Is it ok to keep a UK car here during lockdown?
Hi guys,
My daughter drove home to Dublin from London last October in her UK-registered car. It has been sitting on the road outside the house since then, she drives around occasionally to keep the battery up. She is still here because of the lockdown here and in London. My neighbour has said that if someone reports the car to Customs that they can take it off her and she will have to pay import duty to get it back. She has owned it more than six months. It is her intention that if we and the UK EVER get out of lockdown that she will drive back to London.
She has no money as a result of Covid and is on the Covid payment and came home because she could not afford her rent in London. My husband and myself have been in lockdown for over a year now, we are just not able for the worry of this. Have you any advice please? We do not have a driveway big enough to take this car.
Regards Helen
Helen ONeill (Dublin)Mar 2021 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Helen,
OK, first off there’s nothing to be concerned about. People who are temporarily resident in Ireland are allowed to bring their cars with them, and not have to re-register or fully import them for as long as 12 months. There are no forms to fill out, you just have to be able to show proof of address, purchase, tax, and insurance when and if you’re asked. Students who are studying in Ireland can keep cars with them for the duration of their studies, even if that exceeds 12 months, so there are clearly generally lenient rules when it comes to this. Given that your daughter is (a) intending to return to the UK when it is safe to do so and (b) effectively sheltering with you because of the pandemic, I wouldn’t be too concerned about having the car taken away nor anything like it.
Really, the only issue that would arise is if your daughter wanted to sell the car here, but if she’s going to keep it, I would say you’ve not much to worry about.
I have a unique import question from NI!
I have a two-part question. Can you offer clarification on the distinction between registering a car vs importing a car to NI/ROI after the Brexit cut-off date? Back story: I have a GB reg car and I've been the registered keeper of it for more than two years. I took it to NI in Sep 2020, before the Brexit cut off date of 1 Jan 2021. However, it has still been registered at a GB address, whilst I move between the two countries. I am now ready to register the car in NI at a permanent address.
1) Are there UK custom duties and VAT now attached to this if I register it in NI? Or because the car was taken (can I say imported?) to NI before the cut off date - just not registered - is the process the same pre-Brexit? It is still registered at an English address. I would specifically like to check if registering the vehicle in NI before the cut off date was necessary to avoid the extra UK import fees due to Brexit?
2) When I subsequently move to the ROI, will the car be subjected to Irish Customs Duty, VAT and VRT? I keep reading used cars from Northern Ireland will not be subjected to the new customs/VAT fees but I'm not sure if this is applicable to the car detailed above. Revenue.ie state: "You can register a vehicle registered before 1 January 2021 without any checks on the customs status if it was registered: i) in Northern Ireland or ii) to a person resident in Northern Ireland". So whilst it wasn't registered in Northern Ireland, it was registered to a person with an address in Northern Ireland before the cut off date.
Any information is gratefully received.
Cheers
Caroline Ponsonby (Lisburn)Mar 2021 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Caroline,
Right, this is a bit of a tricky one. The good news, first off, is that there’s no issue with moving a car between England and Northern Ireland — no duties nor VAT to pay, all you have to do is inform the DVLA of the change of address.
Bringing that car south might then represent a difficulty, but it will depend on how long you wait between your registering the car in the North and bringing it south. Technically, Revenue have told us that there is no specific timeline when it comes to having a car registered in Northern Ireland and not having to pay import duty and VAT when importing that car into the Republic. However, they have also said that they will be carefully monitoring the paper trail of each car to ensure that no-one is trying to game the system. If there’s only going to be a short gap between you registering the car in the North and then importing it into the South, that could get antennae twitching at Revenue, even if you’re technically above board.
How to make my commercial Kuga private?
Hi,
I have a 191 Ford Kuga Utility four-seat commercial that I'm looking in the near future to use privately. Is this as simple as insuring and taxing it as a private vehicle or are there any other steps, i.e re-registering it as a private vehicle?
Thanks in advance for your help
Stuart Coonerny (Lisburn)Mar 2021 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Stuart,
No, you don’t need to re-register it, you simply need to call up your local motor tax office and tell them that you want to tax it as a private car. They’ll then put you on the old by-engine-capacity tax system, and the job’s done. The tricky part is insurance — we’ve been hearing that many people are struggling to find insurers who’ll cover a commercial as a private car, so have a good, careful shop around for cover first.
