trying to commercially tax my Jeep

visual

with road tax over 1500 euro for me I though I pop into motor tax office to ask about commercially taxing it as its less than 300 euro. I only use it for work so it seems the logical thing to do.
They seemed to think it was possible and should be no problem. I explained it was a 3.1TD Jeep Grand Cherokee (5 seats) and has a bolt in heavy duty wire mess cage between cargo area and passenger compartment.

Motor tax office was helpful gave me some forms and asked to get a letter of declaration signed in guarda station for commercial use only. as long as there is no more than 5 seats all will be good.

Done that and returned with prove of self employment (VAT) to motor tax office. No weight for it on system so asked get it weighed and DOE tested
Guy at motor tax office said once I got this there be no problem.

Ok more running around but it will save me over 1K a year so off I go and get it weighted and book DOE...

turn up at DOE center and guy just says no way its a 5 seater jeep.
I said yes and I explained this to motor tax office who have no issue with that.. He seemed a little unsure and said that the good area should be 60% bigger than the rear passenger seat area. Anyway he refused to test it and I seem to be stuck... without DOE i can't get it changed to commercial or tax it.

I phoned another test center and they said it would have to be done as a crew cab... I said fine but he pointed out it must be a detachable rear end for tools..... It's like these guys haven't a clue as I know you can buy new and 2nd hand crew cab vans.. then went on to said the goods area has to be 40% of the total vehicles length. Guess that rules out SWB jeeps of any sort ! but that can't be true as there is commercial SWB.

While I can see there is some truth in what being said obviously its at someone discretion and limited understanding. I really don't want to stand there trying to explain a case to a mechanic with very limited knowledge.

I have seen some Jeeps same make model with no modification as commercial so there must be a way.. One dealer selling one even advertised it can be taxed as either commercial or privet at buyers request.

Any advise welcome.

don't want to take the rear seats out and weld the seat belt mounts...

When I use it for work its more like a mobile office and I can be in the middle of either a building site or field.

Eric Cartman

the bulkhead between the rear seats and cargo area has to be solid, not sure if your mesh cage will do

the cargo area has to be more than 45% of the total cabin area

I know with the new type approval for commercial vehicles so im not sure if you can convert anything to a crewcab anymore, i think it has to leave the factory as one

visual

Thanks for reply
My split cabin/cargo wouldn't be 55/45
It's more like 70/30

dhog4n

What I have picked up on this from my own experiences:

To register any vehicle as a commercial, the cargo area needs to be a minimum length of 45% of the wheelbase length. The vrt lady actually took out a tape measure to confirm this on mine. As I understand it, the bulkhead needs to be solid and vertical, ie: sloping back into the cargo area will mean measuring to the top of the bulkhead for the shortest length from front to back. You can register a 5 seat jeep as commercial if it does meet the crewcab regs so the DOE tester probably thought that it didn't meet the regs. By the way, one of those regs (only for crewcabs) is that you can prove that you have at least three employees.

Any commercials you have seen with seats in the back are breaking the law if they don't meet the crewcab regs. This was quite common until a couple of years ago and is the reason commercials got bad press as being tax cheats instead of work vehicles. The DOE testers don't (or used not to) refuse to test a vehicle that has already been registered as a commercial and has the seats in place as it is not their business.

sellerbarry

Why don't you just take the back seats out? Would this not suffice?

101sean

Was about to reply at length but dhog4n summarised it nicely.

Either vandalise the vehicle or keep paying your €1200 motor tax!

It's newly imported commercials that have to be factory built. You can still convert vehicles that are already registered here as it's DOE/motor tax rules that have to be satisfied, the tougher VRT rules don't apply as it's already been paid.

101sean

Sellerbarry, that's insufficient, has to have flat floor, solid bulkhead and blacked out windows at least.

2.8trooper

not to throw a spanner in the works but i seem to remember when the vx landcruisers were taxed commercially they hada rather large (and ugly) steel box welded to the underside of the boot floor to increase the lauggage aera capacity,is this correct? maybe something like that could be done.

visual

Was just trying to tax vechical for purpose it was being used. As I also have a car for private use. Doesn't look like this is possible without jumping through ever decreasing circles and serious modification
Just kills me a guy in uk can tax his motor for a fraction of what is expected here.

Thanks guys for help and advice !

Top Dog

visual wrote: »

Was just trying to tax vechical for purpose it was being used.

