Customs stopping cars in Waterford

Ricey1

The customs are stopping cars today beside Tesco
I never seen the customs stopping cars before, wonder is it a new thing to raise a bit of money for the government, between that and the gatso vans they might be able to pay of the debt a bit faster

Bards

Ricey1 wrote: »

The customs are stopping cars today beside Tesco
I never seen the customs stopping cars before, wonder is it a new thing to raise a bit of money for the government, between that and the gatso vans they might be able to pay of the debt a bit faster

which Tesco?

ziedth

Surely customs have no right to search you just walking(or in this case driving) around? are you sure it wasn't a drugs search or something?

Bards

ziedth wrote: »

Surely customs have no right to search you just walking(or in this case driving) around? are you sure it wasn't a drugs search or something?

they have more powers than the Gardai and can stop and search anyone without a warrant

gscully

Bards wrote: »

they have more powers than the Gardai and can stop and search anyone for anything without a warrant etc.

Surely only at the point of entry to the country though?

ziedth

gscully wrote: »

Surely only at the point of entry to the country though?

That's what I would think, they are a border agency like.

kensutz

Nope, I've seen them having cars pulled over in Dublin and Limerick on quite a few occasions. They can also take your car from you there and then if VRT isn't paid on it.

Tayla

What are they searching for exactly?

Ricey1

They where stopping all foreign cars

ziedth

Interesting, I hadn't thought of VRT and all that. makes sense that way.

Bards

ziedth wrote: »

That's what I would think, they are a border agency like.

nope - they often have road checkpoints - checking for Red Disel, VRT of foreign registered cars, etc.

kayaksurfbum

Been stopped by them loads of times all over the country. Diesel is the main check i think.

Ricey1

There is lots of posts about them stopping all over the country today

It would be some laugh if they stopped the queen in her yellow reg limo and asked her what she was doing here

dayshah

Ricey1 wrote: »

There is lots of posts about them stopping all over the country today

It would be some laugh if they stopped the queen in her yellow reg limo and asked her what she was doing here

Sure isn't Charlie a farmer. Maybe he's using the red diesel.

STIG83

ziedth wrote: »

Surely customs have no right to search you just walking(or in this case driving) around? are you sure it wasn't a drugs search or something?

AFAIK customs can open your fuel tank and take a sample of it to make sure it not red diesel even when the car is parked somewhere.

Doylers

STIG83 wrote: »

AFAIK customs can open your fuel tank and take a sample of it to make sure it not red diesel even when the car is parked somewhere.

Bang on, happened to a friend of mine about 2 weeks ago, were testing his diesel.

STIG83

Doylers wrote: »

Bang on, happened to a friend of mine about 2 weeks ago, were testing his diesel.

How do they fine someone if red diesel is found and the car owner not there? leave a note on the windscreen?

dayshah

STIG83 wrote: »

How do they fine someone if red diesel is found and the car owner not there? leave a note on the windscreen?

Take a note of the reg, follow the car, and then bust whoever it supplying the stuff.

STIG83

dayshah wrote: »

Take a note of the reg, follow the car, and then bust whoever it supplying the stuff.

Bloody hell!! they take no crap by the sound of it!!

mikemac

STIG83 wrote: »

Bloody hell!! they take no crap by the sound of it!!

They certainly don't and in some ways they have even more power then Gardaí

STIG83

feelingstressed wrote: »

They certainly don't and in some ways they have even more power then Gardaí

If they saw a car with no insurance or tax would they have power to report it?

dayshah

STIG83 wrote: »

If they saw a car with no insurance or tax would they have power to report it?

Sure even I have the power to do that.

Remember customs are at the coal face of dealing with the 'Real' IRA, drug gangs, arms smugglers, and some of the worst scum society has to offer.

ziedth

Ya seem when I heard customs I for some reason thought of them search for fruit and veg

mikemac

ziedth wrote: »

Ya seem when I heard customs I for some reason thought of them search for fruit and veg

Watching the Simpsons a bit too much I think

Customs have a lot of powers, including seizing your car and impounding lorries full of goods
Generally with with the gardaí though at the checkpoints, look for the white caps

robtri

customs have a lot of power...

they can seize a lot of stuff and the onus is then on you to prove it is legal, i.e. all duties are paid, vrt etc..

Ricey1

Most cars these days have locks on the fuel tank so it would be impossible to open the fuel tank without causing damage

calvin_zola

customs have more power than the guards and regularly perfrm check points dipping fro green diesel, not a money collecting scheme for the government I'm afraid to disappoint to you

Guramoogah

Ricey1 wrote: »

Most cars these days have locks on the fuel tank so it would be impossible to open the fuel tank without causing damage

I've seen them with large bunches of keys. They have the power to force the locks open if they suspect that illegal fuel is being used.

dermo909

Its about time they started clamping down on the foreign reg cars around here. There are loads of them driving around and 99% of the european reg cars here are not owned by holiday makers.

