Expert answer

Hi Rose,

Yes, it's a good car. A little quirky to look at and a little bit noisy to drive, but really roomy (hence the name) and very well made and reliable.

But it's not high up off the ground. The front seats are mounted higher than those of a Fabia - 30mm higher in fact, but if it's height you want, for ride height for rough roads, you need to look at the Skoda Yeti.

Expert answer

Hi Shane,

We enlisted the expert assistance of Conlan Crotty Murray & Co (Leopardstown, Dublin 18, 01 295 9090, www.conlancrottymurray.com) to answer this one for you. Here's the response:

"Generally speaking, leasing companies will only lease new cars.  On the basis that the individual decides to lease a new car then the rental payments under the lease agreement should be treated as an expense in the accounts of the self-employed individual.  As the lease period is usually three or four years this provides for a significantly accelerated write-off of cost for tax purposes as compared with the purchase of an owned vehicle where the tax write-off under the capital allowance regime is spread over eight years.  However, at the end of the lease period if the vehicle is traded in against a new vehicle the trade in allowance on the first leased car may trigger a claw-back of lease charges previously deducted for tax purposes. 

To the extent that the individual uses the car for private use in addition to business use then an appropriate restriction on the tax deductibility of the leasing charges should be applied. E.g. if the car is used 40 per cent for private use, then 40 per cent of the lease payments should be disallowed as an expense in computing income for tax purposes.  The benefit-in-kind provisions referred to by the reader do not apply to self-employed individuals.  The benefit-in-kind rules would apply to the extent that a leased car is provided by an employer to an employee in computing the employee's payroll tax liability.  There is no private use restriction on the tax deductibility of leasing expenses for a car where the car is supplied to an employee and that employee uses the car for private purposes.

Some of the annual lease rental expense may be clawed back in the computation of income for tax purposes if the car has a retail value at inception of the lease of more than €24,000 and the CO₂ emissions from the car do not exceed 155g/km.  If the car has CO₂ emissions of more than 155g/km, but not exceeding 190g/km, the value of the expense deduction for income tax purposes is restricted by reference to a reduced capital limit of €12,000.  Where the CO₂ emissions on a car exceed 190g/km, no deduction for leasing costs is permitted in calculating the individual's income tax liability for the year.

Therefore, for new leased cars costing no more than €24,000 with CO₂ emissions not exceeding 155g/km the lease payments may be written-off against income tax over the course of the lease period.  

We recommend that professional advice be sought before entering into any lease arrangement."

I hope that clears it all up for you Shane.

Expert answer

Hi Jim,

Ford's terms and conditions for its 161-plate offers state that "This offer applies to trade-in vehicles aged up to 10 years which are taxed and insured at time of trade-in. Qualifying vehicles must also have a valid NCT certificate at time of trade in." So there's nothing that says you can't trade in a van. It will probably come down to the individual dealer. If one rebuffs you, try another.

Expert answer

Hi James,

Well, the rule says that when a vehicle is imported it must be booked for an NCT inspection and VRT valuation within seven days of its arrival in the state. The process of registration and payment must then be completed within 30 days of arrival.

Now, it's just possible that there may be a a valid reason why this car hasn't been registered, or it may have been declared off the road at the time of entry. I think you need to get on to your local tax office and ask for help with this though as there could well be a fine in the offing, never mind a surcharge.

Expert answer

Hi Louise,

Yup, the Outlander is a cracking car (although you'll have to accept that it's not as spacious as the Discovery) and Mitsubishi does indeed have PCP plans available. Your local dealer will have all the details.

Read our review of the Mitsubishi Outlander

Expert answer

Hi James,

It depends on what you mean when you say 'classic.' If the car is more than 30 years old (taken from its first date of registration) then you'll only have to pay a nominal Vehicle Registration Tax fee (about €200) and motor tax will be €56 for a year. If it's younger than 30 years then you'll have to pay VRT at the full rate and depending on the car and its estimated value that could be quite expensive.

Expert answer

Hi Ed,

Land Rover's quality has been getting better and better and it seems as if the current Discovery model has shaken off a lot of its reputation for weak gearboxes and electrical maladies. I think it's probably worth the punt, but there are two other good options - both the Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Land Cruiser are also available in 'business versions' that mean you can buy them for the price of a commercial but you get the back seats and luxury touches. That said, you'll have to tax them as a private car if you're going to carry the kids around - it's a €4,000 fine if you're caught with the incorrect tax.

Expert answer

Hi Pamela,

Unless you actually need the seven-seat layout of the Hyundai, I'd go for the BMW. It'll be much more affordable to run in terms of fuel costs (close to 60mpg versus more like 45mpg in the Hyundai) and cheaper to tax too. The only concern might be that the Hyundai would be more reliable than the BMW, pound for pound. If you're buying the Beemer with a full service history and a warranty though there shouldn't be any problems.

Expert answer

Hi Ash,

Well, obviously you could sell it and try and buy something younger, but don't lose hope - you can still get insurance for older cars. Try and find a good broker who can run through the options for you.

Expert answer

Hi Laszlo,

I'm afraid not. When you import the car into Ireland it will have to pass through an NCT (National Car Test - our equivalent of the MOT) before it can be legally registered here. That shouldn't be a problem though - any car that can pass an MOT should also pass an NCT. The problem is that because you have owned the car for less than six months, you'll get caught for Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) when you bring it in to the country - and on a 2.5-litre V6 engine that's going to be 36 per cent of what the Revenue Commissioners judge the vehicle's market value to be. This could get very expensive and you might be better off selling the car before you move and buying something new here.