Classic tax

maxamillius

Hi Folks,

my beloved BMW turns 30 next April, what do I need to do in order to get vintage tax on it? My current tax is due for renewal end of January 23’

cheers

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058271807/classic-tax

Get form RF 111 and go into local tax office.

adcrawley

You should be able to tax it at the beginning of the year that the car turns 30, I believe

junkyarddog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119885466#Comment_119885466

Not in my experience,My local Tax office won't tax anything vintage until the exact 30th year date of original registration.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119894388#Comment_119894388

Same here.

It's working out ok for the OP though.

He can tax for 3 months and be good to go on May 1.

w124man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119885466#Comment_119885466

Exactly! I've done that on three cars. You'll get all sorts of answers to this subject.

JabbaTheHut

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119895152#Comment_119895152

It seems dependant on who you meet at the tax office. They flat out refused me a couple of years ago, despite it being on their own county council website.

PsychoPete

I've swapped over to the vintage tax when it's 30 years old at the beginning of the year even though the car was registered till june,it really depends on the tax office. I just bring the logbook in and they'll do the rest

w124man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119896177#Comment_119896177

Exactly. I usually just bring in the logbook, NCT and insurance, play dumb and smile!

9935452

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119894388#Comment_119894388

Date of registration or date of manufacture.

Afaik its date of manufacture.

I have a tractor tbat was sold new and registered in 1990 but was manufactured in 1985. It was taxed vintage since 2015

junkyarddog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119918194#Comment_119918194

My local tax office goes by date of registration.

Case in point,a friend of mine got his 1992 car recommissioned this year.

Passed the NCT in September,went to Tax it only to be refused Vintage Tax because the car was registered in December.

It's frustrating to say the least.

kdevitt

Manufacture date or registration date are mentioned nowhere in the statutes - it just says 30 years of age. However the text in the statute for getting a ZV plate based on being vintage refers to 30 years since manufacture date - which is clearly the intention for the motor tax. Otherwise you could switch to ZV plates as a vintage car, but be stuck on full fat tax under the CC system.

Some county councils have clearly stated manufacture date on the qualification criteria on their websites - have never seen one actually state registration date.

Ive never had an issue changing the status to vintage based on the manufacture date - but definitely seems there are some council employees who are determined to make life difficult in certain offices.

zg3409

If you have proof of an earlier manufacture date than registration date then it could be used. Some have got proof of this from bmw based on chassis number or vin, but in the end it depends on the person in the local tax office as it varies county by county and person to person. Take a print out from councils own website if it says date of manufacture as this might help.

Hyperbollix

My e36 is 30 in August '24. Sometimes I think we can overthink these things (far more than the amount of thinking that any motor tax office staff are going to do) So I plan to swan in the first week of January with a crisp €50 note and look for a years vintage tax.

w124man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120079316#Comment_120079316

You'll need a crisp €56 note!! When you do swan in act all innocent and smiley and ask them for their help/advice.

maxamillius

Tax office in Dublin is all done by post, my car is officially registered in April but I’m sending in forms and log book next week, will report back…

Redriddick

I went in and asked in my local tax office. Its manufacture date, it also changed the past few years where regardless of date during year you get the 56 rat from 1st of January if you want. Also mine is a 94 plate but I have a letter from the manufacturer stating it was July 1993.

w124man

Where is your local tax office?

maxamillius

I sent mine into the Dublin office last week, will let you know how I get on

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120112271#Comment_120112271

Fingers crossed, we are all behind you 🙂

maxamillius

All sorted with Tax folks, 56 euro for the year, great stuff!!

doh777

My daily runner is turning 30 next year. To avail of the classic tax does it need to be regarded as a classic car? As in with classic insurance and not your primary car?

Thanks.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120484774#Comment_120484774

Once it is 30 years old it qualifies for the Vintage Tax €56 p.a.

Esel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120485077#Comment_120485077

You have to request the change of class, afaik, it doesn't happen automatically.

drunkmonkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120079316#Comment_120079316

Report back on that one, my e36 is December '28, wouldn't mind shaving off a year wait. Only place it'll be going between now and then is the legal tax free drive to the NCT center.

doh777

Thanks for all replies.

hoodie6029

Few threads on this before. Some posters have managed to get it changed based on date of manufacture rather than date of first registration. Depends on the County Council that you are dealing with. Worth a call to your motor tax office to find out.

