Irish car returning from abroad without motor-tax.

CiniO

Assume a situation, that car was driven abroad in March 2011. Tax expired with last day of March, but it wasn't renewed, as it's not needed while being driven abroad.
Now in beginning of September, owner wants to drive back and tax it from 1st September, declaring it was off public road between 1st April to 31st August.
Unfortunately, such declaration can not be done online or by post, but owner has to be here in Ireland physically to do it.
So what he has to do, is to drive a car back to Ireland, straight into Garda station to get a stamp and to motor tax office.
What if he is stopped on the way between ferry and motortax office?
Would garda impound a car most likely? Is there any ANPr system on port terminals, or something like that.

It's just very often on this forum if someone is going to buy untaxed car, people advice that he should be grand if garda stop him, as he can explain he just bought the car and will tax it as soon as possible.
Here's is analogical situation.

What do you think?

Anan1

I'd say it really comes down to luck. A friend of mine had a car impounded recently in similar circumstances - it had been off the road (and untaxed) for almost a year, though.

kildare.17hmr

just go straight to the gards station and declare it was off the road. He could obviously run into a check point at the docks. I would just get it taxed as soon as possible

IRIsh registered car should be taxed when abroad, can't declare it off the road I would think.

CiniO

RoverJames wrote: »

IRIsh registered car should be taxed when abroad, can't declare it off the road I would think.

I was going through this subject here once, and it seemed that there is no need for tax while car is used abroad.

I don't want to look through all SI's again, but it was something like "every vehicle used on public roads must be taxed".

While in other SI there was a definition of "public road" which was described as "road administrated by national road council" or something like that.
I'm just writing from memory.

Anyway - conclusion was, that there is not any law in Ireland which would require Irish registered vehicle to be taxed while in traffic abroad.

As well, according to Road traffic Convention from Vienna from 1968, no country can require from any foreign registered vehicle anything other document than registration certificate and proof of roadworthiness test.

CiniO

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

just go straight to the gards station and declare it was off the road. He could obviously run into a check point at the docks. I would just get it taxed as soon as possible

Are checkpoints at the docks frequent?

-Corkie-

CiniO wrote: »

Are checkpoints at the docks frequent?

More so in Dublin with the Customs/RSA etc etc. The car should be taxed while abroad anyway.

kildare.17hmr

CiniO wrote: »

Are checkpoints at the docks frequent?

as frequent as anywhere else, customs more so for obvious reasons but they usually have a guard or 2 with them

DonJose

CiniO wrote: »

Assume a situation, that car was driven abroad in March 2011. Tax expired with last day of March, but it wasn't renewed, as it's not needed while being driven abroad.

Irish regged cars have been clamped in Northern Ireland for having no tax.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=63601138

http://www.derryjournal.com/news/local/rage_as_donegal_drivers_targeted_by_car_tax_clampers_1_2142615

CiniO

DonJose wrote: »

Irish regged cars have been clamped in Northern Ireland for having no tax.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=63601138

http://www.derryjournal.com/news/local/rage_as_donegal_drivers_targeted_by_car_tax_clampers_1_2142615

In my opinion - unlawfully.

guil

CiniO wrote: »

In my opinion - unlawfully.

will every guard agree with your opinion

CiniO

guil wrote: »

will every guard agree with your opinion

According to Law, he would have to eventually if case ended up in court.
Problem here is, that no one wants to go to court abroad.

I'm not sure about NI police.
But I'm sure about all police over Continent.
I would bet serious money that there's no chance any police on the Continent would ever ask about Irish motor tax.

-Chris-

I'd think you should drive directly to a Garda station to get the form stamped and signed.

If you have your ferry tickets on you showing that you landed in the country in the last hour or two, then any reasonable Garda that stopped you would have to use their discretion and let you continue on.