Taxing a van privately

coolbond

Hi im getting conflicting information regarding this and im hoping someone could clear it up for me,

im looking at buying an 08 transit van 2.0D for non commercial purposes e.g carrying camping/surfing/fishing gear and im not sure how much tax I will have to pay as I dont have a VAT number,according to motortax.ie the tax is 333(commercial) but i-ve also heard that I will have to tax it the same as a 2.0 litre engined car which is 710 euro per year,but because its a post 08 i-ve also heard that it will be taxed on emission and not engine size??? anyone any ideas???

thanks

sean1141

it will be taxed on engine size if taxed private.

coolbond

sean1141 wrote: »

it will be taxed on engine size if taxed private.

thanks,even though its post 2008?

K.Flyer

Before wondering about the tax, I would be ringing up to see if you can get insurance first, as some insurance companies dont like to insure vans for private use.

sean1141

coolbond wrote: »

thanks,even though its post 2008?

As far as I know there are only two rates for vans. Commercial or private with private being based on the engine size only. Even something like a 09 1.6 focus will be based on cc and not emissions which would be cheaper than the commercial rate

Nedser101

You don't have to vat registered to tax it commercially I think!

sean1141

No but you may have to produce proof as to why you want to tax it commercially eg a heard number from a farmer or a letter from your employer stating you you use it for work

shamwari

OP, why don't you enquire at your local motor tax office and hear it from the horses mouth?

coolbond

shamwari wrote: »

OP, why don't you enquire at your local motor tax office and hear it from the horses mouth?

because i got two different stories from the same tax office!

sean1141

What would happen if you bought a van that had 11-12months commercial tax remaining but you only intended to use it for private use. Can you get in trouble with the law?

CiniO

sean1141 wrote: »

What would happen if you bought a van that had 11-12months commercial tax remaining but you only intended to use it for private use. Can you get in trouble with the law?

If someone could prove you are not using it at all for business use, then possibly yes.

The most tricky thing is when someone is using a van for both (business and private use) - f.e. delivering stuff business during the day, and going shopping and surfing in a van in the evening or weekends.

There doesn't seem to be any law prohibiting private use of commercially taxed van, provided it's being used for business purposes, and private use is only addition.

But on the other hand some motor tax offices require people to sign "good only declaration" where person must declare he won't be using a van for private use at all if it's taxed commercially. Sadly requirement for those declarations doesn't seem to have any background in our law.

CiniO

coolbond wrote: »

thanks,even though its post 2008?

To be precise, it's not really taxing privately.
In short in act refering to motortax, there is a category for goods vehicles being used for business use. And that's the category which we all refer to as "commercial".
The same act mentiones, that if some vehicle can not be taxed under it's category, then it must be taxed based on engine size.
And that's exactly the case if you have a van which is being used only for private purposes, than it can't be taxed as "goods vehicles being used for business use", and therefore must be taxed based on engine size.
That doesn't mean however that it becomes a private car.
It's still a good vehicle, but taxed under engine size rates.

sean1141

CiniO wrote: »

If someone could prove you are not using it at all for business use, then possibly yes.

The most tricky thing is when someone is using a van for both (business and private use) - f.e. delivering stuff business during the day, and going shopping and surfing in a van in the evening or weekends.

There doesn't seem to be any law prohibiting private use of commercially taxed van, provided it's being used for business purposes, and private use is only addition.

But on the other hand some motor tax offices require people to sign "good only declaration" where person must declare he won't be using a van for private use at all if it's taxed commercially. Sadly requirement for those declarations doesn't seem to have any background in our law.

Say I buy a transit in the morning with 11 months goods tax remaining on it but I only want the van for private use, how can i or is it possible to retax it as private?

MackDeToaster

I just bought a car/van to use privately for camping, cycling, surfing. I'd looked up revenue etc to find out how much tax would be and they all seemed to say that as an 2011 it would be taxed at private rates. e.g.

www.westmeathcoco.ie/en/ourservices/roadstransport/motortaxation/#Goods Vehicles - "If you are unable to provide proof of business then you may proceed to tax the goods vehicle at the Private Tax Class."

www.mayococo.ie/en/Services/MotorTax/MotorTaxProcedures/GoodsVehicles/ - " APPLICANTS SHOULD NOTE THAT IF THE VEHICLE IS USED AT ANY TIME FOR SOCIAL, DOMESTIC OR PLEASURE PURPOSES, IT MUST BE TAXED AT THE PRIVATE RATE."

