The trip to Poland in search of cheaper fuel ended badly for a 59-year-old German citizen. The man crossed the border in a truck and then filled eight metal barrels with diesel fuel in Bogatynia. The barrels had a capacity of 200 litres each, so the German filled a total of 1,600 litres of fuel. When he was returning home to Zittau, German police stopped him.
As reported by wp.pl:
The officers informed the customs service about the load. After an inspection, customs officials determined that, when importing such a large amount of fuel from another country, the man would have to pay 750 euros in tax. If more than 20 litres of fuel outside a vehicle’s tank are brought into Germany, mineral oil tax must be paid.
However, this was not the end of the 59-year-old’s problems. The traffic police also objected to transporting fuel in barrels in a truck. For violating regulations concerning dangerous goods, they fined the man approximately 1,500 euros.
Following the latest reductions in fuel VAT, queues have formed at petrol stations in Poland near the border. Fuel sold in Poland is currently the cheapest in Europe. Compared with Germany, a litre costs several dozen euro cents less.
Of course, if one compares how many litres of fuel can be bought for the average salary in Germany and Poland, a German can buy 1,000 litres more in their own country than a Pole can buy in Poland for their average salary.
Queues for fuel in Poland can be found both at border stations in the west, along the border with Germany, and in the south, along the borders with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Neighbours from the west and south come to refuel here and save money in the process.