Ricey1

It is a money collecting scheme for the government. People get paid they pay half their wages in tax, they buy a car about 60% of that is VRT tax, every year they have to pay road tax, they buy petrol probably 50% of that is tax, they get caught speeding and they have to pay 70 euro in speeding tax. So in reality how much of your wages that goes on your car is actually tax?? Wake up and smell the reality, the government wants to screw you every way it can, and its because of the government that we are in the mess we are today. Why is there all these new gatsos on the road? Because the government financially ruined this country and they want us to pay for it

tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax get used to as they will be looking for more ways to screw you in the near future

Hoffmans

as regards driving your car theres a facebook group with 12k members
to deal with customs harassment



also further info here

puppetmaster

Isnt it Green diesel now rather than red?

although the Tax on fuel , motor, and the shamefull VRT disgusts me.
Is the 4.2 billion the get from motorists a year not enough (granted that number has probably dropped by now)

Although that doesnt mean i agree with some guy tipping off to the UK and buying a motor without paying the VRT , or some lad filling his golf for 70c a litre. Cant complain about them enforcing there (our) sh!t laws when most of us abide by them anyway.

If you have a foreign Reg without proof of foreign adress or proof you entered the country recently , They WILL impound the car on ya.

And if your Irish i dont think the proof of entering the country recently counts.

calvin_zola

Ricey1 wrote: »

It is a money collecting scheme for the government. People get paid they pay half their wages in tax, they buy a car about 60% of that is VRT tax, every year they have to pay road tax, they buy petrol probably 50% of that is tax, they get caught speeding and they have to pay 70 euro in speeding tax. So in reality how much of your wages that goes on your car is actually tax?? Wake up and smell the reality, the government wants to screw you every way it can, and its because of the government that we are in the mess we are today. Why is there all these new gatsos on the road? Because the government financially ruined this country and they want us to pay for it

tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax get used to as they will be looking for more ways to screw you in the near future

sure if you don't like fook off to oz for yourself, your being naive if you think people working and owning cars don't relise they are getting screwed tax wise but c'est la vie

hardybuck

Ok, let me get this straight. If an Irish person coming home on holiday or down from the North for a weekend gets stopped they can have their car siezed on the spot if they can't prove that they aren't resident here any more!?

Surely its less extreme than this?

CantGetNoSleep

Hoffmans wrote: »

as regards driving your car theres a facebook group with 12k members
to deal with customs harassment



also further info here

VRT is not illegal though

robtri

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

VRT is not illegal though

exactly.... not illegal ...

Trick of the Tail

Well actually, its on very dodgy legal ground in respect of EU law.

1. Citizens are supposed to have free travel and domicile - how can they do this if they have to pay punitive taxes to bring their posession - vehicle - taxed in an EU country - with them?

2. Although it's classed by the govt here as a 'domestic tax' and therefore allowable, it is to all intents and purposes an import duty under another guise, since the products it is attached to are ALL imported into Ireland and cannot be domestically obtained without being first imported.

The EU have warned Ireland about VRT for a long time, but the government are resisting changing/abolishing it, as its a nice little earner.

See, they'll follow EU rules when it suits them...

A.

Ricey1

calvin_zola wrote: »

sure if you don't like fook off to oz for yourself, your being naive if you think people working and owning cars don't relise they are getting screwed tax wise but c'est la vie

Id love to be in Oz now, lived there before and thinking of going back but there's a lot of work in Ireland at the moment and the opportunity to make a lot of money so why leave now
Also I was trying to make a point that this is a money making scam from the government, everyone knows we pay a ridiculous amount of tax

CantGetNoSleep

alinton wrote: »

Well actually, its on very dodgy legal ground in respect of EU law.

1. Citizens are supposed to have free travel and domicile - how can they do this if they have to pay punitive taxes to bring their posession - vehicle - taxed in an EU country - with them?

2. Although it's classed by the govt here as a 'domestic tax' and therefore allowable, it is to all intents and purposes an import duty under another guise, since the products it is attached to are ALL imported into Ireland and cannot be domestically obtained without being first imported.

The EU have warned Ireland about VRT for a long time, but the government are resisting changing/abolishing it, as its a nice little earner.

See, they'll follow EU rules when it suits them...

A.

Citizens are allowed bring their vehicle if they are relocating without paying VRT

The ECJ have held that this type of VRT complies with EU law in a Danish case

deisedevil

Ricey1 wrote: »

Id love to be in Oz now, lived there before and thinking of going back but there's a lot of work in Ireland at the moment and the opportunity to make a lot of money so why leave now
Also I was trying to make a point that this is a money making scam from the government, everyone knows we pay a ridiculous amount of tax

Should there be checks on VRT and illegal diesel?