Buying an EU (Polish) registered motorcycle

BIGD

Hi there just wondering if anyone can help me out here ,I looked at the revenue site and can't find my exact predicament, simply put, there is motorcycle that I want to buy with a Polish registration plate if the owner pays vrt on it and register it as Irish can he sell it immediately,I know he can register it and not pay any vrt (he owned it for more than 6 months in Poland) but then he has to keep it for 12 months before he can sell it. Correct? Thanks BigD

jake frost

I dont see any reason why he cant sell it once he pays vrt and gets new plates. The stipulation about him not being able sell it for 12 months only applies if it was exempt from vrt. For example if he decided to keep it and re register it himself without paying vrt he would have to keep for 1 year.

Butu should double check with revenue before departing with cash.

CiniO

Yes - if he pays VRT he will be able to sell it to you, but not that immediately. (he'll need to first tax it for at least 3 months + wait for VRC to arrive in post so it might take a week or two on top of waiting time for VRT appointment).

Is the seller resident in Ireland? (only then he can register it here and pay VRT)
If he's not resident you can buy it off him straight away on Polish plates and pay VRT yourself.
If he is resident, then legally he can't sell this motorbike here without registering it in Ireland, but if transaction was to take place abroad (i.e. NI) then IMO that would be fully legit and much quicker for you.

Del2005

If it's in Poland, or Ireland, and he's resident here he can't avail of the VRT exemption. If the bike has been in Ireland for more that 30 days there'll be a VRT penalty when registering it.

Better let the seller sort out the VRT and then buy it on Irish plates.

CiniO

Del2005 wrote: »

If it's in Poland, or Ireland, and he's resident here he can't avail of the VRT exemption. If the bike has been in Ireland for more that 30 days there'll be a VRT penalty when registering it.

Better let the seller sort out the VRT and then buy it on Irish plates.

Isn't the law that if he owned that motorbike in Poland for 6 months before he moved here, then he is entitled to VRT exemption?
Even if he moved like 10 years ago, and kept this motorbike here for 10 years without registering in Ireland ?

No difference for OP though, as if he wants to buy it now and not in a year time, then there can't be any VRT exemption.

Del2005

CiniO wrote: »

Isn't the law that if he owned that motorbike in Poland for 6 months before he moved here, then he is entitled to VRT exemption?
Even if he moved like 10 years ago, and kept this motorbike here for 10 years without registering in Ireland ?

No difference for OP though, as if he wants to buy it now and not in a year time, then there can't be any VRT exemption.

You have to have been using it in the country you are importing it from to avail of the exemption If he's lived here 10 years he's not transferring his residence.

To qualify, you must prove you:

have had normal residence abroad
and
are taking up normal residence in the State.

You will need evidence, both abroad and in the State, of:

acquiring and disposing of a home (for example, rent agreements, mortgage documents and rent or mortgage payments)
employment (for example, pay slips, tax records and social welfare records)
day-to-day living (bank statements or transaction documents, bills or receipts for electricity, phone, service charges and other day-to-day living expenses)
travel into and out of the country.

https://www.revenue.ie/en/importing-vehicles-duty-free-allowances/guide-to-vrt/reliefs-and-exemptions/transfer-of-residence.aspx

CiniO

Del2005 wrote: »

You have to have been using it in the country you are importing it from to avail of the exemption If he's lived here 10 years he's not transferring his residence.



https://www.revenue.ie/en/importing-vehicles-duty-free-allowances/guide-to-vrt/reliefs-and-exemptions/transfer-of-residence.aspx

Of course.

What I meant is that I've personally known at least few people (mostly from UK) who owned vehicle in UK for more than 6 months, moved to Ireland, and kept driving on Irish roads for months or years on UK plates. Eventually they got around re-registering vehicle in Ireland, and availing of VRT exemption.

While technically VRT exemption should be claimed straight after moving here, and vehicle re-registered within 30 days, but in fact very often this is delayed by months or years, and as far as I know there are now penalties for that.

newmember2

CiniO wrote: »

Yes - if he pays VRT he will be able to sell it to you, but not that immediately. (he'll need to first tax it for at least 3 months + wait for VRC to arrive in post so it might take a week or two on top of waiting time for VRT appointment).
...

No, that's incorrect. A vehicle can be sold immediately after registering and before being taxed and receiving the first logbook.