Ask Us Anything

Probably done to death but I can't see anything concrete stated as I trawl the sites. All I can see is "you may be liable for VAT," but no clarity on what conditions will change that "may" to a "will". From the latest guidance I could find on Revenue's website for a private buyer buying used car (>6,000 miles) from a UK (VAT-registered) trader that I could see (snippet below) my understanding would be that I could buy from a UK dealer (a VAT-registered one) and import paying VRT (and the NOx levy) as normal but without any VAT liability.

I can't see clear guidance on import duties, but assume that 10 per cent is valid on entry. Any expert knowledge out there that can clarify why I'm (likely) wrong?

10.1 Purchase of second-hand vehicles by a private individual from a person in another country

Where a private individual purchases a second-hand vehicle from a VAT-registered trader, including a motor dealer, in another country

Where a private individual purchases a second-hand vehicle from a motor dealer or any VAT-registered trader in another country, the price will generally include any VAT or other tax chargeable in that country. This VAT cannot be reclaimed. There is no VAT liability in Ireland. In respect of VRT, the owner of the vehicle must make a booking with an NCTS Centre within 7 days of the vehicle entering the State and registration must be completed within 30 days of the vehicle entering the State. The VRT liability can be calculated using the VRT Calculator on the Revenue website.

Hi there,

I found your article on commercial vehicles very helpful. I am looking to buy a Ford Ranger from a family member. It’s currently taxed and insured commercially, but I plan to buy it and change the tax to private and only then can I get an insurance quote. Can you please tell me a little about the process? I feel like I’m buying a little blindly since I can’t get an insurance quote until I tax the vehicle privately. I can’t tax it privately until I buy it.

Any help would be appreciated.

John

Hi,

Can I claim VAT back on a second hand UK car? I’m not VAT-registered. I’m looking at importing a Jan 2020 electric Peugeot e-208.

Cheers

Dave Bohan (Cork)

My car has 227g/km CO2 emissions; what motor tax should I be paying?

Hi guys,

I was really interested to read your article on taxing and insuring commercial vehicles for private use. I drive a commercial Skoda Yeti (2.0-litre 4x4) that is registered commercially, but which I have taxed and insured privately. I have no VAT number so commercial tax and insurance is out of the question. Adding to this, I can only find one insurer to give me a policy. I was wondering if it's possible to re-register the car as a private vehicle that just happens to have no back seats. This was flagged as the reason insurers won't look at me (my driving history is squeaky clean). Any suggestions here would be great. I love the car and got a great price on it so I really dont want to sell it.

If I import a used 2017 Hilux from Northern Ireland, what additional costs do I have? I want to insure and tax as private as my business doesn’t have a VAT number. Cost of Hilux without VAT is £20,000 approx.

How does VRT work for importing second hand motorbikes from the UK in 2021? Can't find information anywhere.

Thanks, Daniel

Any chance I could ask you to calculate the VRT on the car below for me please? The car is a 2018 Peugeot 3008 1.6 diesel with 30,000 miles on the clock and is listed at £15,000, or about €18,000. I tried to calculate it and the VRT was coming out at nearly €10,000.

Regards

John

Which would your pick be, a 2017 BMW 520d M Sport Saloon or a mid-2018 520d SE EfficientDynamics Saloon?

I'm considering buying a 2020 Land Cruiser commercial (currently €333 tax annually). It's the LWB GX Commercial Auto model. It's really for transporting two large dogs. The question I have is, as a PAYE worker, how much am I gonna get landed with for motor tax each year?