VRT for NI Car Reg

I

ippd

Registered User
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24
Hi,
My wife is from Northern Ireland and we both live in the Rep. of Ireland. We bought a car 1 year ago, in NI, which stays in NI and we only use it when we visit my wife’s family back up in NI. We'd like to bring the car down to the Rep. of Ireland. Will we have to pay VRT ? I heard somewhere that if you own the car in the North for more that 6 months and bring it into the Rep. of Ireland then it's exempt from VRT. Would that apply in our case?

Thanks
 
6 months is the case. The other thing is that if you bought the car new, it has to have more than 6 thousand mile on the clock I think.
Effective what you are trying to do is con the tax office into thinking you've changed residence. There if it is your wife's car, I presume she'll have registered this car in her address up north. Now the tricky part for you may be to prove that she is changing her country of residence. She'll need to prove she lived in NI while she owned this car so the VRT office will ask for recent bills in her name on that address. Also she may need documents to prove she is newly moving to ireland- new job contract or new change of residence. One of the things about changing car plates/residence is that you're meant to change your plates over within a certain period of time also.
I hope this provides some info. I have done this before and found the VRT office helpful but difficult to get through
 
Thanks for the information Sunster. The problem here is that my wife has lived in the Republic for 5 years so she's not really changing residence. The car is registered in her name to her home(parents) address in the North, but she doesn't receive any bills to that address, only bank statements etc. I presume that won't suffice ?
 
I suspect you'll have to pay the VRT as techincally you are importing it, rather than changing residence.
I think in this case you should ring the VRT office and see what they say as you have nothing to lose.
Depending on what car it is, it still probably worked out cheaper than buying the same car here anyway, but the VRT is a real B####. Sooner it is scrapped the better as it doesn't really have a purpose aprt from fattening the pockets of the government
 
Is the comment above about completing 6000 miles correct does anyone know? My sister is living abraod, and intends buying a car at least 6 months before returning to live here next year. So even though she has no need of a car where she is - does she need to put 6000 miles on it before bringing it home?
 
I wouldn't be so sure of that. There's more comprehensive information at [broken link removed]. Section 10 says there's a relief for VRT for transfer of residence. Section 13 says that VAT is due on a "new means of transport". For a vehicle not to be considered "new" it must be both more than 6 months old and have 6000 km (not miles) on the clock.

I don't see anything about transfer of residence implying that you are exempt from VAT. So best to clock up those 6000 kms, or ring up her local VRO to find out the story.

Note also VAT is due if vehicle is imported from outside the EU, irrespective of age.

Edit: Just found this link from revenue which explicitly addresses "tax" relief in the case of transfer of residence: [broken link removed]
It states:

In this context "tax" means Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) and also includes import charges (i.e. Customs Duty and VAT) where applicableIn this context "tax" means Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) and also includes import charges (i.e. Customs Duty and VAT) where applicable
 
Oh, and to the OP, you'll definetly have to pay VRT. I've been through the process myself. They want to see alot of documentation that you previously lived outside ROI. Just a few bank statements won't suffice. They want to see employment contracts, utility bills, foreign equivalents of P60s etc. They also want to see proof that you are just arriving in ROI. For that they look for things like a new job offer.
 
Hi,
was on to those nice people yesterday as my son bought a ford sierra rs cosworth and looked for a quote to import it as the models not listed on there website couldn't beleive got a message back from them quoting 6,000 to 8,000 depending onthe condition. This is rather alot for a 1992 car anyone imported anything similar or do you know if we can challenge their price or ask for a second oppinion or anything as will have ot take it back over the border if that the cost
 
Is the 6-8k figure the value they're quoting for the car, or the VRT they're looking for it?

If it's the value, it could well be correct.

One thing about the Revenue VRT people is that they're not stupid: cars like this are considered collectable and hence have a collectable value.

If you look on the Revenue Web site, I think there is some mechanism for appealing the valuation, but I believe they're rarely successful.
 
thanks for the replies and a rs cosworth is not a racing car its a road car rather like a subaru wrc is road car
the 6-8,700 they are quoting is vrt duty not the value.
Still think its far to much for 1992 car,
Probable have to sell it back over the border which is a shame cause its a nice car, very clean for the year etc but just no way he could aford that.
He imported a ford sierra 2000E ladt year and that was 600+ can't remember the exact figure but wasn't to bad
 
I'd ask again. Just checked: the going sale price seems to be STG£5k max on autotrader.

Some mistake, I think.

As a very rough rule of thumb, the Irish price in Euro is generally around twice the UK£, so that would make the price here about €10k max.

No way should VRT be the kind of value you've been quoted.

Just checked: there's a few examples on carzone, priced between €8k and €15.5k (a dreamer obviously, this last one), so you could point to these as evidence they've got their valuation wrong.
 
Gining that the vrt is a percnetage which i think is about one third of the market value here going by what you and taking the value at 10K that should leave the vrt at 3and one thirdK son was fearing about 2 or 2 an halfK so its coming into that region if they will take that.

Any advice on how he should go about it, he was thinking of taking it to the vrt office on a transporter and arguing his case and then cause he wasn't driving it they couldn't acually lift or impound it. Dont know if this is right but think he can't be far of the mark as its an offence to drive a vehicle on the road here that hasn't been cleared.

Let me know what you think please
 
I'm really not qualified to answer: my only knowledge and experience is from bringing in a few cars (for myself) over the years and having done a lot of reseach on it.

See [broken link removed]

From what this says, you can only appeal having paid.

I'd be slow to bring the car along, as if you do you're supposed to pay whatever they ask within a couple of days of importing it, regardless if it's on a trailer or not.

As I understand it, all you have is an estimate. I'd ring or call in and discuss it to see what they say, with plenty of supporting documentation (most obviously evidence of cars that are currently for sale). If it is only an estimate they've given, it should be subject to change.

I'd be as positive and non-confrontational as possible "I'm trying to do the right thing here..."

Best of luck with it.
 
Thanks for the advice,
I'l post back with what happens might be awhile as he hasn't got the money get to clear if its going to be that kind of price.
Will try the friendly doing the right thing approach though and hope they are willingto listen
 
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