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Hi Aaron,

Not necessarily. Officially the emissions-based taxation system came into force from the 1st of July 2008. Everything registered after that date is automatically on the CO₂-based system. For cars registered between January 1st and June 30th 2008, it’s a little different. Initially, they would have been taxed on the old engine capacity system, but if the tax cost would have been lower under the CO₂ system, then the car should have been switched over at first renewal. If it hasn’t been switched by now, it probably means that it’s more affordable to tax on the old capacity system, so has been left on that one.

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Hi Shane,

Yes you can — anyone can buy a commercial vehicle and tax it as a commercial, but the restriction is on use. If you’re using it for personal use (i.e: literally anything other than going to and from work, or transporting items for work), then you really ought to register it as a private car and tax it accordingly. It's a major fine if you’re caught displaying incorrect tax.

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Hi Kevin,

You’re charged the higher rate because your car is a 2007 registration — so it was registered before the switchover to the CO₂-based tax system, which kicked in in January of 2008. 

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Hi Darragh,

If you’re taxing a commercial vehicle for private use then, yes, you do revert to the old engine capacity tax system. We don’t know why either — it’s a quirk of the Irish motor tax system. For a 2.0-litre Amarok, that tax is going to be €710 per year, while for the 2.2 Ranger it’ll be €951.

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Hi John,

Yes, you should be able to apply for a repayment of VRT and VAT on a new car, or the residual VRT on a used car, if you are the named driver of someone who qualifies under the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme. I’d start by looking at the Citizens’ Information page on this, and then contacting your local motor tax office when you’re ready to. You may also qualify for free annual motor tax. As for the allowance on a €40,000 car, that will depend on the particular model as the VRT is calculated on emissions, not price. 

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Hi Bridie,

Yes, if you’re going to use a van or pick-up as a private vehicle, then you really ought to change the classification on the registration document. A trip to your local motor tax office will help in this regard. As for the test, yes, even though it’s now being used for private driving, it’ll still have to go through the Commercial Vehicle Test (CVT — the new name for the old DOE test) and that costs €94 for a van or 4x4 commercial.

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Hi Michael,

You’ll need to go and talk to your local motor tax office to get it re-registered, and you’ll almost certainly end up paying more motor tax, as you’ll be taxed on the capacity of the engine. You’ll still have to put it through the Commercial Vehicles Test (CVT) every year, and don’t forget to advise your insurer of the change of use.

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Hi Aime,

As ever, welcome to the wonderful world of Irish car insurance… You’re totally within your rights to be able to use a van as a private car, and actually you’re doing the right thing by registering it for private use, and informing your insurer. Many people just break the law by driving a commercial for private use without ever paying the extra tax or informing their insurer. If you’re struggling to find cover, I would track down a good local broker — they’re usually much more clued into the market than the call-centre staff of insurance firms, and can often find deals that we mere mortals can’t.

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Hi Philip,

Well, you’re right about Toyotas being reliable. In fact, if reliability is your ultimate goal, then Toyota, Honda and Subaru are usually your safest bets. That said, Skoda is rarely that far behind the big Japanese names in reliability terms, and often is the best-performing European marque in that regard. In terms of load capacity, the answer is almost, but not quite. The roomiest boot in the in the Toyota range right now belongs to the Corolla Touring Sports estate. Now, this is one of our favourite cars right now — good looking, good to drive and with a seriously frugal and future-proofed hybrid engine, but with a 598-litre boot, it’s some 62 litres short of the Superb Combi. Still worth considering though, as, if you can live without the extra litres in the back, then it’s a more cost-effective purchase than the Skoda.

Another alternative is the new RAV4 Hybrid. Again, this is smaller than the Superb in the back — 580 litres when loaded up to the windows — but the boot is big and square, and again the hybrid engine is frugal and it’s got reliability on its side. 

Worth remembering though that Skoda is refreshing the Superb this year (order books are open now for delivery later in the year) and there will be a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid in fact, this time around, so it might be worth waiting for that before making a final decision.

Relevant reviews:

Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid Touring Sports estate (2019) review

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD-i (2019) review

Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI Evo Combi (2020) review

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Hi Neil,

Bikes are taxed according to their engine capaciity. The current rates go like this: €49 for 0-75cc; €67 for 76-200cc; and €88 for 201-9,999cc. I really want to find the person who’s taxing a 9,999cc bike… Electric bikes are taxed on a flat rate of €35 a year.