Emissions-based Motor Tax

Pique318

Registered User
Messages
162
Hi,

I seem to remember reading somewhere that there is a chance that the old Motor Tax regime will be completely replaced with the new emissions-based one.

Any chance that there's a glimmer of possibility that this will happen ?

OK, so the govt could lose money (not a chance then) but if older cars were taxed based on their less efficient engines, there's a chance that the tax liability on those cars would increase, bringing in more revenue which could balance out things, and make the Greens look like they're actually doing something 'Green'.

Opinions ?
 
Put the tax on petrol/diesel....

Anything else is a lie. My 98 VW TDI engine is in the same emissions band as the current one. Plus its construction costs have been depreciated by eleven years of use.
 
What, you mean tax a person based on their usage rather than a nice hefty chunk of money for old rope ?

Perfectly sensible.

It'll never happen then
 
Put the tax on petrol/diesel....

Anything else is a lie. My 98 VW TDI engine is in the same emissions band as the current one. Plus its construction costs have been depreciated by eleven years of use.

+1 (or 3 as others have echoed it).

If I want to smoke I'm taxed on the actual amount I chose to smoke. If I drink, I'm taxed on the actual amount I drink, not my potential capacity to drink and smoke so much in a year based on lung capacity and stomach size.

Similarly I pay tax on how much I actually earn, not how much I have the potential to earn based on age, qualifications, experience, etc.

A pattern emerges.

Yet I with a modern 1.8 engine car and doing under 8000 miles a year, I pay the more tax than my colleague in rather clapped out 1.1 doing 15,000 a year...


Ummm, so yeah, put it on the fuel.
 
Already done, can't apply tax retrospectively so the cars bought before the new bands were introduced stay on the old system.
 
Already done, can't apply tax retrospectively so the cars bought before the new bands were introduced stay on the old system.

Why not ? I have an ATM card. If a new tax on ATM cards is introduced, I can't say that I already have one so the tax doesn't apply to me, only to people who get one from now on.
Those people who own second homes have been subject to a new tax on an existing possession.

How is that any different ?

Also, cars bought after the tax was introduced, but pre-2008 vintage, still use the old system so the arguement fails to hold any water at all...
 
thats exactly the argument, so it does hold water imo.

you can give the atm card back to the bank at no charge to you.
you cant give a car back to a dealer that you bought under a different system.

CO2 tax wasnt introduced until July 1st 2008, so all cars after that are co2 tax based, all cars before that are cc based unless the car was registered between Jan 1st and June 30th, you have a choice which system tou want to enter.
 
But cars first registered in the state AFTER the CO2 tax, but pre-2008 (ie, a 2007 car imported from England) are still on the old rate.

That's what I meant...sorry for the confusion.
 
But cars first registered in the state AFTER the CO2 tax, but pre-2008 (ie, a 2007 car imported from England) are still on the old rate.

That's what I meant...sorry for the confusion.

yep, its all based on the date of first registration, doesnt matter what country it was first registered in though.
 
yep, its all based on the date of first registration, doesnt matter what country it was first registered in though.

It should though, shouldn't it ? Considering it's Irish tax, the existence in the jurisdiction of the vehicle to be taxed SHOULD make a difference.

Whatever, as our lovely govt were the ones to introduce it (along with the none-too-legal VRT) we've got diddly-squat chance of that aspect changing, so they either change it to emissions-based completely or they don't.

So, my original question

Are there rumours about this or was it completely off the mark ?
 
CO2 tax wasnt introduced until July 1st 2008, so all cars after that are co2 tax based, all cars before that are cc based unless the car was registered between Jan 1st and June 30th, you have a choice which system tou want to enter.

But my point was that whether it is CO2 or CC based it is still a tax based on your potential to harm environment/use roads rather than actual use.
 
That would be ideal for many people, but then fuel smuggling would be a massive problem. I live in a border county and there would be no local petrol stations left if the price went to €1.50 for the long term while petrol in NI stayed at £1 (for example).

I like the idea though (and your metaphor above!)
 
But my point was that whether it is CO2 or CC based it is still a tax based on your potential to harm environment/use roads rather than actual use.


completely agree, i had a 4.4 V8 and had to pay €1566 road tax while doing only about 4-5k per year!
while my mate who would drive maybe 20k per year paid 614e.
 
Yeah. My original idea from the mists of time was to do it in conjunction with the UK so we end up equalising the tax on fuel as both we and they go to a road tax in fuel basis. The both of us can close down our motor tax offices. As we have a higher VAT rate, we'd probably have to charge lower duty, but I'm sure some arrangement could be dreamt up that would keep the base price across the border roughly the same.