Expert answer

Hi Derek,

We can only give you another estimate, I'm afraid, as there's no way to know what Revenue will actually value it at when it comes to its inspection.

There's a similar car on sale on Carzone as I write listed at about €37,000. Taking that as the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price) and the CO₂ output putting it into Band 18 for VRT (156-170g/km) at 30 per cent of the OMSP, then the VRT bill would in theory be €11,100.

That's before the NOx levy, though it's only a few hundred Euro on a modern petrol car such as that.

Adjust what you think Revenue will value the car at (the OMSP) to see what effect it has on the VRT calculation, but I agree with you that €3,500-4,500 seems low and you should be prepared for more.

Expert answer

Hi Karla,

That budget is plenty to find a decent automatic runaround that's big enough for the two of you and relatively cheap to keep on the road.

A few models that are worth looking into:

Ford Fiesta: plentiful, reliable, inexpensive to maintain
Honda Jazz: not so common, but exceptionally reliable and very spacious (also badged the Honda Fit if a Japanese import)
Kia Picanto: you'd get quite a modern one for your budget, though they are smaller than the above cars, and again, not so plentiful
Mazda Demio: this is a Japanese import, badged the Mazda2 here – nice car

There are loads of other options of course, but those are good starting points to begin your search. Sites like Carzone.ie have good search filters to allow you to put in your budget and an automatic gearbox.

In terms of general tips, we'd give you the following advice:

1 – Prioritise the condition and service history of a car over its age and mileage.
2 – If you decide on a particular make and model that you like, seek out different examples of it from various sellers and test-drive as many as you can so you get a feel for which one 'feels' best.
3 – Don't view a car at night or in the rain as that can disguise issues with it.
4 – I would suggest that a diesel car would be a bad fit for you unless you spend a lot of time on the motorway every day covering long distances – they can come with higher maintenance costs.
5 – Make sure you get an insurance quote for any car you are considering before you commit to it.
6 – If at all possible, bring a friend or family member with you when looking at cars, preferably one that has a bit of experience in such things. It's quite a daunting thing to do on your own for the first time.
7 – Ask to see the paperwork on any car you're serious about before you talk about the price.

Hopefully all that is of help. Don't hesitate to send us another question if you'd like more assistance.

Expert answer

Hi Feilim,

You can certainly estimate the VRT payable, but that's all it will be. And you'll need proof of the car's CO₂ emissions as well.

With the CO₂ rating, go to our How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland feature and find the corresponding VRT band. I'd assume it'll be in Band 7 or 8. Let's say 8 for the calculations.

Then you'll need to estimate the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price) of the car in Ireland. This is the value Revenue believes it to be worth after registration in Ireland.

You've not told us the year so we can't do that for you. I suggest going to Carzone.ie to find similar spec cars to yours and taking the average price as a rough estimate.

From those two things you can then estimate your VRT. Beware it will only be that, though, an estimate.

Expert answer

Hi Anne,

Based on the information provided, you are only likely to be liable for VRT and the NOx levy. Just the year of the car isn't enough for us to help you estimate all that, however.

First up you need to guess the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), which is the value Revenue reckons the car to be worth after registration in Ireland.

This is not the same as the price you actually paid for the car. A quick look on Carzone.ie reveals 2017 Tiguans ranging in price from about €16,000 to €30,000 so you'll need to compare the one you're looking at buying to a like-for-like model already in Ireland to get a feel for what Revenue might say it's worth.

Once you have a rough idea of the OMSP, you'll also need to know the CO₂ rating for the car you're interested in. We can look that up for you, but we'd need to know the exact spec and engine details etc.

For more information, check out our How Much VRT Is Paid In Ireland? guide.

Expert answer

Hi John,

There's no way to know for sure the exact VRT due until the car is brought for inspection at an NCT centre after importing it. Even if the car appears on Revenue's site, there are disclaimers on there indicating that it's an estimate only.

To make your own estimate, you'll need to have the CO₂ figure of the specific car you're looking at and you'll need to guess what Revenue will say the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) is for that car.

The latter is the figure Revenue believes the car to be worth as an Irish car selling on the open market today. It's not easy to estimate for a relatively rare model such as the A3 Cabriolet. We found one from 2014 listed on Carzone for about €16,000, which is probably as good a starting point as any.

Watch out with the CO₂ figure. The official figure for a 2014 car is likely to be according to the old “NEDC” system and unless a WLTP figure is available Revenue will use its “uplifting” formula to bring the CO₂ up. You'll find that formula in our Guide to Importing Cars from the UK page (it applies no matter where the car is coming from).

Once you have your CO₂ figure you can look up the VRT band and percentage on our How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland? page. The VRT due will then be that percentage of the OMSP.

The NOx levy is separate to this calculation – though payable at the same time. It's not so easy to look the NOx emissions up and hopefully the car in question has a certificate of conformity with the information on it. There's a bit about that on the Guide to Importing Cars from the UK page mentioned above that again applies no matter where the car is coming from.

Hopefully that all helps. If you want us to assist with the calculations, come back to us with as much detail as possible on the car in question.

Expert answer

Hi Tomas,

As a commercial vehicle, VRT will be 13.3 per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) of the Caddy. That’s the value Revenue puts on the vehicle as if it was being sold in Ireland. Best bet is look at the big classifieds websites such as Carzone.ie for similar vehicles to get a gauge for that value.

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

The VRT would be 13.3 per cent of the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price) of the vehicle, which is the value Revenue believes it to be worth on the Irish market. That can be tricky to guess/estimate for specialised vehicles such as that, though we did find a similar one on Carzone.ie for about €32,000.

If Revenue chooses that as the OMSP then the VRT would be €4,256.

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

I can imagine that was a bit of a shock, but I’m sure Carzone has disclaimers on its site warning users that its automated valuations are to be taken as a guide only. Looking through its own listings I can see 2021 Corollas from as low as €18,000 and examples of the 2023 Yaris Cross priced as high €35,000.

Even so, a dealer won’t offer you a price for your Corolla that they will sell it at as they must prepare the car for sale, offer a warranty and still make a profit.

And it’s also worth bearing in mind that each and every transaction is different. On any given day, any given dealer may or may not want your trade in as, for example, they already have plenty of 2021 Corollas in stock. Or they have had lots of calls about the Yaris Cross and know they can go for a high price.

I can only suggest you shop around to get the best deal for yourself.

Expert answer

Hi Ciara,

In general, larger cars come with better seats, and the Auris is in a class above the Clio in size terms so that would normally hold true. However, there's two years between these cars and over 100,000km, to the benefit of the Clio, and that really goes against the Toyota as its seats (and everything else of course) will have been through a lot more use. On top of that, the Clio is one of the bigger and more substantial cars in its sector.

In this case, and without knowing anything about the condition or service history of both (just as important as mileage and year), I'd suggest the Clio would be a better bet for you. Both are similarly economical.

A quick look on Carzone.ie for a diesel hatchback for under €9,000 reveals plenty of good alternatives to the above, including the Nissan Note and Pulsar and Honda Civic. There are loads of others with higher mileages on the clock already. From what I've seen, the Honda Civic seems like a really good option.

Expert answer

Hi Mike,

Without any more information than that it's difficult to estimate your car's value. For example, there are 2018 X-Trails for sale on Carzone.ie ranging in asking price from about €20,000 to not far off €30,000. Take a look on there and try to find a selection of cars close to yours in terms of specification and mileage for an estimate. 

And we'd recommend Carzone.ie as well to sell your car. If you're buying the camper from a dealer they may take the X-Trail as part-exchange, but you'll get more for it selling it privately.