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Hi Ken,

In terms of insurance, you simply need to contact your insurer and tell them that you’re going to tax the vehicle for private, social and pleasure use. There may be an increase in your premium because of this, but it shouldn’t be massive. As for the tax, all you have to do is contact your local motor tax office and inform them that you want to tax the vehicle for private use. That will put you onto the old by-engine-capacity tax system, so for a 2.0-litre TDCi Kuga, that’ll be €710 a year.

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Hi Michael,

You only need to show proof of business use if you’re taxing it purely as a commercial vehicle. If you’re taxing it for private use, then all you have to do is let the local motor tax office know, and they’ll shift you to the old by-engine-capacity tax system. As for insurance, just talk to your insurer or broker and they’ll get your sorted. 

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Hi Gerry,

No, motor tax hasn’t been changed for 2020, so you’ll pay the same as last year. The only change to the tax system is the introduction of the new NOx emissions tax, but that only applies if you’re buying a new car or importing a used car from abroad. 

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Hi Eoin,

Well, to tax a 2.2 Transit as a private car will cost you €950 a year, but the good news is that you don’t need a VAT number to be able to tax a van as a commercial. You simply have to fill out a Goods Only Declaration form (find it here: http://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content//Documents/Application_Forms/Roads_and_Traffic/Motor Tax/RF111A_ENG.pdf) and for that you only need your income tax registration number and get it witnessed at your local Garda station. 

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Hi Fergus,

VRT won’t come into it. Even if you’re buying as a private buyer, you still pay the 13.3 per cent commercial vehicle rate. As for motor tax, for a 2.2 engine it’ll be €951 per year. 

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Hi Clare,

A Hilux has a 2.4-litre engine (well, the current one does, but remember that older versions had 3.0-litre units) so if you want to tax it as a private vehicle that’s going to be €1,034 per year for motor tax. I’m pretty sure you can’t register and tax a horse lorry for private use as it’s over the 3,500kg limit for private cars. The tax therefore would be the commercial rate of €333 per year. As for insurance, that’s probably more down to you and your own driving record than it is to the vehicle, but the good news is that there are specialist horse lorry insurers, such as Wexford Insurance, who would probably be able to give you a good quote. 

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Hi Mary,

That version of the Soul, with the automatic gearbox, has CO₂ emissions of 155g/km, so it’ll cost you €390 a year to tax. VRT on import shouldn’t be too steep — probably around the €1,800 mark depending on optional equipment, but bring it in quick — if you leave it until after January 1st you’ll have to pay the extra NOx tax, and that will add €1,975 to your import bill...

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Hi Alan,

Yes, you can. Just contact your local motor tax office and inform them of the change. They’ll then switch you to the old by-engine-capacity tax system, and you’ll pay €358 per annum.

Yes, you can. Just contact your local motor tax office and inform them of the change. They’ll then switch you to the old by-engine-capacity tax system, and you’ll pay €358 per annum.

Expert answer

Hi Martina,

When you say ‘changing’ do you mean trading-in, or having your existing van converted? If you’re trading in, then we’d have to know the make and model of the van you’re interested in buying to tell you the VRT charge. If you’re converting your existing van to a crew cab, then there’s no change unless you decide to tax it as a private vehicle. Keep it as a commercial and you’ll pay the same €333 in annual motor tax.

If you want to change it to private vehicle tax (so that you can use it for anything other than strictly work use) then, assuming it’s the 1.9 dCi engine, it’ll cost you €673 in annual motor tax. There’s no VRT charge if you already own the vehicle — that only applies to new purchases or to vehicles being imported for the first time. 

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Hi Bill,

Technically, and strictly legally speaking, yes you do I’m afraid. It’s an offence to drive a car on the public road in Ireland or the UK without having paid motor tax. You could be fined £80 on the spot in the UK, and potentially have to pay as much as £1,000 if the case went to court. All in all, it’s just not worth the risk.