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Hi there,

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Hi Pat,

The problem is that Ford Ireland, legally, cannot impose delivery charges on its dealers. It can suggest recommended delivery charges, but according to Irish law (and companies have, in the past, had their offices raided for this sort of thing), dealers are allowed to charge what they want for delivery and related. A spokesperson for the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission told us that: "Consumer law requires traders to provide the total cost, including extras, of a product to a consumer before they buy. In the specific instance of when a manufacturer is advertising a car for sale, the manufacturer can only advertise the recommended retail price and state that delivery and related charges will be extra. If a consumer then decides to buy that car, they should be provided with the total price by the dealer before they buy. Auxiliary costs such as motor insurance, tax etc. are not dealt with specifically under consumer protection law. However, through our information campaigns, we would encourage consumers to do their homework about such costs before making a purchase."

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Hi Philip,

It’s a tricky one. Technically, you’ve owned and used the car in Spain (and presumably taxed and insured it), which could, theoretically, mean that you can bring it in VRT-free, but the problem is your residency issue. As this was a holiday home, more than your full-time residence, it might not count. Usually, Revenue wants to see proof of change of address (rather than the end of use of an address) to give you the waiver on VRT. I think a chat to your accountant might be a good idea...

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Hi Barry,

The problem with electric cars is that, generally, they’re not rated for towing (I think that the new Nissan Leaf is one of the first with a towing rating), so you’re probably going to have to switch back to petrol or diesel for this one. Probably your best bet is to go for something very conventional, such as VW Golf or Ford Focus, and maybe go for the estate version of one of those to give yourself a little extra versatility. A Toyota Auris Hybird would also work well, and would at least keep you going on half-electric power. Plenty of them around in your price range.

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Hi Thomas,

It’s possible. If your car is the 2.0-litre 140hp TDCi saloon with a manual gearbox, then its CO₂ emissions should be rated at 156g/km, which would give you a motor tax bill of €570 a year. However, if it’s the automatic version, then the CO₂ rating jumps to 189g/km, and that’s a €750 bill. 

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Hi JC,

The big issue, really, is the size of the market. In the UK, vast dealer groups, with multiple outlets, are the norm and, obviously, these groups can be more cost-efficient and can potentially offer bigger discounts. Although there are dealer groups in Ireland, the norm is still very much the individual family-run business. That’s equally true on the import side of things — although there are now importers here that are tied directly to the car maker itself, many are still private, individual, locally-owned companies and those struggle to match the sort of discounting that is more common in the UK market. Plus, the fact that we buy in and around 100,000 to 130,000 cars a year here means that there’s less volume to spread discounts across. The UK market shifts two million cars a year — a considerable difference. VRT and VAT costs also play into it, as the wholesale price is often kept artificially lower to try and keep the added tax price down as much as possible.

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Hi Ellen,

Yes, theoretically I’d say you’re absolutely right. A classic VW T2 should be considered a classic, and not as a camper or anything else. To be honest, Revenue can be pretty useless when it comes to assessing VRT on classics and vintage cars, because the market in Ireland is so small for cars like that. What you’ll probably have to do is (unfortunately) pay the VRT up front, and then challenge it.

Get on to your local classic car club, or better yet a VW owners club for some expert opinion (in writing, of course) and maybe get your solicitor to draw you up a letter outlining why it’s a classic and not a camper. You should get a rebate, but it may take some time and effort.

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Hi Darren,

I think the first thing to do is to ‘lawyer-up’. You’re going to need some professional legal advice on this one. Basically, the law is pretty simple - once a car is in the country, you have a week to notify Revenue and make the booking at the NCT centre to have the car inspected, and 30 days to complete the process and get the new plates. Failure to do so means that Revenue can seize the car and they will only release it at their discretion, and on payment of a hefty fine. Plus there’s the issue of any unpaid motor tax.

As a purchaser, you should never buy a car that’s in Ireland, but still on its foreign plates. The law says it must be re-registered before being sold on. However, if you can show that you bought the car in good faith, and intended to follow the normal VRT procedure, then there might be a way through this for you. Clearly, the bulk of the onus is on the previous owner, but you definitely need to have a good solicitor on your side for this one.

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Hi William,

Not quite. Actually VRT is calculated on the OMSP, or Open Market Selling Price, which is that which the Revenue Commissioners calculate the car would be worth if it were an original Irish registered model. So, yes, age and mileage do come into it, but it’s not quite as simple as that.

As for the UK residency thing, again it’s not quite that simple — yes, you can avoid VRT if you bring a car into the country that you can show has been taxed and insured for at least six months, by you, at an address in the UK, BUT you will be asked to provide proof that you’re moving from the UK to Ireland, and proof that you were living and working in the UK for at least 185 days prior to the transfer of residence. 

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Hi Brian,

The diesel question is a particularly thorny one, mostly because we don’t have any firm guidance from the Government on what is going to happen with the taxation system. If anti-diesel taxes are brought in, then that will definitely have a serious effect on diesel used prices. For now though, all we can reliably say is that diesel is still popular outside the major urban centres and, for the most part, it’s still the best choice for the long-distance driver. I say most part, because hybrids are improving all the time and such cars as the Kia Niro and Toyota Prius are well able to manage better than 60mpg even on long motorway hauls, while a Lexus GS 300h, for example, is every bit as frugal in daily driving as a rival diesel product.