Registration of car in UK an option?

Coviscooby

Due to work-related reasons, we are moving to Newcastle (UK) for a brief period of time - perhaps 1 year. Longer if needed but the decision is not made yet.

We've recently changed to a second-hand car, registered as 04-D-XXXXX, and would hate to think of selling it just for this relocation.

Is it possible to re-register this car in the UK and then come back to Ireland with the original 04-D plate? How will the Irish motor tax be handled once we return - register the 04-D plate again?

I am absolutely clueless to start with, so any comments/pointers/links is appreciated. Thanks.

Mc-BigE

Coviscooby wrote:

Due to work-related reasons, we are moving to Newcastle (UK) for a brief period of time - perhaps 1 year. Longer if needed but the decision is not made yet.

We've recently changed to a second-hand car, registered as 04-D-XXXXX, and would hate to think of selling it just for this relocation.

Is it possible to re-register this car in the UK and then come back to Ireland with the original 04-D plate? How will the Irish motor tax be handled once we return - register the 04-D plate again?

I am absolutely clueless to start with, so any comments/pointers/links is appreciated. Thanks.

You should have no problem doing this, if you can sell your car in Ireland before you leave all the better because second hand car values in Ireland are inflated compared to UK because of VRT, and then buy a UK reg car in Uk, drive it there for 1 year and return home with proof of residency in the UK for 1 year . E.g. rent, mortgage payments, payslips, etc.

However if you don't want to do that, there should be no problem re-registering it here VRT free, because your coming to live in Ireland again.

You might even get your old Irish number back.
not too sure about the motor tax part, but id say theres a form somewhere to fill and maybe a Garda to sign it.

unkel

What Mc-BigE said. It might be cheaper to actually sell your car here first and then "import" back into Ireland a car that you'd buy in the UK. You'll have to be back in Ireland 12 months before being able to sell it though (or face a VRT bill)

Mc-BigE wrote:

You might even get your old Irish number back

That's new to me, I thought you'd just get the next available number. Any link for this?

Mc-BigE

unkel wrote:

What Mc-BigE said. It might be cheaper to actually sell your car here first and then "import" back into Ireland a car that you'd buy in the UK. You'll have to be back in Ireland 12 months before being able to sell it though (or face a VRT bill)



That's new to me, I thought you'd just get the next available number. Any link for this?

I don't have a link, but i know of a person that did this a few years ago, because the car has paid vrt already in its lifetime, you shouldn't have to pay it again AFAIK. OP: might be worth ringing your local VRO office to check this.
But either way you shouldn't have to pay VRT (unless you sell a UK car 12 months after importing as unkel said)

bazz26

To be honest I would take advantage of the opportunity to buy a good high spec cheaper car in the UK, drive it there for 12 months (assuming you will have proof of residence over there for 12 months), bring it back to Ireland without being subject to the VRT payment once you keep it for at least another 12 months.

Henry Ford III

bazz26 wrote:

To be honest I would take advantage of the opportunity to buy a good high spec cheaper car in the UK, drive it there for 12 months (assuming you will have proof of residence over there for 12 months), bring it back to Ireland without being subject to the VRT payment once you keep it for at least another 12 months.

Sound advice that.

MrPudding

bazz26 wrote:

To be honest I would take advantage of the opportunity to buy a good high spec cheaper car in the UK, drive it there for 12 months (assuming you will have proof of residence over there for 12 months), bring it back to Ireland without being subject to the VRT payment once you keep it for at least another 12 months.

Agreed. I believe it only needs to be for 6 months in order for there to be no VRT to pay.

MrP

Coviscooby

Well, I appreciate the warm response, guys.

After some initial checks, our current car costs just about the same over for a similar one (mileage, age, etc) since we believed we got a good deal for the current one. Still worth a try in selling though.

So, let me get this correct in the avoid-VRT scenario:

1. sell the current car, and fly over to Newcastle with my spouse + 2 kids :-(
2. try to survive without a car initially or rent a car while another car is being sought
3. drive that car for >= 12months in UK
4. bring this said car back to Ireland and drive for >= 6 months
5. Register this said car for a 09-D reg plate

Yes?

bazz26

Coviscooby wrote:

1. sell the current car, and fly over to Newcastle with my spouse + 2 kids :-(

Yes.

Coviscooby wrote:

2. try to survive without a car initially or rent a car while another car is being sought

Yes.

Coviscooby wrote:

3. drive that car for >= 12months in UK

6 months min afaik.

Coviscooby wrote:

4. bring this said car back to Ireland and drive for >= 6 months

Nope. You have to not sell the car for at least 12 months after you come back to avoid VRT on it.

Coviscooby wrote:

5. Register this said car for a 09-D reg plate

Yes?

Nope. The car will be registered to the year of original registration. I.e. if the car was bought new in the UK in 2004 then when you bring it back to Ireland and register it, you will still get a 04 D xxxx registration.

Mc-BigE

Coviscooby wrote:

After some initial checks, our current car costs just about the same over for a similar one (mileage, age, etc) since we believed we got a good deal for the current one.

If this is the case, then there's no need to sell. but that doesn't explain why lots and lots and lots of Irish people are going over to england and buying UK cars PAYING VRT (which you don't have to) and still making a profit or else getting a superior car.

What make of car is it and mileage?

