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Hi Louise,

It would be €710 a year. See our Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained guide for more information.

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Hi Michael,

VAT at 23 per cent is charged on the customs value, which as I mentioned before includes the purchase price (in the UK), the cost of transport and insurance, plus customs duties.

In your case, the purchase price is €13,610.77, which means customs duties of €1,361.08 (10 per cent). To those you’ll have to add the transport and insurance costs to bring the car back - i.e. your ferry fare. Let’s say €200. All that adds up to €15,171.85 as the customs value. The VAT should then be 23 per cent of that, or €3,489.53.

Please double check our calculations and take this as guidance only.

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Hi Michael,

VAT at 23 per cent is charged on the ‘customs value’ of the car, which, according to Revenue is “the purchase price, plus the cost of transport and insurance, plus any Customs Duties payable”. It has nothing to do with the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price).

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Hi Mehir,

I agree, there’s no way the OMSP is so low for that car so don’t take that figure seriously. I’d suggest a minimum OMSP of €14,000. If the CO₂ is 127g/km (and that will depend on the specific model - some versions are in the band below) then VRT is 17.5 per cent, so that would be €2,450 before the NOx levy, which should only be €160 according to our data.

And it sounds like no VAT or import duty would be due on that car as you’ve said.

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Hi Martin,

If you go to https://www.mlit.go.jp/jidosha/jidosha_fr10_000019.html (and use a browser that will automatically translate it from Japanese to English for you) you can scroll down to item 6 and get Excel files full of information for loads of JDM cars. Those hold engine codes, etc, fuel consumption and CO₂ data, but not NOx information that we can see unfortunately. 

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Hi Ahmed,

We can help you calculate an estimate, but bear in mind there are variables that are outside our control. The two items needed are the CO₂ rating to determine the VRT band the car is in and the OMSP. The latter - standing for Open Market Selling Price - is not a fixed thing and not directly linked to how much you pay for the car. It is the price Revenue believes the car would sell for registered in Ireland and it's not always easy to guess a figure for. Also bear in mind that if the car has lots of extras, Revenue will bump up the OMSP. 

Anyway, to help give an estimate, I believe the CO₂ rating for that model should put the car into Band 9, at 15.25 per cent. 

Taking €19,000 as the example OMSP, that would mean a VRT bill of €2,897.50. 

Don't forget the NOx levy and, depending on where you're importing the car from, VAT and import duty as well.

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Hi Phil,

On the Irish market, the M Sport model rides on 18-inch alloy wheels while the Sport version is on 17-inch rims with higher-profile tyres. As standard they both get the same suspension, but the tyres will make the M Sport model feel 'firmer' on the road for sure. 

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Hi Lorraine,

The MG is certainly worth a look as it's exceptionally good value and also quite a spacious car. The Hyundai is perhaps a better-known quantity with a wider dealer network, but MG offers a great new-car warranty as well so don't be put off by that. If you're tempted by all the mod cons for that price I expect the MG might win for you, though make sure you go drive both for yourself to see which you prefer.

Buying new suits some people and not others. If you're buying with finance then it works well, and there's nothing quite like that new-car feel either. But others don't want to pay for the early years of depreciation that a new car comes with.

Of the used cars you mentioned, the Karoq and Ateca were never offered as hybrids. The Formentor was available as a plug-in hybrid if you'd consider that. It's a lovely car for sure. 

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Hi Dean,

I'll address your questions in reverse order.

It may be possible to make savings if a dealer brings a car in for you, but we've never been through the process so couldn't say for sure. They obviously will still want to make a profit out of the sale, so I suspect most will be reticent to get involved in sourcing a specific car in the way you’re describing. If you know one personally, it’s worth having a conversation about it of course.

If you go it alone, sourcing a car from Northern Ireland should work out cheaper than from England, Scotland or Wales if the car has actually been registered there and then used by a private individual for “a reasonable period of time”. Those are Revenue’s words and it’s widely accepted that three months minimum is acceptable. The car in question should therefore be free of any VAT or customs duty on import to the south.

No matter where you import the car from, you will be liable for VRT and the NOx levy, depending on how much NOx and CO₂ the car emits according to its official numbers. I suggest you read our How Much VRT Is Paid In Ireland? feature to gain a full understanding of that.

According to our records, the BMW described should have a CO₂ rating of 119g/km, putting it into Band 10 for VRT, at a rate of 16 per cent. Just to confuse things, Revenue calculates VRT based on what it calls the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP). This is not what you actually paid for the car, but the value Revenue reckons it is worth on the Irish market. It’s difficult to predict as it’s not confirmed until you bring the car for inspection on arrival in Ireland, and extra equipment etc. can raise the price. Our guess for that BMW would be €28,000, meaning a VRT bill of €4,480.

According to our records, the BMW described should have a NOx output of 38mg/km, meaning a NOx levy of €190.

The equivalent data for the Audi shows a CO₂ rating of 135g/km, meaning Band 13 for VRT at 19.25 per cent of the OMSP. If that’s €28,000 again (and always bear in mind Revenue may say it’s higher), then the VRT bill would be €5,390.

The Audi’s NOx rating is 45mg/km, meaning a NOx levy of €275.

Finally, if you import a car from outside the “customs union” - e.g. England, Scotland or Wales - it will be subject to VAT at 23 per cent and import duty of 10 per cent. Those are calculated using the price you actually paid for the car, plus transport costs.

Hopefully that has helped you understand a little more.

I’d also recommend you read our Guide to importing a car from Northern Ireland feature for more on that.

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Hi Des,

The late payment penalty is 0.1 per cent per day after the allowed 30 days. If the van is as described, with a VRT fee of €200, then the daily penalty added on is just 20 cents...