BERLIN, April 16 (UPI) -- German Transportation Minister Manfred Stolpe said he may restrict tax breaks for heavy trucks because too many SUVs are slipping into the category.
Stolpe's spokesman Felix Stenschke announced Stolpe's intention Friday in Berlin, saying Stolpe is planning an investigation into the current state of the tax break and its effects, German news agency DPA reports.
Stolpe said he might consider pushing to have the tax break restricted to trucks used exclusively for commercial purposes.
As it is currently written, the discount applies to all vehicles that weigh more than 2.8 tons, a class that includes SUVs such as the Volkswagen Touareg and the Mercedes M-Class.
Regional finance ministers are expected to discuss restricting the tax break soon, and representatives from Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein have already indicated their support.
German Environmental Minister Juergen Trittin has been calling for some restriction for several months.
