Wallonia officials will be on the hunt for unpaid car taxes in 2014

Special license plate search teams will be hitting the roads of Wallonia in 2014, on the hunt for residents who haven’t properly paid their vehicle circulation tax.

Starting January 1st, twenty squads of 40 officials in vehicles sporting “Brigade Willonia” and “Taxes” logos will begin stopping drivers to verify that taxes have been paid. A second team will seek out vehicles known not to be in good standing to get them to pay-up.

The initiative was inspired by the Flemish model, which helped Flanders increase tax revenue by 10%.

Residents with French plates will also be under the brigade's spotlight. Officials estimate that another 7,800 euros in taxes could be recovered if those with French-registered plates are made to pay their fair share in Belgian taxes. According to the rules, only vehicles with French plates on the roads can be stopped, while those parked in driveways or alleyways must be left untouched.