Expert answer

Hi John,

The VAT is charged on the "customs value of the car" according to Revenue, which includes "the purchase price, plus the cost of transport and insurance, plus any customs duties payable" - quite hefty in all cases.

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Hi David,

The good news is that you should be able to claim back the VAT. Because VAT now applies to all vehicles imported into Ireland from the UK, basically, you’re paying the VAT at the point of entry, at the standard rate of 23 per cent, so if you’re a VAT-registered company you should be able to claim that back as normal. Obviously, double check with your company accountant. 

You will be liable for VRT though, which will be charged at 13.3 per cent of the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price). 

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Hi Martin,

It's true, selling a car privately can be hassle. Selling it to someone you know, or a friend of a friend would be ideal and actually probably quite possible today as there is such high demand for good used cars. For the same reason, you're likely to get loads of genuine enquiries to a classifieds advert. We'd recommend using Carzone.ie. It has a useful How to Sell a Used Car Safely guide, too.

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Hi Tony,

You should be fine, as if a vehicle is eligible for VRT exemption because of a transfer of residence, then it should also qualify for exemption for VAT and customs duty. 

According to Revenue: “If you are transferring your normal residence from outside the European Union (EU) to Ireland, you may be able to claim relief from Customs Duty and Value-Added Tax (VAT). This relief applies to imports of the following: certain personal property and household effects, including those of members of your household bicycles and motor cycles, private cars, trailers, caravans, pleasure craft and private aeroplanes.”

Just get all your paperwork in order and it should be fine. 

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Hi Fiona,

If the bike has been in Northern Ireland since 2007 then it shouldn’t be liable for VAT, only VRT. However, if the odometer has also been reset to reflect the new engine mileage of 50km then VAT will be payable. It's possible that won't be noticed, but you shouldn't gamble on that of course.

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Hi Eamonn,

Much of this is going to depend on the age of the Q70 you’re looking at. If it’s a 2017 model, for example, I’m going to estimate that it’ll attract around €3,500 of VRT and NOx levy, but then obviously you’ll have to pay 23 per cent VAT and 10 per cent customs charges on top of that, and those will depend on the purchase price of the vehicle.

If it’s a newer Q70 than that, you could well be looking at more than €5,000 in VRT and NOx, plus the VAT and the customs duty.

Your best bet would probably be to see if you can source one from Northern Ireland (and quick, before someone changes the Protocol!) as that avoids the VAT and customs duty. 

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Hi Charlie,

What you need to register and tax a vehicle as a commercial are:

1. Current commercial insurance certificate for the vehicle

2. Evidence of registration for VAT

3. Tax Clearance Certificate

4.. Notice of Tax Registration Form.

If you don’t have all or any of those then you’ll have to register it as a private vehicle. That’s actually easy enough — you just ring up your local motor tax office and tell them what you want to do, and all of the listings are on the motor tax website — but it does mean that you’ll be paying tax on the engine capacity, which, with a 3.0-litre Discovery, is going to be pretty chunky. Equally, insurance can be tricky for commericals-as-private cars, so get hold of a good, reliable broker to get you some quotes.

For more on this, we recommend our sibling site, www.CompleteVan.ie.

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Hi Keif,

OK, so there’s going to be a lot of costs here. I’m going to assume that it’s a 2014 car, based on that price, so that will be about €3,700 in VRT (assuming an OMSP of around €22,000). Your NOx levy will be about €195 on top of that (assuming a NOx emissions value of 39mg/km). Then there’s customs duty, which will be 10 per cent of the purchase price plus the shipping costs, and then finally VAT, which will be 23 per cent of the total purchase price, inclusive of customs duty.

A sum of £12,000 is about €14,000 on today’s rate, so allowing for around €200 in shipping costs, that’s going to be about €1,420 in customs duty. And then VAT on top of that is going to work out at around €3,550. Your total cost of import (not including air fares to go and collect the car etc) is going to be about €19,000. Again, please remember, these are VERY rough calculations and won’t hold any water with Revenue…

It's worth a read or our Guide to Importing Cars from the UK

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

Yes you can get the VRT back. That’s a maximum of €5,000 though, not a flat-rate rebate. So if your car is liable for, say, €3,000 worth of VRT, then that’s what you’ll get back. 

The SEAI grant is a little trickier. According to the official information, you’re quite right — the dealer applies for the grant. However, the SEAI does state that: "A maximum grant of €5,000 is available for qualifying new electric vehicles when purchased privately.”

Obviously, you’d have to make sure that you fall between the minimum €14,000 price and the maximum €60,000 price, but in theory there’s nothing to stop you applying for the grant privately.

Why not try your luck by emailing [email protected]?

Expert answer

Hi David,

There are no major reported problems with the Q7 e-tron, and Audis in general tend to have very high levels of both quality and reliability. That said, as it’s a plug-in hybrid, check and see how much running it has done on electric. If the previous owners were especially conscientious about plugging it in and running on the battery, that could mean that the engine hasn’t actually been run very much, and that can lead to niggling reliability issues down the line. Sounds odd, but it’s true — regular, gentle running is best for long-term engine life.

Other than that, make sure that all the electric and electronic systems are all working as they should, as these are complex vehicles and difficult and expensive to put right if they develop problems.