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Road Tax - Reduced commercial vehicle rates

  • 19-07-2010 3:27pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 11


    In England for commercial vehicles there is a reduced taxation class called Private LGV. Essentially, if you use a HGV for your work, but your work is not haulage for reward, then you fall into this class.

    Examples would be a contractor who does driveways and uses a lorry for carrying tar, kerbstones etc. His primary business is building not haulage, and would therefore pay a reduced rate for his lorry. Similarly for a farmer who uses a lorry for carrying hay, grain etc.

    Is there an equivalent here - is this the category of 'general haulage tractor' which has a tax rate of 288 euro per year?

    Can anyone point to where the taxation classes are defined on the internet as I have failed to find it.


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 14,905 ✭✭✭✭CJhaughey




  • Registered Users Posts: 11 riasc


    The document you refer to gives the cost of tax for various classes of vehicles, but still does not define what each class means.

    For instance, what is the difference between a dumper and an off road dumper (other than about 700 euro a year road tax)?

    What classifies as a:

    Machine/workshop/contrivance (including “recovery vehicle”)

    What test is there to classify a vehicle as a Machine/workshop/ or contrivance so that you can benefit from reduced rates. Again, in the UK there is a classification of showmans vehicle which I guess would be a Contrivance, and it gets reduced road tax. How would you tax such a vehicle in Ireland and not end up paying on weight alone which would work out at about 4k euro?

    What is a general haulage tractor? What is a forklift - would a telehandler be classified as a forklift or as a digger?

    For instance, in the following link it gives guidance as to the EU classifications of vehicles which is similar to national systems:

    http://www.dieselnet.com/standards/eu/

    Still dont know what all this means. I bet the government keep it quiet so that people just pay on weight and get overcharged in the process.


  • Registered Users Posts: 79 ✭✭DarrenGT4


    riasc wrote: »
    In England for commercial vehicles there is a reduced taxation class called Private LGV. Essentially, if you use a HGV for your work, but your work is not haulage for reward, then you fall into this class.

    Examples would be a contractor who does driveways and uses a lorry for carrying tar, kerbstones etc. His primary business is building not haulage, and would therefore pay a reduced rate for his lorry. Similarly for a farmer who uses a lorry for carrying hay, grain etc.

    Is there an equivalent here - is this the category of 'general haulage tractor' which has a tax rate of 288 euro per year?

    Can anyone point to where the taxation classes are defined on the internet as I have failed to find it.

    its stupid me paying 3 grand for tax for the year with the six axle artic. dead money and to be driveing on dirt tracks wrecking the truck


  • Registered Users Posts: 11 riasc


    I can imagine if you are in the haulage business it is very hard to make money considering tax, insurance, fuel, maintenance and deprecation of the truck.

    My aim was to buy an 80's early 90's Hino to restore. Given that it may only cover a few hundred km per year, the raod tax is putting me off.

    I suspect there is a way around this, but getting the information so you can choose the most appropriate tax class so far has been beyond me. They publish the classes and the rates (as in a previous post above) but there is nowhere that tells you what types of vehicle falls into each class. Therefore when the use of the vehicle changes, the taxation class does not and so you end up paying more tax than is needed.

    I think the taxation classes are eu driven, and therefore there must be some parity across the member states where classes are defined.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,272 ✭✭✭✭Max Power1


    How does one manage to qualify for the "general haulage" tax of €288 per year?

    Im looking at a few 4X4 jeeps and the tax (privately) is between 1000 and 1500.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 11 riasc


    From what I have been reading, it is not entirely clear what general haulage is.

    I concluded at one point that it was an agricultural tractor not used for agricultural use i.e. used by a contractor for moving silage/grain etc. for hire or reward on the road. Basically using a tractor to do what a lorry could do.

    Then I read on donegal tax office website that if a quadbike has a towbar fitted it should be taxed as general haulage. Therefore, is the requirement that it should have a towbar fitted? Still havent gotten to the bottom of it.

    Looking at the EU directives on which this is based has not helped either.

    One alternative is if your jeep is a crewcab with rear load space then register as a goods vehicle and get cheap tax.

    Still would be interested to know the exact requirements for a general haulage tractor - Can anything with a towbar fall into this category?

    Anyone near a tax office to pop the question and get a definitive answer? They must have a guidance document. Maybe could get a copy? As a minimum they would have to let you view it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,272 ✭✭✭✭Max Power1


    riasc wrote: »
    From what I have been reading, it is not entirely clear what general haulage is.

    I concluded at one point that it was an agricultural tractor not used for agricultural use i.e. used by a contractor for moving silage/grain etc. for hire or reward on the road. Basically using a tractor to do what a lorry could do.

    Then I read on donegal tax office website that if a quadbike has a towbar fitted it should be taxed as general haulage. Therefore, is the requirement that it should have a towbar fitted? Still havent gotten to the bottom of it.

    Looking at the EU directives on which this is based has not helped either.

    One alternative is if your jeep is a crewcab with rear load space then register as a goods vehicle and get cheap tax.

    Still would be interested to know the exact requirements for a general haulage tractor - Can anything with a towbar fall into this category?

    Anyone near a tax office to pop the question and get a definitive answer? They must have a guidance document. Maybe could get a copy? As a minimum they would have to let you view it.

    Would that work if I was not registered as a business, and only using for SD&P? Also, I would be getting a commercial jeep (eg 2 seater Discovery/Freelander) and not a crewcab with rear load space.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11 riasc


    I remember reading somewhere that the rear load space needs to be greater than a certain percentage of the total length of the vehicle.

    I got the following from wexford CC website

    Taxing of Hatchbacks/Landrovers & other vehicles which have been adapted for goods purposes since the date of first registration.
    In order to ensure that it is being taxed in accordance with the Regulations, any of the above vehicles being presented for taxation in the following instances may require an inspection by a member of the supervisory staff of the Motor Taxation Office :
    • First taxation of vehicle;
    • Change of particulars from private to goods;
    • Change of ownership.
    If the vehicle has been adapted for commercial use, the following criteria must be adhered to when inspected except in the case of Crew Cabs. (See 'Crew Cabs' below):
    • All seats to the rear of the drivers seat must be removed and the seat bolt holes welded over;
    • All rear seat belts must be removed and the seat belt anchor points welded over;
    • The goods carrying area must be greater that the seating area.

    In the 80's it was common to to see people with VW golfs and peugeot 205s without side windows. Also farmers used to get Nissan Patrols and tax them commercially but use them SDP. Eventually there was a crack down.

    Technically you should only use it for commercial purposes, but then I have not known anyone in the past 10 years to be prosecuted.


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