Many future drivers still do not know that VID may refund part of the money paid to a driving school as eligible education expenses. This means that part of the personal income tax paid can be refunded back to a bank account.

This is not a discount offer. It is a real opportunity to recover money from VID.

If driving school costs in Latvia often exceed EUR 1000, the possibility of recovering up to EUR 360 becomes especially significant. The more a person spends on driving school, the more important it is to arrange the documents properly and use the opportunity to recover taxes.

In the case of Presto, the benefit is even greater — thanks to electronic driving organisation, a transparent payment system, more favourable agreement terms for the client and a more efficient learning process, students often initially save approximately EUR 200–300 compared with the average market model. Together with the VID refund, the total financial benefit becomes very substantial.

VID refunds money only in certain cases

It is important to understand — you will not automatically be able to receive a VID refund in every driving school.

In order for driving school expenses to be submitted to VID as eligible education expenses, the educational institution must hold an education licence. Based on Presto’s analysis of publicly available information and registers, out of approximately 200 driving schools listed by CSDD, only 3 are registered as educational institutions.

Presto has such a licence and is registered in the State Register of Educational Institutions.

Educational institution licence No. 3380802315.

This is exactly why Presto students can use the opportunity to recover part of the money paid from VID.

How much can be recovered from VID for driving school?

In practice, people often say:

“The State refunds money for driving school.”

However, it would be more accurate to say:

VID refunds part of the personal income tax paid for education expenses.

The amount of the refund depends on:

• the amount of expenses incurred,
• the amount of taxes paid during the year,
• the person in whose name the payments were made,
• whether the person is a dependent.

In many cases, it is possible to recover up to 20% of the eligible expenses. Within one year, the limit is up to EUR 600 in eligible expenses, which in practice means a refund of up to EUR 120 per year.

However, it is important — if driving school expenses exceed this limit, the unused part can be carried forward to the following years. This means that expenses can also be declared in the 2nd and 3rd year, gradually recovering a larger amount.

In exactly this way, the total refundable amount can in practice reach up to EUR 360.

Therefore, it is important for many students to understand in good time:

• in whose name the payments should be made,
• who will declare the expenses,
• whether the young person is a dependent,
• whether the parents pay taxes in Latvia.

Who can receive a VID refund for driving school?

1. The student themself

If the student:

• works,
• pays personal income tax in Latvia,
• and the payments were made in their name,

then they can submit the receipts themselves in the VID annual income declaration and recover part of the money.

This is the simplest option.

2. Parents can recover money for a child

If the student is:

• a school pupil or student,
• or is registered as a parent’s dependent (usually up to the age of 24, if they continue studies and do not receive substantial income),

then the driving school expenses can be declared by the parents.

This is especially relevant for young people who:

• do not yet work,
• pay little tax,
• or do not pay personal income tax at all.

In such a situation, it is much more advantageous if the payments are made by a parent who pays taxes in Latvia.

Dependent status is very important

Many people do not take this into account.

If a young person is registered as a dependent, this can be a significant factor in the possibility of receiving a tax refund.

Therefore, before making driving school payments, it is worth:

• checking the information in VID EDS,
• understanding who will declare the expenses,
• and how to organise the payments correctly.

How to submit driving school expenses in the VID EDS system?

To recover money for driving school, everything is done through the VID Electronic Declaration System (EDS).

The following must be submitted:

• documents confirming payment (invoices or receipts for driving school services),
• bank payment confirmations or an account statement.

The most important thing — payments must be official and traceable (the safest option is by bank transfer).

Declaration takes place in the annual income declaration:

• log in to VID EDS,
• select “Annual income declaration”,
• add the expenses in the section “eligible education expenses”,
• upload the documents (PDF files or images),
• and submit the declaration.

If the payments have been made correctly and the driving school ensures transparent accounting (as in the case of Presto), the process is simple and predictable.

Why are transparent payments in a driving school so important?

This is exactly where one of the biggest problems in the driving school sector arises.

For VID to accept the expenses:

• the payments must be transparent,
• traceable,
• correctly documented,
• and linked to a licensed educational institution.

Presto’s electronic driving and payment system is designed so that:

• all payments are transparent,
• the student can see their history,
• it is possible to receive correct documents (agreement, invoice) for VID purposes.

This significantly reduces risks and makes the tax refund process easier.

Students also need to be careful

Society often talks about the “grey zone” in driving schools — direct payments made by students to instructors.

In reality, the problem is not only on the side of driving schools.

An uncomfortable truth must also be acknowledged — sometimes students themselves look for ways to:

• pay cash without accounting,
• “agree on a cheaper price”,
• or avoid official payments.

Sometimes such solutions are also offered by instructors themselves, bypassing the driving school system.

However, it is important to understand:

a short-term “saving” may later mean:

• an impossible VID refund,
• accounting problems,
• unresolvable disputes about training quality,
• or unclear total costs.

This is exactly why a transparent electronic system and official payments are often much more advantageous for the student in the long term.

Why does Presto emphasise this in particular?

Presto’s electronic system ensures transparent accounting of training, payments and documents, which significantly simplifies the preparation of the VID declaration.

Presto’s business model is based on:

• electronic driving organisation,
• centralised accounting,
• transparent payments,
• and more favourable terms for the client.

This means:

• fewer hidden costs,
• less chaos,
• easier control over progress,
• and simpler preparation of VID documents.

👉 “Real example”

If average driving school costs in Latvia often approach or exceed EUR 1000, then:

• EUR 200–300 saved through a more efficient system,
• plus the VID refund,

the total benefit can reach up to ~EUR 500–600.

This is exactly why, for many people, Presto becomes the financially more advantageous and safer choice — both today and in the long term.