Expert answer

Hi Thomas,

It will depend on the detailed specification of the car (manual or DSG; hatch or estate; which wheels?), but it looks to be 67-71mg/km.

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Hi Brian,

You will have to pay the VAT I’m afraid. In fact, you’d have to pay it as a commercial buyer as well, but you could of course reclaim it then subsequently. As a private buyer, you just have to pay it, unfortunately. For using a commercial as a private car, you have to let your local motor tax office know that you’re doing so, and you’ll then pay tax based on the size of the engine, not the CO₂ emissions figure. Getting private insurance for a commercial vehicle can be tricky, so shop around carefully or get in touch with a good broker before you commit.

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Hi Kinga,

Though you imported the car only six years ago, it was first registered in 2006, so its taxation is based on its engine capacity for pre-2008 cars.

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Hi Adaora,

OK, if you bring it in right now, and get it VRT’d before January 1st, then the VRT cost should be in the region of €1,700. After January 1st, that will go up a little as, with CO₂ emissions of 119g/km, and adding the extra calculation that Revenue will now be making to equalise emissions figures taken from the old NEDC test with the new WLTP test (which bring’s the Mazda3’s figures up to 144g/km) then it will be in a 19 per cent VRT  band, rather than a 17 per cent. That would most likely bring the VRT payable (including the NOx levy) to around €1,900, but all of that will of course depend on the individual car, its specification, condition and history.

Read these articles for more information:

How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland?

Guide to Importing Cars from the UK

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Hi Séamus,

A CoC should (emphasis should) be easy to get. You could go back to the person you bought the van from and ask them from which Mercedes UK dealer it was originally purchased. That dealer should still have the original CoC on their files, as they were the original registrar of the vehicle when it arrived in the UK from the factory.

Alternatively, we’ve contacted Mercedes-Benz Irish importer, Motor Distributors Limited, and it says that it can get a duplicate of the CoC from Stuttgart, but that process costs €100 and would take 2-3 weeks. 

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Hi Adam,

If you register that car before the end of 2020 then there is no uplift and your annual tax will be based on the 94g/km rating.

If you cannot register it until after 1 January 2021, then the CO₂ rating will be uplifted, and that new CO₂ rating will be used to determine the VRT paid on registration and the annual tax bill from then on. 

There is no uplifting of the NOx levy, incidentally, but the amount charged will change a little come 2021.

It may be worth your while reading our three relevant guides, which have been updated since the Budget 2021 announcements:

Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained

How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland?

Guide to Importing Cars from the UK

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Hi Paul,

Yes, that's correct, but you need to watch out for the fact that Revenue will be 'uplifting' the CO₂ figures of imports. So, if a 2016 car you're looking at now has CO₂ emissions of, say, 165g/km, and it's a diesel, Revenue will uplift that to 201g/km, and that's the number that will determine your VRT and motor tax going forward.

Full details of the uplift formulas etc. can be found in our Guide to Importing Cars from the UK.

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Hi Noel,

You're right that cars have been WLTP-tested for a while now, but the WLTP CO₂ figure was not in use. Instead, an-NEDC-equivalent value was used and quoted in all official documentation. That was a legal requirement, incidentally, not an attempt by the car makers to mislead. 

Cars already registered will not benefit from the tax changes coming in 2021. We've covered this in detail in our Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained feature.

Expert answer

Hi Daniel,

In brief, CO₂ emissions used to be measured on the 'NEDC' test, which was found to be inadequate. It was replaced by the new 'WLTP' regime, which still measures CO₂ and outputs the rating that will be the only one used going forward.

So, the VRT and motor tax of an import, if it is registered after 1 January 2021, will be based on the WLTP CO₂ rating if it exists. If it does not exist, then Revenue 'uplift' the NEDC CO₂ rating according to a formula it has devised.

In the case of the 2020 Tiguan you mentioned, the 168g/km figure would be used. That means VRT of 26 per cent and annual motor tax of €420.

I recommend you read our three relevant guides, which have been updated since Budget 2021:

Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained

How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland?

Guide to Importing Cars from the UK

Expert answer

Hi Dermot,

Volkswagen Ireland has not released the updated pricing as yet, but we understand it won't change very much for that model. The cost of the car is about €30,000 and the WLTP emissions rating is 124g/km. That means 15.75 per cent VRT, which would be €4,725 on that price.