Coviscooby

So, here's the steps again:

1. sell the current car, and fly over to Newcastle with my spouse + 2 kids :-(
2. try to survive without a car initially or rent a car while another car is being sought
3. drive that car for >= 6months in UK
4. bring this said car back to Ireland and drive for >= 12 months
5. Register this said car for a PP-D reg plate, where PP is the year the said car is registered.

I hear the "sell-this-buy-another-there" suggestion clearly, although it was an "hated" option in the first place since I had to consider what to do in the initial period there. It will be a pity if we are rushed into buying another car and make a mess of it.

The car we have right now is an Opel mpv, approx. 25k miles. I know over in UK this make is known as Vauxhall.

bazz26

Coviscooby wrote:

4. bring this said car back to Ireland and drive for >= 12 months
5. Register this said car for a PP-D reg plate, where PP is the year the said car is registered.

Just to recap.

Once you bring the UK car back to Ireland you register it here straight away. To avoid paying the VRT tax on it you to prove that you have been the owner of the car in the UK for at least 6 months. The VRO will look for evidence of residency from you, i.e. rent or mortgage payments, utility bills from your UK address. Once this is done you will be issued an Irish registration number so that you can tax the car here and put Irish number plates on it.

You cannot sell the same car in Ireland for at least 12 months from when you brought it back from the UK if you want to avoid paying VRT tax.

Coviscooby wrote:

The car we have right now is an Opel mpv, approx. 25k miles. I know over in UK this make is known as Vauxhall.

Yes Opel and Vauxhall are both owned by GM, the major difference being that Opels are built in Germany whereas Vauxhalls are built in the UK. Generally it is only the badges that are different but usually the Vauhalls have better standard features than Opels.

anonimo

on the same subject:

- would you be able to keep the car with irish plates while you are over there to avoid the hassle ? would irish insurance companies provide cover that long ?

- also registering the car in the UK ... how much would that costs ?

- and the last question: assuming you would want to sell the car in the UK, would you have trouble with that? forgive my ignorance, but are cars manufactured for IR and UK the same spec, etc ?

Thanks.

bazz26

anonimo wrote:

on the same subject:

- would you be able to keep the car with irish plates while you are over there to avoid the hassle ? would irish insurance companies provide cover that long ?

From http://www.direct.gov.uk/Motoring/BuyingAndSellingAVehicle/ImportingAndExportingAVehicle/ImportingAndExportingArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=10014623&chk=TiJpGX you can drive a EU car in the UK temporarily for a limited time.

Irish insurance will only cover you to drive your car abroad for 30 days or so afaik. You would then have to get UK insurance for the duration of your stay.

anonimo wrote:

- also registering the car in the UK ... how much would that costs ?

Don't know but it should be somewhere in the link: http://www.direct.gov.uk/Motoring/fs/en

anonimo wrote:

- and the last question: assuming you would want to sell the car in the UK, would you have trouble with that? forgive my ignorance, but are cars manufactured for IR and UK the same spec, etc ?

Thanks.

Irish cars in general are lower spec than UK cars in order for manufacturers to keep the intitial cost down due to VRT tax. Irish cars also cost more than UK cars for that reason. To sell an Irish car in the UK doesn't make much financial sense as the car is worth alot less over there. The UK car market is different to the Irish, no VRT, currency exchange rate and depreciation on most models is higher than in Ireland.

ballooba

Coviscooby wrote:

After some initial checks, our current car costs just about the same over for a similar one (mileage, age, etc) since we believed we got a good deal for the current one. Still worth a try in selling though.

Sounds pretty much impossible. The UK car wouldn't have had VRT in it's original price.

Post up the spec of your current car and what you paid for it.

zilog_jones

bazz26 wrote:

...the major difference being that Opels are built in Germany whereas Vauxhalls are built in the UK

Not these days - Vauxhalls and Opels are all made alongside each other in the same factories, be it Germany or Spain or wherever. It's been like that since at least the '90s with most models. Very few, if any GM cars are built in the UK now, and most aren't built in Germany either.

Coviscooby

Trust me - I have checked several UK websites (incl. NetworkQ) on prices.

ballooba wrote:

Sounds pretty much impossible. The UK car wouldn't have had VRT in it's original price.

Post up the spec of your current car and what you paid for it.

Mc-BigE

Coviscooby wrote:

Trust me - I have checked several UK websites (incl. NetworkQ) on prices.

Im sorry OP, but the following has to be said regarding IRL = UK car prices being the same:
Bollock$!
heres a few examples of 2004 opel/vauxhall zafia's for your info

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=search&maxrows=100&MakeID=21&xMakeID=21&ModelID=199&xModelID=199&Year=2004&xYear=2004&submit=Find+cars+%3E%3E


http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/cars_search.asp?searchform=&modelexact=1&lid=search_used_cars_full&photo=1&state=none&sort=&hassearched=Y&make=VAUXHALL&min_pr=75&source=0&model=ZAFIRA&max_pr=&agerange=5&mileage=&miles=1500&trim=&keywords=&postcode=SW19+3RQ&ukcarsearch_full.x=31&ukcarsearch_full.y=5&ukcarsearch_full=SEARCH

not unless the person that sold you the 2004 opel MPV (i'm guessing Zafia) didn't know the correct price of the car they were selling and you picked up a very rear bargin, then fair play, if not stop saying UK car prices are the same as Ireland because they're clearly not.

cujimmy

also registering the car in the UK ... how much would that costs ?

You will need a SVA, which costs £150 +, an MOT (up to £50) and car tax

The SVA is strict and detailed

I'm with other posters, no way is a 04 car here the same price as an o4 in ireland