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Hi Keith,

OK, this isn’t a normal import situation, clearly, so I would — first off — gather up every single piece of paper, receipt and email that shows how this all unfolded. Technically speaking, the regulations make no allowances for mechanical defects, and you should have booked the appointment for inspection and VRT valuation at the time in January. However, given that the defect would have materially affected the value of the car,  not to mention your consumer rights, you might be able to argue your case. Get on to Revenue straight away though. Any delay starts to look like you’re trying to pull a fast one. 

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Hi Jason,

It’s not a bad thing, at any rate. As far as campers are concerned, you get charged the same 13.3 per cent VRT rate as regular panel vans at the point of import (based on the Irish market price, of course), but the good news is that once you have it converted it’ll only cost you €102 to tax it for a year. 

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Hi Peter,

I don't think you need to massively worry about any of this as, even if you can get the car here before the end of the year, it's the date that it's registered that counts with regards to VRT and other charges. And it will be impossible to get an appointment to have the car inspected for VRT purposes before the end of the year now. 

I don't think it will be an issue getting insurance, but it's best that your sister talk to the insurer to ensure they know the situation.

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Hi Martin,

The van still needs to go through the CVRT, not the NCT.

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Hi Jackie,

Yes, but there’s a better way to do it. If you’re buying from a dealer, it would be easier for them to claim back the VRT at the point of export, and sell you the car at the ex-VRT price. Not all dealers will be happy to do this but it’s worth asking the question. As a private buyer with UK residency, you’ll have to jump through a lot of hoops to claim back the VRT yourself. 

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Hi Mary,

If you do manage to get it registered before the end of this month (if you've not already got a VRT appointment, I'm afraid to tell you that you are unlikely to now) then your car will be taxed on its NEDC CO₂ rating, which I believe is 127g/km. That means €270 per annum now and no change for 2021. These guides might be of interest:

Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained

Guide to Importing Cars from the UK

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Hi Gerard,

Almost definitely, yes. If you’re exempt from VRT, then buying a used car from the UK makes huge sense. You get more choice, often a higher level of spec and potentially huge savings on price. I say ‘potentially’ because there are obviously outlying examples where you won’t find such big savings, but depending on the car you can often save as much as €5,000 even when you DO pay VRT, so the savings without will be even higher (again, depending on the model). 

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Hi Cesar,

No, you don’t specifically need the V5c. And it doesn’t really matter that the bike is coming over in a van. What is important is that you have seven days to book your appointment at your nearest NCT centre, and 30 days to complete the process of VRT payment and registration.

What you will need is proof of sale (an invoice for the bike with your name on it); proof of date of entry (a ferry ticket will do); proof of your ID and address (utility bill etc); and your PPSN number.

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Hi Gerry,

Yes, that’s right. You need to fill out form VAT411, which allows a private individual — whether you are registered for VAT or not — to reclaim the VAT. However, there will be an extra cost involved — UK VAT is charged at 20 per cent, but Irish VAT is 21 per cent (temporarily)...

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Hi Daire,

Wow. Quite cold right enough. Possibly, thankfully, it also won’t work. Even if you inherit the car, you’d still have to import it and re-register it and would still have to pay the VRT.