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Hi Jerry,

Assuming that it’s running on the 18-inch wheels, the 2016 C 250 d Coupe has CO₂ emissions of 112g/km and so will cost €200 a year to tax.

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Hi Janice,

It depends when you bought it. If you bought it at least six months ago, and can show that it’s been taxed and insured for that period, plus you can show proof of transfer of residence, then there’s no import duty (Vehicle Registration Tax) to pay. When it comes to paying road tax, it depends on the model. If it’s a commercial vehicle, and used as a commercial vehicle, then it will cost €333 a year to tax. If it’s a commercial vehicle but used as a private car, then it will be €1,034 per year. If it’s a passenger model Defender, then with CO₂ emissions of more than 225g/km, it’ll cost you €2,350 per year in motor tax.

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Hi Brian,

Well, in the first instance, it would probably be a good idea to ring the company back and ask to see their permits. If you don’t fancy doing that, then I would send your registration document off pretty quickly, as otherwise you may still be liable if the car is illegally dumped or some other such nefarious activity takes place. Send the form off, and then contact the local motor tax office, or possibly the Gardaí, and talk through your concerns with them.

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Hi Anne,

It will depend on the make, model and year. Motor tax is calculated based on the car’s CO₂ emissions, and that’s specific to each individual model. Unless of course it’s a pre-2008 car, in which case tax for a 1.2-litre engine is €330 per year.

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HI Niall,

Yeah, that sounds wrong to us. The highest emissions figure we can find for a 2016 Kuga is 140g/km, which would result in tax of €280, and that would be for the range-topping 180hp version with four-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox. However, €710 is EXACTLY the motor tax you’d pay on a 2.0-litre engine if the car was previously registered as a commercial vehicle and then taxed as a private car. Maybe check and see if that’s the case?

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Hi Clive,

Because you revert to the old by-engine-capacity tax system when taxing a commercial as a private car, a 2.2-litre engine is going to cost €951 a year to tax.

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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 Mark,

The government knows the emissions of each vehicle simply because each vehicle is put through a series of official laboratory tests as part of the process of homologation — the legal process whereby a car is pronounced as passed for sale to the public - and that data is made available by the car manufacturers. As for which is cheaper to tax, it’s down to the CO₂ emissions and we’d have to know which make and models you’re looking at before we could give you a precise answer, but in most cases, for a given car, the diesel would have lower CO₂ emissions and hence motor tax.

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Hi Gerry,

If you paid €270 last year, that means your car is in Band B1 (121-130g/km). You can pay for half a year, at €149 or a quarter of a year, at €76, if you so wish.

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Hi Patrick,

Sadly, with a big engine like that, it’ll be €1,080 a year.