I pop over to private rates and from 08 it's based on emissions (I've never had anything newer than '02 before). With it's co2 emissions that I looked up that would then make it class A4. In I go to the tax office and your one says 385 euros, even more than the goods rate. I was a bit gobsmacked and asked where does that come from, it's registered privately, and there was something said about it's got to do with vrt but nobody could give any real explanation.
There is no mention anywhere on the revenue, citizens advice, etc websites that I could find that says the tax is based on cc - can anyone direct me to this as to say I'm pissed off is an understatement as everything I'd looked up had led me to understand otherwise.

corktina

the problem is they probably haven't ever come across someone wanting to tax a van as Private! Everyone else is a chancer!

CiniO

MackDeToaster wrote: »

I just bought a car/van to use privately for camping, cycling, surfing. I'd looked up revenue etc to find out how much tax would be and they all seemed to say that as an 2011 it would be taxed at private rates. e.g.

www.westmeathcoco.ie/en/ourservices/roadstransport/motortaxation/#Goods Vehicles - "If you are unable to provide proof of business then you may proceed to tax the goods vehicle at the Private Tax Class."

www.mayococo.ie/en/Services/MotorTax/MotorTaxProcedures/GoodsVehicles/ - " APPLICANTS SHOULD NOTE THAT IF THE VEHICLE IS USED AT ANY TIME FOR SOCIAL, DOMESTIC OR PLEASURE PURPOSES, IT MUST BE TAXED AT THE PRIVATE RATE."

IMO that info in misleading.
There isn't any law prohibiting occasional private use of a comercially taxed vehicle.

But it doesn't change much for you, as you are planning to use it only for private purposes, so you need to tax it privately.

I pop over to private rates and from 08 it's based on emissions (I've never had anything newer than '02 before). With it's co2 emissions that I looked up that would then make it class A4. In I go to the tax office and your one says 385 euros, even more than the goods rate. I was a bit gobsmacked and asked where does that come from, it's registered privately, and there was something said about it's got to do with vrt but nobody could give any real explanation.
There is no mention anywhere on the revenue, citizens advice, etc websites that I could find that says the tax is based on cc - can anyone direct me to this as to say I'm pissed off is an understatement as everything I'd looked up had led me to understand otherwise.

Unfortunately they are right.
It's a van (goods vehicle), and if such vehicle can't be taxed under "goods vehicle" rates (known as commercial), then only other option is to tax it based on engine size rates.

CO2 emission rates apply only to passenger vehicles (cars or small minibuses - up to 8 passengers).

gtansey44

How did you get on with this if you don't mind me asking? I intend to buy a old jeep for the same purposes and use it as a second car in the evening and weekends mainly so paying full private tax is out of the question. I'm not registered but want to tax it commercially and insure it privately.

corktina

you wont be able to tax it unless you sign a declaration that you will only use it for business purposes. False declaration is a serious business.

gtansey44

As long as you can get it taxed at your local motor tax office I find it hard to see how the guards can ascertain whether you are using it for personal use or not as you don't have to be registered if your 'sole trading company' turns over less than 37 and a half thousand and can claim its being used as a vehicle for that purpose.

Looking into it people just seem confused, and the majority will pay the extra amount which can be the guts of a grand to tax a jeep rather than get hassle off the guards.

Its a grey area and most guards don't really care.

Fred Swanson

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Fred Swanson

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4odh4n

CiniO wrote: »

CO2 emission rates apply only to passenger vehicles (cars or small minibuses - up to 8 passengers).

based on the above, would anyone know what would be the story with taxing an 08+ crew cab type vehicle privately?, would it be based on co2??

one if these would be ideal for myself, i work full time and part time farming but the cc based tax rate is horrible when the vehicle might only be doing 3000kms a year...

R.O.R

Crew Cab is either commercial rate, or engine size.

It's classed as a commercial vehicle.

9 Seater minibus is on CO2 for post 08.


You wouldn't want to pay on CO2 emissions, engine size is the lesser of 2 evils in practically every case.

biko

gtansey44 wrote: »

How did you get on with this if you don't mind me asking? I intend to buy a old jeep for the same purposes and use it as a second car in the evening and weekends mainly so paying full private tax is out of the question. I'm not registered but want to tax it commercially and insure it privately.

This isn't the place for tax evasion help.