Is it ok to keep a UK car here during lockdown?
Hi guys,
My daughter drove home to Dublin from London last October in her UK-registered car. It has been sitting on the road outside the house since then, she drives around occasionally to keep the battery up. She is still here because of the lockdown here and in London. My neighbour has said that if someone reports the car to Customs that they can take it off her and she will have to pay import duty to get it back. She has owned it more than six months. It is her intention that if we and the UK EVER get out of lockdown that she will drive back to London.
She has no money as a result of Covid and is on the Covid payment and came home because she could not afford her rent in London. My husband and myself have been in lockdown for over a year now, we are just not able for the worry of this. Have you any advice please? We do not have a driveway big enough to take this car.
Regards Helen
Helen ONeill (Dublin)Mar 2021 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Helen,
OK, first off there’s nothing to be concerned about. People who are temporarily resident in Ireland are allowed to bring their cars with them, and not have to re-register or fully import them for as long as 12 months. There are no forms to fill out, you just have to be able to show proof of address, purchase, tax, and insurance when and if you’re asked. Students who are studying in Ireland can keep cars with them for the duration of their studies, even if that exceeds 12 months, so there are clearly generally lenient rules when it comes to this. Given that your daughter is (a) intending to return to the UK when it is safe to do so and (b) effectively sheltering with you because of the pandemic, I wouldn’t be too concerned about having the car taken away nor anything like it.
Really, the only issue that would arise is if your daughter wanted to sell the car here, but if she’s going to keep it, I would say you’ve not much to worry about.
I have a unique import question from NI!
I have a two-part question. Can you offer clarification on the distinction between registering a car vs importing a car to NI/ROI after the Brexit cut-off date? Back story: I have a GB reg car and I've been the registered keeper of it for more than two years. I took it to NI in Sep 2020, before the Brexit cut off date of 1 Jan 2021. However, it has still been registered at a GB address, whilst I move between the two countries. I am now ready to register the car in NI at a permanent address.
1) Are there UK custom duties and VAT now attached to this if I register it in NI? Or because the car was taken (can I say imported?) to NI before the cut off date - just not registered - is the process the same pre-Brexit? It is still registered at an English address. I would specifically like to check if registering the vehicle in NI before the cut off date was necessary to avoid the extra UK import fees due to Brexit?
2) When I subsequently move to the ROI, will the car be subjected to Irish Customs Duty, VAT and VRT? I keep reading used cars from Northern Ireland will not be subjected to the new customs/VAT fees but I'm not sure if this is applicable to the car detailed above. Revenue.ie state: "You can register a vehicle registered before 1 January 2021 without any checks on the customs status if it was registered: i) in Northern Ireland or ii) to a person resident in Northern Ireland". So whilst it wasn't registered in Northern Ireland, it was registered to a person with an address in Northern Ireland before the cut off date.
Any information is gratefully received.
Cheers
Caroline Ponsonby (Lisburn)Mar 2021 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Caroline,
Right, this is a bit of a tricky one. The good news, first off, is that there’s no issue with moving a car between England and Northern Ireland — no duties nor VAT to pay, all you have to do is inform the DVLA of the change of address.
Bringing that car south might then represent a difficulty, but it will depend on how long you wait between your registering the car in the North and bringing it south. Technically, Revenue have told us that there is no specific timeline when it comes to having a car registered in Northern Ireland and not having to pay import duty and VAT when importing that car into the Republic. However, they have also said that they will be carefully monitoring the paper trail of each car to ensure that no-one is trying to game the system. If there’s only going to be a short gap between you registering the car in the North and then importing it into the South, that could get antennae twitching at Revenue, even if you’re technically above board.
How much to tax a commercial privately?
Hi,
How much would it cost roughly to tax a commercial van like a Ford Transit ot Transit Connect LWB or something similar for private use?
Thanks.
Rhys Rutherford (Ballinasloe )Mar 2021 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Rhys,
If you tax a commercial vehicle for private use then it reverts to the old by-engine-capacity system that was there pre-2008. You'll find the rates in our Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained feature, and it might be worth your while reading Buying a commercial vehicle for private use as well.
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Barry Cunningham (Galway)Mar 2021 Filed under: future cars
Expert answer
Hi Barry,
Hyundai Ireland has not yet confirmed pricing, but did tell us that the Ioniq 5 will be a July 2021 car this year.
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Bob Butler (Lucan)Mar 2021 Filed under: hybrid
Expert answer
Hi Bob,
There will indeed, though we don't know how it will be priced as yet. Read about it in our news piece about the updated Tiguan.
How much VRT on a €37,000 car?
Hello.
If I buy a new car with an on-the-road price of €37,000, how much is the VRT in cash and also the VAT? If VAT is 23 per cent does that make €8,510?
Thanks
Martin.
Martin Dunne (Dublin)Mar 2021 Filed under: VRT
Expert answer
Hi Martin,
I'm afraid we can't answer that without knowing the CO2 rating of the car, as the percentage of VRT paid is dependent on that.
Read How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland? for more info.
How much to tax a Citroen C3 Aircross?
I am trying to figure out the motor tax on a Citroen C3 Aircross 1.2 PureTech 110 Feel. I can't make sense of the new tax system; can you guys give me an idea?
Thanks
Paul McDaid (Navan)Mar 2021 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Paul,
The C3 Aircross PureTech Feel 110 has CO2 emissions of 141g/km and so will cost you €400 per year to tax.
Read Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained for more.
Can I drive a UK car in Ireland?
Hi.
My home is in Northern Ireland. I work in South of Ireland. Can I drive a UK-registered car?
James Curry (Tyrone)Feb 2021 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi James,
Yes, you can. As long as your car is registered to your Northern Ireland address, and so is your insurance, all you need is a ‘Green Card’ from your insurer to extend the cover to the Republic.
Thinking of buying an electric van...
Thinking of buying a used electric Nissan NV200 in Ireland and taxing and insuring it privately and using it as my private car for non-commercial use. Do I have to pay VAT and would it qualify for low tax?
Thanks
Shirley O'Brien (Galway)Feb 2021 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Shirley,
You can buy one and use it privately, yes. You’ll have to pay the VAT as part of the normal purchase price, and you’ll have to find an insurer willing to cover you as a private driver, so have a good shop around for that beforehand. As it’s electric, you’ll be in the lowest €120 motor tax category.
Thinking of buying an old Toyota Hilux...
Hi,
I already have a car in my name for private use and I'm thinking of buying an old 2002 Toyota Hilux to have some fun driving an old truck. So, I have two questions: can I register its ownership without having a company? Can I purchase classic insurance for this Hilux?
Thanks in advance!!
Renato Dultra (Maynooth)Feb 2021 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Renato,
Yes, absolutely — you can register a Hilux for personal use, but just remember that you’ll have to tax it as a private vehicle, which means you’ll be taxing it on the engine capacity, not the CO2 emissions. If it’s a 3.0-litre Hilux, that’s going to be pricey. Insurance can be an issue too, so get hold of a good broker to help you find the right policy.
Classic insurance is a non-runner, sadly. In Ireland, a car has to be more than 30 years old to qualify for classic status.