Scrapping an unused untaxed car that has not been declared off road.

losttheplot

Hi, I hope someone in the know can clarify this for me.

I need to arrange for the scrapping of an 18 year old car that has not been used since before lockdown in March 2020. The car has not been taxed or insured or declared off the road since then. Is there be a motor tax payment overdue that needs to be paid before the car can be scrapped?

Thanks

[Steve]

In short - No.

You'd only be paying the tax should you wish to operate it on public roads. Contact an authorised disposer / facility to arrange scrapping it. Either they'll take it away or you'd trailer it to them.

Source: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/buying_or_selling_a_vehicle/how_to_dispose_of_an_end_of_life_vehicle.html

losttheplot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119304936#Comment_119304936

Thanks, thought they might look for motor tax owing as it has never been declared off road.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119305267#Comment_119305267

Usually a vehicle is declared off road if the owner wishes to put it back on the road at a later date to avoid back taxing it. For example, if you were emigrating for a year and parked up the vehicle.

asdfg87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119305454#Comment_119305454

Ther legal way to do is transfer ownership to a family member, tax for 3 months and scrap it.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119305466#Comment_119305466

Why would you transfer the ownership, and scrap a vehicle that you intend using again?

asdfg87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119305473#Comment_119305473

Because the current owner owes all the back tax if car was not declared off the road every year.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119305495#Comment_119305495

I think you are confusing the OP's scenario with my explanation of when an off road declaration is used.

asdfg87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119305520#Comment_119305520

On reflection i think you may be right and maybe an authorized scrap dealer can do, you can confirm.

antodeco

What sort of car is it OP?

Buffman

OP, if the car is in anyway decent shape maybe try to sell it in the first instance. Depending on what it is, someone might be looking for one, and 18 years old is heading towards modern classic territory.

Also, you might get a few € for it rather than having to give it away to a scrapper or potentially have to pay to get it taken.

Daveq

You can donate old cars to the Fire Brigade for training, they'll collect it too

https://www.dublincity.ie/residential/dublin-fire-brigade/how-contact-dublin-fire-brigade/donate-vehicle-fire-brigade-training

CiniO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119305495#Comment_119305495

That is actually not true.

Current owner doesn't own any tax. Only if current owner intended to tax it again (to put it back on the road), then he/she would own the arrears for tax for all period car was untaxed and undeclared off the road.

So in other words obligation to pay arrears for unpaid tax only arise if owner actually proceeds with taxing the vehicle.

That is the exact reason why trick with transferring ownership to friend/family member to avoid paying arrears actually work. Because in such case owner in not taxing the vehicle, and new owner can not be responsible for unpaid tax by previous owner.

If tax was no paid for years, car wasn't declared off the road, but is not going to scrap, then motortax arrears are no issue.

asdfg87

I am aware of all of that but that's not what the OP needs to know.