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Hi John,

Unfortunately, it's not possible to compare pricing in Ireland with that of other countries due to different tax schemes in operation. Our VRT system, for example, greatly increases prices of new cars here – and not just Dacias.

For what it's worth, we think under €40,000 for that Bigster is decent enough value. It's a lot of car for the money and a notable step up from the Dacia Duster. There is a lot of choice in the segment, though, so make sure you shop around. Even so, the Dacia is well-priced.

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Hi Rachel,

I'm afraid no announcement has been made about Jaecoo's launch in Ireland. It appears to be doing quite well in the UK so we'd be confident it will eventually arrive here, but we know nothing more than that I'm afraid.

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Hi Charles,

You've not mentioned which engine or which version of the car as the CO₂ emissions vary considerably. It could be as low as €210 per annum if the emissions are under 140g/km in a model with the 2.0 TDI engine, for example, while the plug-in hybrid models are only €140 a year to tax.

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Hi Jacqui,

That's highly unlikely unless you actually convert the vehicle by removing its rear seats and fitting a bulkhead and then have it reclassified as a commercial vehicle. Even if you did all that, the annual commercial vehicle tax fee only applies to vehicles used solely for the purpose of a business, which you'd need to prove. No personal use is allowed at all.

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Hi Anne,

The only way to get one is from the original manufacturer of the car, either through the dealer/importer you bought it from or the official representative of that manufacturer in Ireland. 

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Hi Ian,

I'd be very wary of this. By rights, the vehicle should have been re-registered with all taxes paid within 30 days of it entering the country. It is not supposed to be sold on UK plates in Ireland by the person that should have registered its initial import.

Regardless of that technicality, the information you've provided suggests that the importer of this vehicle would be liable for VAT at 23 per cent and import duty at 10 per cent, which would be considerably more expensive than the VRT due.

Without knowing the full details, we couldn't estimate the figures involved, but without proof that the vehicle has been imported correctly we would strongly advise against purchasing this van.

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Hi Dermot,

The conversion work would either have to be done (and certified) before importation (in which case it could be imported as a commercial) or the Land Cruiser would have to be imported as a passenger car and the conversion carried out afterwards. Either way it's a lot of hassle for sure.

As a passenger car, the Land Cruiser would likely attract 30 per cent VRT. That's 30 per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) as determined by Revenue. If we assume that's €8,000, then the VRT would be €2,400. And the NOx levy would be on top of that - up to a maximum of €4,850 for diesel cars if you can't prove it has a lower level of NOx emissions.

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Hi Vakaris,

Actually, as the BMW i3 is an EV, and there's VRT relief for electric cars on first registration in Ireland (it doesn't matter if the car is new or used), you won't pay any VRT.

However, if the car has indeed come from England, Scotland or Wales, you will have to pay VAT and customs duty. Customs duty is 10 per cent of the 'customs value', which is defined as the price you paid for the car, plus transport and insurance costs. VAT is 23 per cent of the customs value plus the customs duty paid.

If the car is actually coming from Northern Ireland, and not GB, the situation is different.

I suggest you give our guides on all this a read:

Guide to Importing Cars from the UK

Guide to importing a car from Northern Ireland

Expert answer

Hi Fiachra,

From the information you provided, you should not have any VAT or customs duty payable on this car when importing it into Ireland.

Just make sure you have proof of that customs declaration document, as that's the key piece of evidence that shows Revenue that the dealer has already completed customs procedures and the car entered the EU customs territory before you bought it and brought it to Ireland.

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Hi John,

Yes, you just need to inform the motor tax office of the change of use of the commercial. The rate varies as it goes by the engine size of the vehicle in this case, odd as that seems. That's even for commercials that are newer than 2008. To see those rates, go to our Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained feature.