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Hi Terry,

That car should have a NOx figure of 67mg/km (although the final figure will depend on the car’s spec and equipment — it should be recorded on the V5 registration document). If our 67mg/km figure is right, then that translates to a NOx charge of €405.

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Hi Stephen,

If it’s a full LPG conversion — i.e. the entire petrol fuel system has been removed and replaced — then there may be some way of applying for a lower VRT rate. Revenue doesn’t currently allow for LPG in its NOx ratings, and the likelihood is that if the car is still capable of running on petrol, then it will still be charged at the normal rate.

The really tricky part is the acceptance of the figures. In theory, Revenue will only accept the NOx figure taken from the car’s original Certificate Of Conformity, which obviously won’t cover any later conversions. I think the first thing to do is to get every scrap of papwerwork relating to the LPG conversion, and then have a long chat with your local motor tax office. 

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Hi Marlon,

It’s not a classic yet, I’m afraid. To qualify for ’vintage’ status (as Revenue erroneously insists on using), a car has to be at least 30 years old, so the youngest BMW Z3s won’t start to qualify until 2025. Calculating a VRT value for one is tricky, as prices and values are massively variable according to condition. I would think that a value of around €6,000 sounds about right, which could mean as much as €2,100 in VRT terms given that the 2.0i auto is in the highest band for VRT with CO₂ emissions above 225g/km. That’s just a guess though — Revenue is notoriously awkward about valuing cars that are less common.

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Hi Rory,

That’s a really tough one to answer, as there are so few E30 3 Series around at the moment, and values stretch from almost nothing to lots, depending on condition. The problem is that Revenue is notoriously awkward when it comes to valuing older, rarer cars and could slap a massive value on the car that’s simply not realistic. My best suggestion would be to get in touch with the BMW Owners Club in Ireland and get a good feeling for the value of your car. If Revenue mis-values it, you’ll be able to appeal and claim back the excess VRT paid. Or, perhaps, try and wait until October to get it done, which would be the best all-round. 

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Hi Roisin,

Unfortunately, we can’t tell you the precise amount of VRT payable on a Tesla Model 3 as Tesla doesn’t provide us with a wholesale price, net of VRT and VAT. However, it’s not going to be much, if anything at all, thanks to the €5,000 VRT rebate available on electric cars.

As for the vast difference between the price of a Model 3 in the US, most of that is down to tax — don’t forget that the American price Tesla quotes does not include local sales taxes, whereas the Irish price is inclusive of VAT (which is, at a rough guess, the guts of €5,000 to €8,000 depending on the model).

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Hi Declan,

Yes, you will have to pay VAT or import duty when the car is brought here, I’m afraid. VAT will be payable at the standard rate based on the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price) of the car, as defined by Revenue. 

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Hi Lynn,

There are actually a huge number of tax breaks for disabled drivers in Ireland, including exemption from paying Vehicle Registration Tax and VAT on new cars or imports, plus a repayment of any VAT spent on converting or adapting a vehicle to your needs. You’ll need to be able to provide a Primary Medical Certificate, which you may need to wait until you’ve moved here to get, as it’ll have to come from your local Health Service Executive (HSE) office - although it’s possible that a UK cert would also be acceptable.

You can claim back the VRT and VAT on a new vehicle of up to 6,000cc engine capacity, and there’s also a fuel grant of 60c per litre for petrol, and 49c per litre for diesel, which can be reclaimed at the end of each year (up to a maximum of 2,370 litres). You’ll also be exempt from annual road tax, and you can find out more on all of this by getting in touch with your local Motor Tax office.

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Hi Derick,

Revenue always seems to have a problem working out values for any car that’s not a thoroughly mainstream family hatchback or saloon, sadly. We’ve been through the calculations and our dead-reckoning is that you could be looking at a VRT bill of around €2,000 — which seems a bit steep for a seven-year-old car to be honest.

We don't think Brexit is going to alter the situation in favour of those importing cars from the UK, either, so no point waiting.

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Hi Ciaran,

Well, we’d obviously advise you to buy from a reputable source in the UK, as the Ranger is a hard-working pickup, usually provided rather than owned, and therefore will probably have had a tough life. Make sure you check any potential purchases over very, very carefully indeed, and don’t buy anything without a full service history. The VRT for commercial imports is 13 per cent of the Irish open market selling value, and so we’d expect you’d have to pay around €2,500 to €3,000 in VRT.

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Hi Colm,

It depends — for the most part, all vans are charged VRT at a rate of 13.3 per cent of the Irish market selling price, but some N1 vans qualify for a basic charge of €200 if, according to Revenue, they have always had fewer than four seats, and at any time a laden mass greater than 130 per cent of the mass in service. Better check with the local motor tax office to find out which category your Transporter fits into...