Motor Tax

turbo

HI,

I have an Irish reg car in a foreign country the past 2 years (Havnet had the time to dive it back and am not in need of it). What is the current situation on the Tax issue. Can i just go to the Motor Tax office and declare it off the road for the year?

Thanks
T.

biko

When do you plan to bring it back?
Did you read the first post in the sticky?
But in short, yes go to tax office and declare it off-road until you think it will be back again.

turbo

biko wrote: »

When do you plan to bring it back?
Did you read the first post in the sticky?
But in short, yes go to tax office and declare it off-road until you think it will be back again.

HI,

I didnt see that, apologies, Thanks,

It may be brought back in the next few months or it could be a years time. Tough to fit in the time and urge to drive across Europe!

If i was ever to go back and drive it, what is the law regarding Tax if driving an Irish reg car in another country?

Thanks
T

biko

Depends on the law of the country it's in. For instance in UK you can (as tourist) drive an Irish reg as long as it has valid discs from country of origin, tax, nct, insurance.
I'd assume this is probably EU wide.

munchkin_utd

biko wrote: »

Depends on the law of the country it's in. For instance in UK you can (as tourist) drive an Irish reg as long as it has valid discs from country of origin, tax, nct, insurance.
I'd assume this is probably EU wide.

in Holland they make the irish enforcement of motor tax look amateur.
If you are caught with the car on the road without valid tax from the home country, according to previous posters it will be lifted on the spot - no "it'll be grand" or "garda exercise of discression" if you flash an ankle, flutter your eyebrows or claim stupidity.
If you are caught living in holland with a foreign car it will be lifted again no questions. Motor tax is way more than even Ireland so they are strict on the issue.

Not sure what the story is in other countries, but as a rule they will impound a car far quicker abroad than in Ireland so you'd want to make sure you arent driving about without tax should that be an offence in the country youre in.

Del2005

munchkin_utd wrote: »

in Holland they make the irish enforcement of motor tax look amateur.
If you are caught with the car on the road without valid tax from the home country, according to previous posters it will be lifted on the spot - no "it'll be grand" or "garda exercise of discression" if you flash an ankle, flutter your eyebrows or claim stupidity.
If you are caught living in holland with a foreign car it will be lifted again no questions. Motor tax is way more than even Ireland so they are strict on the issue.

Not sure what the story is in other countries, but as a rule they will impound a car far quicker abroad than in Ireland so you'd want to make sure you arent driving about without tax should that be an offence in the country youre in.

IIRC your car has to be legal in it's home country to be legal in an other EU country. So no tax means it's not legally allowed onto any road in the EU. Countries which don't know about the disc on the window may let you through a checkpoint/stop.

turbo

Interesting responses, Thanks, i never knew this nor had looked into it til now. Thats a serious operation in Holland munch in_utd.

CiniO

turbo wrote: »

HI,

I have an Irish reg car in a foreign country the past 2 years (Havnet had the time to dive it back and am not in need of it). What is the current situation on the Tax issue. Can i just go to the Motor Tax office and declare it off the road for the year?

Thanks
T.

If car is registered in your name and not taxed currently (I assume that's the case), you will have to do two following things, both before end of September.

1. Get RF100A form on which you will declare that car was not used in public place from date last tax expired till end of August 2013. Get this witnessed by Garda, and bring it to motortax office.
2. Get RF150 form, on which you will declare that car won't be used in public place from 1st September this year. You can declare it for 12 months maximum, so that's the best option.

Then before you will be coming back to Ireland with it in the future, just tax it.


When it comes to driving abroad without Irish tax, generally speaking that's not an issue, and in most countries it's perfectly legal.

People on this forum claim, that in UK, foreign car must be road legal in home country, which can be understood that it must be taxed, but no one was able to provide appropriate legislation stating that.

I have no clue about Netherland, but it sound strange.

But in general, most EU countries, have regulations in relation to foreign vehicle traffic based on Vienna Convention on Road traffic from 1968.
This convention puts few requirements, f.e. that owner must carry VLC, car must be insured, tested, etc... But there is no word about any tax.
AFAIK on whole Europe continent you are perfectly legal to drive Irish car, once you have it insured and NCTed, and carry VLC with you.
I can't provide approriate legislations from all the countries unfortunately. All I can provide are regulations from Poland (if you would be interested), which have no requirement for any kind of motortax on foreign vehicle.

But I've driven through many EU countries in Irish registered car without tax, approached good few roadside checks, and never ever anyone asked me about tax.

turbo

CiniO wrote: »

If car is registered in your name and not taxed currently (I assume that's the case), you will have to do two following things, both before end of September.

1. Get RF100A form on which you will declare that car was not used in public place from date last tax expired till end of August 2013. Get this witnessed by Garda, and bring it to motortax office.
2. Get RF150 form, on which you will declare that car won't be used in public place from 1st September this year. You can declare it for 12 months maximum, so that's the best option.

Then before you will be coming back to Ireland with it in the future, just tax it.


When it comes to driving abroad without Irish tax, generally speaking that's not an issue, and in most countries it's perfectly legal.

People on this forum claim, that in UK, foreign car must be road legal in home country, which can be understood that it must be taxed, but no one was able to provide appropriate legislation stating that.

I have no clue about Netherland, but it sound strange.

But in general, most EU countries, have regulations in relation to foreign vehicle traffic based on Vienna Convention on Road traffic from 1968.
This convention puts few requirements, f.e. that owner must carry VLC, car must be insured, tested, etc... But there is no word about any tax.
AFAIK on whole Europe continent you are perfectly legal to drive Irish car, once you have it insured and NCTed, and carry VLC with you.
I can't provide approriate legislations from all the countries unfortunately. All I can provide are regulations from Poland (if you would be interested), which have no requirement for any kind of motortax on foreign vehicle.

But I've driven through many EU countries in Irish registered car without tax, approached good few roadside checks, and never ever anyone asked me about tax.

Thanks CiniO for the informed post. What i always thought was that the road Tax for to pay for the upkeep of the Irish Road system and if the car was not here for what ever reason that it was not necessary to pay, especially if its off the road. There countries like Switzerland where you have to pay a tax once you drive into it, even if your just driving through. Same with some of the European countries but they arent as expensive as the Swiss!

CiniO

turbo wrote: »

Thanks CiniO for the informed post. What i always thought was that the road Tax for to pay for the upkeep of the Irish Road system and if the car was not here for what ever reason that it was not necessary to pay, especially if its off the road. There countries like Switzerland where you have to pay a tax once you drive into it, even if your just driving through. Same with some of the European countries but they arent as expensive as the Swiss!

Motortax in Ireland is not necessery for upkeeping the roads.
I'd say rather that it's a tax on luxury of being able to use your motor vehicle on public roads in Ireland.

Anyway - you are right saying that Irish law only requires motortax to be valid when you are driving on Public roads in Ireland.

That's why no other jurisdiction should require you to have motor tax on your Irish registered car.

And if UK is exception and their law requires Irish cars to be taxed, I would love to see appropriate legislation - but after few years asking for it on different forums, I rather believe it doesn't exist.

turbo

CiniO wrote: »

Motortax in Ireland is not necessery for upkeeping the roads.
I'd say rather that it's a tax on luxury of being able to use your motor vehicle on public roads in Ireland.

Anyway - you are right saying that Irish law only requires motortax to be valid when you are driving on Public roads in Ireland.

That's why no other jurisdiction should require you to have motor tax on your Irish registered car.

And if UK is exception and their law requires Irish cars to be taxed, I would love to see appropriate legislation - but after few years asking for it on different forums, I rather believe it doesn't exist.

Interesting that nobody has found this legislation!