Re-registering an Irish car

asusfan · 26-04-2015 9:07pm #1

The car is bought from Athlone back in 2012, drove it in Ireland for 18 months than another 18 months outside the State, in an EU country. Had to register it in that EU country because of the long period spent there.

I'm now back in the State, I have the old licence plates in my trunk but the foreign registration plates displayed on the car. Motor tax is paid, NCT is done. Explained the situation to Motor Tax office before I paid and they sent me a copy of the previous Irish Registration Certificate (looks just like the original, but has a different serial number and says 'replacement for cert no...' in small caps on it).

I went to AXA for insurance and they said I have to go through VRT to issue me another cert with a new registration date (post entry date back in the state, which is January this year), before I can insure the car. Indead, my current registration certificate says the car has been registered on my name in 2012 and there's a 18 months gap in my insurance (had foreign insurance during that time).

I'm confused. Should I go through VRT alhtough this is an Irish car and I have a registration certificate issued by the Department of Transport on request from Motor Tax? And will I pay registration tax although I bought this car myself in the State 3 years ago?

Thank you!

colm_mcm · 26-04-2015 9:14pm

There won't be any vrt due but AFAIK you'll have to re-register the car.

asusfan · 26-04-2015 9:16pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

There won't be any vrt due but AFAIK you'll have to re-register the car.

Thx COLM! Great news about not having to pay VRT!

colm_mcm · 26-04-2015 9:32pm

You shouldn't have to pay anyway.
Maybe if the car was vrt exempt originally you might have to now, but I doubt it.
It sounds like you'd qualify for a vrt exemption even if vrt was due.

CiniO · 26-04-2015 9:57pm

asusfan wrote: »

I went to AXA for insurance and they said I have to go through VRT to issue me another cert with a new registration date (post entry date back in the state, which is January this year), before I can insure the car.

I wonder how did they found out that car was out of the state for those 18 months and registered abroad?

asusfan · 27-04-2015 6:17am

CiniO wrote: »

I wonder how did they found out that car was out of the state for those 18 months and registered abroad?

My car still has the foreign registration plates displayed. I can't use the Irish ones until I have Irish insurance. Axa had insured me before and I had cancelled my direct debit to them a month after I left the State. This comes up in their computer when looking up my no-claim bonus.

27-04-2015 6:47am

asusfan wrote: »

My car still has the foreign registration plates displayed. I can't use the Irish ones until I have Irish insurance. Axa had insured me before and I had cancelled my direct debit to them a month after I left the State. This comes up in their computer when looking up my no-claim bonus.

There is no harm in having the car right . If you ever go to sell it and there is paperwork problems people wont want to know.

When you took the car out of the country and registered it abroad did you claim VRT back on the car?
When you export a car you can on the current value of the car.

If you didnt the original VRT still covers the car as long as it wasnt VRT exempt from day one

What country did you bring the car to? was it within the EU?
I know if you buy a car in england , live there for 6 months show details of living there insurance/household bills you will be VRT exempt.

td2008 · 27-04-2015 11:09am

Not sure about this - i re-registered mine recently and got new plates but i did avail of the export refund so this might not apply to you .

I am importing a vehicle from another country which had been previously permanently exported from the State under the Export Repayment Scheme. Do I have to re-register the vehicle?

A vehicle previously registered in the State and permanently exported under the Export Repayment Scheme would have received a VRT refund.
Such a vehicle is unregistered in the State and must be presented at an NCTS Centre for registration within the normal timeframe. VRT will be payable at the time of registration and a new Irish registration number will be issued. It will not be possible to have the vehicle motor taxed without receiving the new registration number, as the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport will have been informed that it has previously been permanently exported.
It is an offence under Section 131(6) of the Finance Act of 1992, subject to penalties under Section 139 of the Finance Act of 1992 (as amended), to display the original number on such a vehicle.

asusfan · 27-04-2015 11:17am

Thank you "td2008" and "9935452" for your replies.

I did not claim any VRT back upon leaving Ireland. In fact, I didn't even pay VRT when I bought the car initially (used, 5 years old) from the dealer in Athlone, back in 2012. I presume tax has been paid by previous owner/owners, so no such thing was required from me.

No such refund was issued to me as I didn't know back then that I had to let Revenue know of me exporting the vehicle. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be gone for so I didn't intend to register the car in that country. However, the NCT expired after a couple of months of being away and AXA didn't agree with continuing to insure me with a NCT done anywhere else other than Ireland.

I have booked an appointment at a NCTS centre this Thursday. Fingers crossed for hopefully not going to be asked to pay VRT.

asusfan · 27-04-2015 11:18am

Thank you "td2008" and "9935452" for your replies.

I did not claim any VRT back upon leaving Ireland. In fact, I didn't even pay VRT when I bought the car initially (used, 5 years old) from the dealer in Athlone, back in 2012. I presume tax has been paid by previous owner/owners, so no such thing was required from me.

No such refund was issued to me as I didn't know back then that I had to let Revenue know of me exporting the vehicle. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be gone for so I didn't intend to register the car in that country, initially. However, the NCT expired after a couple of months of being away and AXA didn't agree with continuing to insure me with a NCT done anywhere else other than Ireland.

I have booked an appointment at a NCTS centre this Thursday. Fingers crossed for hopefully not going to be asked to pay VRT.

27-04-2015 12:55pm

VRT is paid day one on a new car so as you bought it second hand it was already paid by someone else.

I do feel as you didnt get a vrt refund you shouldnt have to pay more.

asusfan · 30-04-2015 5:22pm

Went to VRT and explained the car's history. They've seen the replacement Irish Registration Certificate which Motor Tax sent to me and said all I need to do is put back the Irish licence plates and get insurance from somebody else other than AXA (as AXA people are just being fussy). VRT made it clear that I've no business with them since this is an Irish car and motor tax had been paid upon first being registered.

So there you go...

However, I went back to AXA with this response and they're still being fussy, now telling me I should get back to Motor Tax and ask for a registration certificate that says I returned to Ireland this year. I told'em I'll give my money to somebody else, somebody who wants it without too many requests from me (especially since it's a >1000 euros yearly quote because I'm fairly young at 31 and it's a 2L '07 BMW).

I chose to get online on quoteme.ie and got insured by Allianz (the second best quote after KennCo, which I've never heard of and therefore don't trust).

Fred Swanson · 30-04-2015 6:19pm

This post has been deleted.

asusfan · 30-04-2015 6:47pm

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Apparently so.

Re-registering an Irish car

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