pays the minimum, or barely more.
Our guide to buying a used electric car covers the rest of the budget.
How does it differ from the annual circulation tax?
The registration tax is paid once. The circulation tax comes back every year, and its amounts are harder to pin down.
In Flanders, VRT announced the lowest bracket in October 2025: €69.72 for 1 fiscal horsepower and €87.24 for 5. Moniteur Automobile, in a draft, spoke of about €103 a year, and KBC Autolease quotes €102.96. I will not pick one: read the sheet for the version you order, or the first notice you receive.
In Wallonia, the SPW Finances scale runs from €102.96 for 4 CV and below to €243.41 for 7 CV and €300.96 for 8 CV, with no separate line for electric cars. For Brussels, I have not verified an amount specific to electric cars in 2026.
Four mistakes that cost money at registration
- Comparing two versions on list price alone: in Wallonia, the kW figure can add more than €1,000 of tax.
- Reusing the amount from a 2025 article: Brussels and Wallonia index every 1 July, and Flanders changed regime on 1 January.
- Trusting the dealer's region. Only the plate holder's address counts.
- Forgetting to read the maximum authorised weight in field F.1, when the Walloon formula multiplies by it directly.
For a company car, the TMC is only one line among many: the benefit in kind weighs more. And if you are looking for an electric car on a tight budget, our guide to the monthly cost of an electric car puts taxes in context.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the registration tax on an electric car?
The plate holder, in the region where they live. The tax is due once, when the car is first put into circulation in Belgium. In Flanders, the payment notice arrives after registration, with two months to pay.
Is an electric car still exempt from registration tax in Flanders?
Not if it is registered from 1 January 2026: it pays €61.50. Electric cars registered before that date keep their exemption. A transitional measure for orders placed before 6 October 2025 was announced, but I could not find its final text.
How much do you pay in Brussels for a new electric car?
€78.88 for a private buyer, according to Moniteur Automobile (scale from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027). The amount is indexed every 1 July. The Brussels tax office page does not mention electric cars and points to MyTax, where you should confirm it.
Why does a powerful electric car pay more in Wallonia?
Because the formula multiplies a base amount linked to power, the maximum authorised weight and an energy coefficient. For an electric car, that coefficient rises from 0.01 up to 120 kW to 0.26 from 250 kW. Up to 120 kW, the result falls below the legal minimum of €50.
Are there reductions for families in Wallonia?
Yes: €250 off for large families, and since 1 July 2026 for single-parent families receiving the Walloon supplementary allowance. The two reductions cannot be combined, and the tax never falls below €50.
Is the registration tax the same thing as the circulation tax?
No. The registration tax is paid once, at registration. The circulation tax is paid every year as long as you keep the car, and its amount follows a different scale.
Le verdict de Christophe F.
The TMC on an electric car only exceeds €100 in Wallonia, and only above 120 kW. If you are torn between two versions in that region, compare the kW before the options: the tax gap can exceed the price of a pack. In Flanders and Brussels the amount is fixed, and only your address counts. The Brussels figure still needs confirming on MyTax before you sign.
