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Hi Bernie,

As long as it’s registered as a commercial vehicle and used only (and strictly only) for work purposes, it’ll cost €333 a year to tax. If you want to use it for family or social driving, then it goes onto the old by-engine-capacity tax system, which is €951 a year on that vehicle. 

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Hi David,

Well, basically you take that VRT cost of €819 and add it to the money you’ve actually paid for the Galaxy, converted into Euro. On top of that, there’s the NCTS fee for having the vehicle inspected (€55), the cost of a year’s motor tax (that will depend on the engine that’s in the car) and the cost of getting new number plates made up and fitted (shouldn’t be more than €30 or thereabouts). 

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Hi John,

I'm afraid that cars need to be over 30 years old to avail of classic tax. See our Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained feature for more details.

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Hi Raymond,

Sadly, it’ll be €994. For some arcane reason (which no-one has been able to explain to us in a way that actually makes any sense), if you register a commercial vehicle as a private car, you have to go back onto the old by-engine-capacity tax system.

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Hi Stella,

There isn’t really a way around it, I’m afraid. According to Revenue, the rules say that once you have imported a car with a change of address, and been exempt from paying Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT), then you have to keep and use the car for at least 12 months after, or the full amount of the VRT will have to be paid. If you have exceptional circumstances, you could try contacting Revenue and pleading your case, but in general where VRT is concerned, rules are rules and that’s that.

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Hi Joe,

It’s actually €710, the rate for cars with engines sized between 1,901cc and 2,000cc (the Amarok 2.0 is actually 1,968cc). As we’ve said before, for some bizarre reason, if you’re taxing a commercial vehicle as a private car, you go back onto the old by-engine-capacity system.

Read this for more: Buying a commercial vehicle for private use

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Hi David,

If you are using the Navara strictly for business work, and not for social, domestic or pleasure use, then you can tax it as a commercial vehicle for €333 a year. If you are using it for any personal driving, then you have to transfer it back to the old by-engine-capacity tax system and, with a 2.3-litre engine, that’s going to work out at a hefty €994 a year, I’m afraid.

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Hi Kay,

It will depend if you’re importing it. If not, then no VRT applies in any case, but there will be a fee payable for re-registering. At that point, there may also be motor tax implications, but theoretically, if Revenue accepts the conversion, then motorhomes only have to pay €102 a year.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that, to be classified as a motorhome, you’ll have to pass type approval, for which there are minimum standards. The Road Safety Authority has all the details you’ll need, but it might get expensive meeting all the requirements. 

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Hi Ken,

Well, the good news is that, even if you’re importing it for personal use, at the point of paying VRT it still counts as a commercial, so it’s just 13.3 per cent of the Irish market selling price. The wrinkle comes then when you want to tax it as a private car, which means going back onto the old by-engine-capacity system, which for a 3.0 Hilux is going to mean a whopping €1,494 a year.

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Hi Barry,

Basically nothing. At 30 years old, your Land Rover will qualify for ‘vintage’ tax and insurance. The only wrinkle might be that your insurer might insist that you have a ‘modern’ car taxed and insured as well, as classics are supposedly only for weekends etc.