Sell what you have and buy an actual commercial 4x4 and enjoy the commercial tax? Assuming you can live without the rear seats obviously

Caddyvanman

I am sorry but it seem to me like you want your cake and to eat it as well,

why should you have 5 seats for €288 and the rest of us have to make do with 2 seats.

"don't want to take the rear seats out and weld the seat belt mounts.."

If your not using them whats the problem with taking them out.

"Just kills me a guy in uk can tax his motor for a fraction of what is expected here"

This is Ireland, if you don't like it well move to the UK.

I think your only looking for info on how to fool the system.

Sorry but this is how your post read to me !

Fishtits

OP, this is simple.

Get rid of your rear seats and you can run it as a commercial - assuming you are self employed.

It was previously a passenger vehicle so the relevant VRT has been paid, no issue there. You just need to satisfy your local county council that its now used as a commercial.

You'll need a test cert to tax it.

The Copper at the checkpoint has no function in this. The Co Council must satisfy themself that it is commercial tax. The Copper just has to ensure that the tax, of whatever rate, is displayed and valid.

Basicallly, if the council decide its a commercial, the cops must abide.

Cheers,

visual

Caddyvanman wrote: »

I am sorry but it seem to me like you want your cake and to eat it as well,

why should you have 5 seats for €288 and the rest of us have to make do with 2 seats.

"don't want to take the rear seats out and weld the seat belt mounts.."

If your not using them whats the problem with taking them out.

"Just kills me a guy in uk can tax his motor for a fraction of what is expected here"

This is Ireland, if you don't like it well move to the UK.

I think your only looking for info on how to fool the system.

Sorry but this is how your post read to me !

Try reading and comprehend what was posted before hitting the send key

visual

Top Dog wrote: »

visual wrote: »

Was just trying to tax vechical for purpose it was being used.

Sell what you have and buy an actual commercial 4x4 and enjoy the commercial tax? Assuming you can live without the rear seats obviously

I work as PM and need to bring client and stake holders on site so bums on seats rather than goods area important. The only other use it gets is moblie office.
I'm weighing up option of just biting the bullet on tax and not being able to claim 100% business use vs crew cab that are bigger than what I need.

visual

Fishtits wrote: »

OP, this is simple.

Get rid of your rear seats and you can run it as a commercial - assuming you are self employed.

It was previously a passenger vehicle so the relevant VRT has been paid, no issue there. You just need to satisfy your local county council that its now used as a commercial.

You'll need a test cert to tax it.

The Copper at the checkpoint has no function in this. The Co Council must satisfy themself that it is commercial tax. The Copper just has to ensure that the tax, of whatever rate, is displayed and valid.

Basicallly, if the council decide its a commercial, the cops must abide.

Cheers,

Good advice
South Dublin county council (staff anyway )
Dont have a issue as I've complied with everything they are seeking except being able to get it DOE tested. this had been the hurdle I fell at.
Who decides on DOE rules be it dept of Env. or other bodies it's defiantly not made easy and why a diesel 3.1 L Private tax rate is €1566.00 is a bit of a farce.

Green party if I see one of them cycling for free on the road I'll @€;&"#*

good point about VRT it should be refunded if your changing from private to commercial although that will never happen it should.

Gov has us one way or the other pity as we drive the base modle cars vans and 4x4 compared to other markets.

I can remember years ago it was possible to get open drive insurance and insure yourself in more than one vehicle for a little extra.
I had to restart a new policy for 2nd motor apparently they don't do this any more.

Rip of ireland !

Rant over ....

Just have to make the most of the system rather than try fight it..

Eric Cartman

if the rear seats are that important to you then just sell your jeep and buy a crewcab , either find a 2003 landcruiser amazon crewcab or buy a pickup

paddy147

This is so simple to solve.

Sell private jeep and use money to buy a cheap commercial jeep or commercial crewcab.

Job done.

acmatman

hi just changed a Toyota VX from seats to commerical ,I got a DOE cert ,signed the declaration in the Garda station ,off to the Corpo ,cheap tax ,also bio diesel is a great way to save money

cheekybarry

Hi. Did you take the seats out before the doe test??

acmatman wrote: »

hi just changed a Toyota VX from seats to commerical ,I got a DOE cert ,signed the declaration in the Garda station ,off to the Corpo ,cheap tax ,also bio diesel is a great way to save money