Cost to use a Transit Connect privately?
I am currently office based for work with the requirement to visit building sites from time to time. I am considering buying a Ford Transit Connect van, 1.5-litre that is more practical than my current car for visiting sites. I would therefore need the van for work and private purposes as I cannot afford to have a seperate car for private use only. What type of tax and insurance by law do I need for this scenario (private/commercial) and what would be the approx cost of same?
Thanks
Ronan Toft (Kilcullen)Mar 2021 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Ronan,
You will have to tax the van as a private car if you’re going to use it for social, domestic or pleasure purposes. That’s relatively easy to do — you just need to ring up you local motor tax office and ask them to make the switch for you. Annual motor tax will cost you €413 a year for the 1.5-litre engine (taxing a commercial as a private car means you go back to the old engine capacity based system).
Insurance is the trickier aspect, and we’ve heard from a lot of readers that they struggle to find cover for commercials as private vehicles. We always advise to try and track down a good, reputable, broker and get cover sorted before you make any decisions.
Take a read of Buying a commercial vehicle for private use for more information.
How to change from N1 van to M1?
Hi,
I want to buy an N1 van and change to M1 status. How do I do this?
Mohammed Ahmed (Midleton)Mar 2021 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Mohammed,
If you mean changing the tax status on a van to a private car, then really all you have to do is ring up your local motor tax office, and tell them that you want to change the tax status of your vehicle. Insurance is the tricky part — some insurers don’t like covering vans being used as cars, so make sure you shop around carefully before you decide.
Read Buying a commercial vehicle for private use for more.
Can I drive a UK car in Ireland?
Hi.
My home is in Northern Ireland. I work in South of Ireland. Can I drive a UK-registered car?
James Curry (Tyrone)Feb 2021 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi James,
Yes, you can. As long as your car is registered to your Northern Ireland address, and so is your insurance, all you need is a ‘Green Card’ from your insurer to extend the cover to the Republic.
Thinking of buying an old Toyota Hilux...
Hi,
I already have a car in my name for private use and I'm thinking of buying an old 2002 Toyota Hilux to have some fun driving an old truck. So, I have two questions: can I register its ownership without having a company? Can I purchase classic insurance for this Hilux?
Thanks in advance!!
Renato Dultra (Maynooth)Feb 2021 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Renato,
Yes, absolutely — you can register a Hilux for personal use, but just remember that you’ll have to tax it as a private vehicle, which means you’ll be taxing it on the engine capacity, not the CO2 emissions. If it’s a 3.0-litre Hilux, that’s going to be pricey. Insurance can be an issue too, so get hold of a good broker to help you find the right policy.
Classic insurance is a non-runner, sadly. In Ireland, a car has to be more than 30 years old to qualify for classic status.
How much to insure a Transit privately?
How much would a 171 Ford Transit Connect cost to insure privately?
Maire Twiss (Milltown )Feb 2021 Filed under: insurance
Expert answer
Hi Maire,
Unfortunately, you might as well ask us how long a piece of string might be. Irish insurance companies are something of a law unto themselves, and the cost of insurance will depend more on you and your record than on the vehicle itself. On top of which, some of our readers have been telling us that they have been finding it difficult to get some insurers to cover commercial vehicles as private cars at all. Our advice is to get hold of a good broker, who can help you navigate through all this.
Are we exempt from import charges and VRT?
We brought our car over in December 2020; it's a BMW 1 Series diesel and Ireland is our main residence now; are we exempt from charges?
Margaret Allen (Galway)Feb 2021 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Margaret,
If you moved to Ireland from the UK (or any other country for that matter) and brought your car with you, then you are indeed exempt from paying VRT and import duties, as long as you can show proof of your change of address, and proof of at least six months' prior tax and insurance on the car at your previous address.
Should I bring a car with me from England?
If I move to live in Ireland from England is it a good idea to bring my car with me or should I buy over there?
Russell Drake (Bolton )Feb 2021 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Russell,
If you like your current car then it’s definitely a good idea to bring it with you. Importing a vehicle as part of a change of address means that you won’t have to pay Vehicle Registration Tax, which is a significant saving. All you need is proof of the change of address, and proof of at least six months’ tax and insurance at your previous address.
Read our Guide to Importing Cars from the UK feature for more.