Expert answer

Hi Lillian,

No, it’ll be taxed as a commercial and the weight will be taken from its certificate of conformity document. If you want to tax it as a private car, then the weight doesn’t come into it — it switches back to the old by-engine-capacity system.

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Hi Chris,

No, you’ll be grand. If the vehicle was originally registered as a commercial then it will retain that designation. The change in the rules only affected cars registered from July 2018. 

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Hi Eoin,

Well, to tax a 2.2 Transit as a private car will cost you €950 a year, but the good news is that you don’t need a VAT number to be able to tax a van as a commercial. You simply have to fill out a Goods Only Declaration form (find it here: http://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content//Documents/Application_Forms/Roads_and_Traffic/Motor Tax/RF111A_ENG.pdf) and for that you only need your income tax registration number and get it witnessed at your local Garda station. 

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Hi Fergus,

VRT won’t come into it. Even if you’re buying as a private buyer, you still pay the 13.3 per cent commercial vehicle rate. As for motor tax, for a 2.2 engine it’ll be €951 per year. 

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Hi Pete,

Yup, if it’s been registered as a commercial vehicle in the first place, and you’re using it only for work purposes, then you’re entitled to continue to tax it as a commercial. 

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Hi Martin,

If the car is registered as a commercial vehicle, and that’s how you’re using it (strictly no social, domestic, nor pleasure motoring) then yes, absolutely, you can tax it as a commercial.

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Hi John,

It goes back on to the old by-engine-capacity tax system, if you’re taxing a van as a private car, so if it has a 2.0 engine then you’re looking at €710 a year. 

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Hi Deirdre,

Not any more, I’m afraid. The government closed off the loophole in the tax system that allowed five-seat SUVs with big boots to be classed as vans for tax purposes. That was all shut down in July 2018. Now, it’s always worth checking with your accountant, and you can claim back VAT against five-seat crew-cab pickups and vans, but in general the claiming back on SUVs has gone, now. 

Expert answer

Hi Trevor,

We’re not sure about the five per cent VRT BIK rate, as that will depend on your personal circumstances and how the vehicle is paid for and registered. Better to ask your company accountant that one. As for being OK to carry passengers for personal use, yes you can, but you’ll have to register it as a private car and tax it as such (which could be tricky if you’re trying to get the van rate BIK) and you’ll have to make sure that your insurance covers it for social/domestic/pleasure use as well as work.

Expert answer

Hi Brian,

It’s pretty simple to tax a commercial vehicle as a private car, but it does mean reverting to the old by-engine-capacity tax system, so beware of going over 2.0 litres in engine capacity as the tax cost starts to become prohibitive after that point. 

Read our Buying a commercial vehicle for private use feature on the subject for more.