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Hi John,

Sorry, but you'll have to change the plates - if you're bringing a car into the UK you only have to inform HMRC of the car's arrival within 14 days and then begin the re-registering process. The maximum time you could use the car on Irish plates for would be six months. The good news is that the process is relatively painless - you will have to get an MOT test done as the NCT won't be recognised, but other than that it's just some forms to fill out. If it's an older car you won't be liable for any VAT or duty so it'll only cost a little. You can find more details here - https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/overview

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Hi Maria,

OK, please bear in mind that this is a total ballpark figure - the car will have to be inspected at an NCT centre and it will depend on how much optional equipment is fitted and precisely what Open Market Selling Price is applied by Revenue. It's a very, very inexact science.

However, assuming that it's judged to be worth around €14,000, the VRT will be 17 percent of that, which is €2,300. 

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Hi Thomas,

Well, for a start, you're not going to be able to insure any of the three as classics, as none has passed the 30-year mark yet. If your intention is to use them for 'classic-style' driving (only bringing them out for events or days out etc.) then you might be able to get a limited mileage policy that will reduce your costs a bit.

The next problem is that Irish insurers are conducting something of a war against cars of that sort of age – they reckon that older cars are at higher risk of claims so the premiums are being loaded out of all proportion. Most of the major insurers will do a multi-car policy, but with their ages I think you might struggle to find an affordable quote.

As for value, if they're all in exceptional condition then I'd say the Mercedes and BMW could be worth as much as €5-7,000 each (they really would have to be exceptional though) and the Peugeot van probably about €3,000 (again – if in exceptional condition).

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Hi Kamal,

Right, first off, have you exhausted all options when it comes to getting the mechanic or garage in question to deal with the issue? Have you complained, in copied writing, to them? Have they replied?

If they've tried to fob you off, then you need to remind them that all work carried out is covered by the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980, which states that all work carried out must be of merchantable quality – in other words, that the work should have fixed whatever problem you had, and if not then a refund or another repair should have been offered.

If all that's been done and you've still got nowhere, then you have two options. If the mechanic in question is registered with the Society of the Irish Motor Indsutry (SIMI) then you can complain to that body. Its contact details and complaints procedure are here: http://www.simi.ie/Consumer+Information/Consumer+Services/Contact+Complaints+Service.html

If the mechanic is not SIMI-registered, or if you get no satisfaction from that process, then you're best off going to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, who can be contacted here: http://www.consumerhelp.ie/

Best of luck - and let us know how you get on

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Hi Maike,

The process of importing a car into the UK is a lot easier and cheaper than it is in Ireland. If the car is quite old you probably won't have to pay any import fees on it in fact, you'll just have to get it MOT'ed and pay a small fee for the new registration.

But, buying the car in Ireland will represent much worse value than buying in the UK. Not only will you find fewer cars to choose from (the Freelander was always a much bigger seller in the UK than in Ireland),  but the Irish cars will probably be more expensive. I think you would be better off transferring your money to Sterling (using a low-cost service such as Transferwise) and shopping in the UK.

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Hi Paul,

I can't tell you as you won't get a final figure until you bring it to an NCT centre for assessment, and Revenue will give you the cost of the VRT. Anything I tell you is mere speculation, but if you want a very vague ballpark figure, a 2014 Optima will probably be judged to have an Irish Open Market Selling Price (and that's what Revenue will base its assessment on, not the price you pay in the UK) of around €24,000. With 136g/km CO₂ emissions, that means you're in Band B2 for tax, so that means 19 per cent of OMSP, which works out at roughly €4,500.

But, please, don't take my word for it...

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Hi Peter,

As an import, each car is individually inspected and rated for VRT,  which is probably why Revenue is being evasive - they really don't like to pass judgement on something they've not seen, even if it is nominally the same as an Irish market car. Ultimately you shouldn't have any problems - if the X5 can be categorised as an N1 vehicle, it should be fine, but check to make sure as to whether that's with five or seven seats. Seven seats are optional on the X5 and could cut the boot space to under the N1 limit.

On the VAT thing, it just depends on the age of the car. If it's less than six months old, and/or has fewer than 6,000km on the clock, it's liable for Irish VAT on arrival - no ifs, ands or buts. 

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Hi Molly,

Effectively, yes. If you're buying it brand new, then you can, theoretically, export it from the UK and claim back the VAT, but you really need an accountant, not a motoring journalist, to walk you through that process. Of course, you'll have to pay Irish VAT on it then. You'll have to pay VAT twice, essentially, if you're buying nearly new - a car under six months old is liable to Irish VAT upon entry into the state, and of course you'll already have essentially paid the UK VAT in the purchase price. You could claim it back of course, but again that's a job for an accountant.

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Hi David,

Yes, that M-Class is a particularly nice one, but there's a couple of things to watch for. Mercs of that era can be electrically fragile so beware of anything with a button or a switch and don't dare buy anything without a full and comprehensive service history.

The other thing to worry about is insurance - next year that car will be 10 years old and you'll get hammered for insurance by pretty much all Irish providers. Not a problem for this year but possibly something to keep in mind.

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Hi Brian,

Yes, you can tax and insure it privately, and indeed you should do because if it were taxed as a commercial, you'd be caught rotten if you were stopped with the kids in the back and it's a €4,000 fine. However, you can legally have it assessed for VRT as a commercial so that's a saving. The odd thing is that taxing it as a private car means, under the current rules, you'll revert to the old pre-2008 tax system, which is based on engine capacity. Odd, but there you go.

As for whether or not an import will be cheaper, it probably depends on how many of the specific style of T5 you want are available on the ground here. All I can suggest is that you do your sums, figure out how much the import will cost, and then have a shop around Irish dealers and ask them if they can match the numbers.