Selling car having received VRT exemption

Derek2016

Hi everyone,

I'm not sure if this is the best forum, or if it should go into the tax forum, so apologies if this is the wrong place. I recently got married and my wife is from the North. Now that we're married she's moved down here with me.

She has her own car, which she's brought with her and just last week we transferred it to here, got Southern plates etc. Because she already owned the car, we got a VRT exemption.

The problem is, the car is a 1997 reg. When we went to insure it, the cost was astronomical. There's just no way we can afford it (the age of the car wasn't a problem in the North). This leaves us in a tricky situation - she has a car which she simply can't afford to drive.

We do have an obvious solution. Her brother, who lives in the North, is desperate for a car and we suspect that he would happily buy it off us. Since it's family, we would give him a good deal too.

The problem with that is that my wife's VRT exemption notification says this:

You cannot sell, lend, hire out, or otherwise dispose of the above vehicle for a period of 12 months from the date of registration, except where prior permission of the Revenue Commissioners has been obtained or where residual VRT (also CCT duty and VAT where appropriate) has/have been fully paid. Applications for disposal should be made in writing and addressed to the above address.

(Note: I'm not actually sure what it means about VRT, CCT etc. and whether that would apply to my wife or not.)

It's a conundrum - driving the car isn't an option, because we can't afford it. Selling the car may not be an option for the next 51 weeks. The last thing we want is for the car to just sit here totally unused.

Obviously that paragraph does give some hope - it may be possible to get permission to sell the car. Has anyone been in this situation before? Any suggestions as to how to go about it?

Thanks for your help!

whomitconcerns

If you re-export it to the north the exemption will be void and you can sell it if you want

Atlantic Dawn

Yes you just can't transfer it to someone here, no problem in the north, think fee is £50 to register in UK, process should be simple as it was already on a UK plate.

mickdw

Should be no issue exporting really.

Your wife has missed a great opportunity re bringing a reasonably good car in vrt free.

savagethegoat

Just sell it to the Brother in the North.It should be no problem. It's worthless here really