Getting a car into Ireland sans tax?

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Thu 17 Mar 2005 10:20
Getting a car into Ireland sans tax? - oldbamboo
Hi All,
This is probably a bit off topic but I heard good things about this forum...
I'm english, been living in Ireland for five years, and am looking for a new car, personal preference is for a Seat Leon 1.6 lite. The market for these in Ireland is painful, all 1.4's and overpriced. I'm contracting in England, and have an address here, but have an Irish Drivers licence. legally I'm resident in Ireland, work in London for three days of the week, and am back at the weekend, the car would end up in Ireland immediately if I bought it here, dont need a car in London, and have no-where safe to park it. Thing is the vehicle registration tax -estimated at 25 percent of the cars price, which is mandatory for cars imported into ireland. Although if i have owned the car for six months in the uk, i dont have to pay this.
Any savvy punters out there know a good way for me to buy the car here and not pay the VRT? Apologies if this is a bit out of place, but this seems like a likely place to look for answers. I'd have phoned the revenue service in Ireland but its Paddys Day!
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Thu 17 Mar 2005 10:43
Getting a car into Ireland sans tax? - NowWheels
olbamboo, the rules are fairly simple.

You can avoid VRT if if you have been resident overseas have owned your vehicle abroad for more than 6 months and are moving permanently to Ireland -- see tinyurl.com/4glk9

According to www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=2498191#p...1 you have to produce a lot of evidence that you were genuinely resident outside Ireland.

As a complete non-expert, it seems to me that your case might be a borderline -- I guess it depends on how residency is defined. But one thing to bear in mind is that if you try anything on, they can seize the vehicle, so it sounds like a good idea to talk to the VRO first (I'd talk to them rather than to the revenue)

Hope this helps

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Thu 17 Mar 2005 10:47
Getting a car into Ireland sans tax? - NowWheels
sorry, meant to include this link: www.revenue.ie/services/vrt/vrt4.htm

It's on the www.revenue.ie website, but it's a framed site, so if you want to burrow around it you have start from the front page
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