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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.

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Hi John,

I think a word with your accountant would be the best option as there are hoops to be jumped through for registering and taxing a car as a commercial, especially a five-seater. The bigger issue by far could be getting you insured, as most insurers will see the words ‘Range Rover Sport’ and '21-years old’ and run a mile.

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Hi James,

You can, and it’ll be taxed according to the old engine capacity system, to it’ll be €514 per year.

Read our feature on this subject: Buying a commercial vehicle for private use

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Hi Alvin,

You absolutely can buy a Hilux and use it as a personal car, as well as for work, but if you’re not VAT-registered you won’t be able to claim back the VAT on the purchase, which will make it more expensive. On top of that, you will also have to register it as a private car, which means taxing it on the old engine capacity system. With a 2.8-litre engine, that means annual motor tax of €1,391 per year I’m afraid.

Read our feature on this subject for more: Buying a commercial vehicle for private use

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Hi Roisin,

You’ll be exempt from VAT as the car has done more than 4,000km, but not VRT I’m afraid as you’ve owned it for less than six months. 

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Hi Pat,

Well, generally speaking, it won’t matter, as, if a vehicle is older than six months or has more than 6,000km on the clock, it won’t be chargeable for VAT anyway. The benefit you will get is that you won’t have to pay VRT. Just fill out a form with Revenue to get a Letter of Authorisation with the car’s VIN number and you won’t be charged any VRT at all.

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Hi Catherine,

It’ll depend on the engine size. I’m guessing it uses the Fiat 1.9-litre M-Jet engine? If so, it’ll cost €673 a year to tax privately. 

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Hi Trevor,

No, not really. If you’re insuring your car (or van) one way and driving it another, then technically you’re not being honest with your insurers and if you do need to make a claim, and they investigate the circumstances, you could be caught rotten and find yourself unable to get a payout. Just be honest, it’s always the best policy.

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Hi Paul,

I think in this case, tax is the more serious issue than insurance. From what you’ve explained, you’re planning to tax your SUV as a commercial vehicle, but still use it for private and domestic tasks, and that I’m afraid is a big no-no. It’s specifically prohibited to use a vehicle taxed as a commercial for private, domestic, or pleasure purposes, and that leaves you open to a pretty hefty fine. As for insurance, you can always shop around to find a policy that suits you better, but as always it’s best to be up front and honest with them to avoid any issues down the line if you need to make a claim. Different insurers will have different policies for commercial and private vehicle insurance, and you might be better off finding a good broker who specialises in such mixed-use policies.