"Off The Road" Tax Loophole Changed From Today

Irishstabber

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/offroad-motor-loophole-closed-29384953.html


A TAX-evasion 'loophole' worth €55m, where motorists put their cars on 'holiday', has been shut down.

Motorists will no longer be allowed to make a retrospective declaration through their local garda station that their car has been off the road to avoid paying arrears of tax. The new rules come into effect from today.

Environment Minister Phil Hogan said up to €55m a year was not collected currently "through tax evaders taking a holiday from paying their motor tax".

There will be a three-month transition, until September 30, for drivers to pay arrears or declare their motor off the road.

Under the new rules, making a false non-use declaration can result in a fine of up to €4,000 and up to six months' jail.


Irish Independent

I have a genuine question regarding the above. My car has been lying in my garden for a couple of months as I can't afford to get some work done to it. My hours in work will be changing this month which won't make public transport feasible for me.

As per the article above; does the 3 month transition mean I can still retrospectively declare my car off the road until September so that I may use it, fully taxed, before the end of July as needed without having to pay the 5 months arrears on it?

AntiRip

http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/MotorTax/VehicleOffRoadProcedures/TransitionalArrangements

You can get the form RF111 signed up till the 30th of September.

shot2go

my car is off the road 4 months, does this new law mean il have to pay them errors? im hoping to get it nctd and back on road next week.
really worried about this, cant really afford to get it ncd and pay the tax errors.

corktina

you can complete form RF111 up to the end of sept and you wont have to pay the arrears

SV

So what's going to be the difference then?
Apart from harsher penalties?

AntiRip

SV wrote: »

So what's going to be the difference then?
Apart from harsher penalties?

The only thing I can see is that it will prevent the people from letting the tax lapse for a month and getting it signed off. Other than that f all. My car is off the road for the 3 or 4 months of the summer so I just get the form signed at the start instead of the end of the summer.

Renegade Mechanic

SV wrote: »

So what's going to be the difference then?
Apart from harsher penalties?

Youll have to declare it off the road, beforehand and state for how long.

Im just wondering though... I have two vehicles off the road, while i tinker away at them, that I never bothered declaring off the road (because i wasnt going to be driving them at all so the "red letter tax warning" wouldn't apply to me as I couldn't be caught) sooo.... What would be the best course of action?

NinjaTruncs

Is it not going to cost money to declare your car off the road. I heard €30 or €35.

shot2go

thanks corktina,

thats a huge worry off my mind. im meant to be except from paying tax through the disabled driver/passenger scheme but they want a receipt for the car which i dont have.

AntiRip

NinjaTruncs wrote: »

Is it not going to cost money to declare your car off the road. I heard €30 or €35.

No fee although they are provisions made for fees down the line. Of course an opportunity for extra revenue.

No Pants

I hate this being described as a loophole. It wasn't a loophole, it was a law that worked exactly the way it was supposed to. If you weren't using your car on the public road and therefore hadn't paid motor tax, you could state this and avoid being chased for arrears. Entirely reasonable.

The problem was there were minimal checks in place to avoid abuse. The guard only witnessed the signature. If ANPR was more common, they could have checked for hits on that, tolls incurred, CCTV at petrol stations, etc. Instead, it'll become more bureaucratic and will cost everyone more.

unexpecteditem

Just sign the car over into someone you knows name, have them tax it as their "new car" and then have it signed back into your name! bit of hassle with the changing of the log book and waiting on the new one but sure if it saves you paying 600+ on tax then who cares about waiting a week on a log book!
loads of small garage fellas will do it for people too!. A loophole closes and another opens !!

Renegade Mechanic

Done that plenty of times alright That won't change then? Or will the "previous owner" still be chaseable for arrears with the new law?