What vehicle for me? Private or commercial?

crinno

Im looking to get a vehicle for a weekend job I do coaching sports and hence need a car for the equipment. I use the bus for my 9-5 during the week so essentially this vehicle would solely be for the wkend job.

Cheap and efficient is the aim of my game given the little use it will get so i was thinking of getting a light van like a renault kangoo or even a car/van like a Ford fiesta. Am I correct in saying I can go down the commercial tax and DOE route this way? I won't be using it for social purposes. However with commercial insurance being more expensive than private am I just as well going down the private route?

So basically is the Commercial Tax saving worth the hassle?

Many thanks

Patrickheg

Watch out for VAT if you do buy a commercial. If the seller is VAT registered they will quote ex VAT which will be a cost to you(whereas VAT registered people can reclaim VAT so it's not a cost to them)

In your situation you are best to buy from a non VAT registered seller as it will be cheaper for you due to their market effectively excluding non VAT registered buyers.

crinno

Excellent post thanks....VAT hadn't crossed my mind at all. Definitely something to consider.

R.O.R

You'd probably have difficulty getting it taxed as a commercial, without a business, so there's no cost saving there.

Best option would probably be a 1.3 Combo/Doblo, as that's only going to cost €358 a year to tax - just slightly more than €333 per year on commercial tax. Any commercial vehicle, regardless of how it's taxed, will require an annual DOE/CRVT test.

Might just be better off with a small engined car, with a big boot, if the van insurance is more than car insurance.

mathepac

Small hatch-back or estate which lets the rear seats lie flat (e.g. Fabia, Polo, Fiesta) and get Class 2 private insurance on it.