_ptashek_

I'm in this boat soon, so will report how I got on.

Does anyone know if I can get a refund of the old tax rate paid, if my current tax disk expires AFTER I switch to vintage class?

My 1993, based on mfg. date turns vintage on June 4th. It's paid up on standard rate until July 30th though.

w124man

As far as I know you can only get a road tax rebate if the car is scrapped or exported and then its in 3 month increments

elperello

Yes he won't be eligible for refund.

The refund process is described in this link.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel-and-recreation/motoring-1/motor-tax-and-insurance/motor-tax-rates/#:~:text=passengers%20with%20disabilities.-,How%20to%20apply%20for%20a%20refund%20for%20motor%20tax,member%20of%20the%20Garda%20S%C3%ADoch%C3%A1na.

kaizersoze

My Pajero turned 30 this year and tax renewal at the end of May.

I went into the local motor Tax office last week with log book & insurance cert and 'enquired' about the procedure.

The nice ladies behind the counter explained all and even filled out the necessary form (RF111 I think), paid the 56 notes and walked out with the disc. Job done.

No mention of date of manufacture or any other dates. Reg'd in 1993, tis now 2023, 30 years old.

They kept the registration cert and a new one will come by post with the new classification.

kadman

Can you post a pic of your Pajero. I always liked them.

kaizersoze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120629949#Comment_120629949

Sorry. Hardly in here at all now......😂

kadman

Oooh, thats nice I like that.😀

zg3409

So I am going through the same process in Dublin and it can vary by region or person on the day.

Officially it's any time in the year of it being 30 years old. Mine is December but eligible for 30 years any time preceding year.

You need to fill in form rf111, include insurance details, include log book, credit card details if posting, fill in the period you want the tax, beware of back tax owing, no off the road etc. You may need to include old tax disc. You do not need to fill in every section of form but don't forget signature and insurance sections.

If you want to go in person you first need to ring Dublin helpline and hold for 20 minutes...Then if you insist they give you an appointment to go in. On arriving at the building signs everywhere not open to public. I rang one intercom, said go around corner and down the road to side door and press intercom again. They check your name versus those they are expecting. Then they let you in. There are no real signs to direct you.

Make sure you have everything and ideally have the form pre-printed and filled up with blank spares. They had no forms in English when I was there! Person on counter was non Irish and struggled to use the phone to call supervisor. Be sure to have insurance disc with not broker but actual insurer and it needs to have reg of car, log book, money, old tax disc, etc. There is a high chance of issues or confusion so allow for this.

At 30 years you also only need to nct every 2 years.

kdevitt

Paid the full years tax on my E36 today - 1994 registration, but Sep 1993 manufacture date - so sent off the forms with an email from BMW stating manufacture date and zero hassle from Dublin City council changing it over.

antodeco

Who did you contact in BMW to get those details? Wouldn't mind going a year earlier for mine (rather than €1600 a year!)

Idbatterim

Lol at going from robbery rates like e1809 or e1494 down to as good as free motor tax...

kdevitt

Actually contacted both BMW Ireland and the BMW classic group at the same time - they both came back to me within the hour. BMW classic had a bit more detail in their mail. Just need to send them the VIN.

You can get the build date from some of the BMW VIN decoders, but wanted an email stating it too.

hoodie6029

Nice to see the Council take a pragmatic approach on this. Better to get €56 now than nothing for another 6/9 months.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121384586#Comment_121384586

It is nice to see DCC giving the classic owners a break.

According to previous poster some other councils are not as accommodating and make people wait until the anniversary of registration.

What is really needed is a memo to all councils outlining the correct procedure.

hoodie6029

That’s what I had with Meath Co Co. Car was manufactured in Feb but not registered til August so I had to wait a few years ago.

The amount of cars 25 - 30 still taxed is minuscule too. So it’s not like there will be tidal waves of ‘tax dodging’ going on.

kdevitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121384792#Comment_121384792

Yeah agreed - statute for qualification for ZV plates states 30 years since manufacture, so it’s clearly intended to be applicable from that anniversary for tax as well.

Keliuss

Wow, this is great news, if I'm reading it correctly. My BMW was first registered Jan 1995 but was manufactured Dec 1994. Looks like DCC will allow vintage status from next month then. Pity I paid the full fat tax until May 2024.

Have I got this right?

Keliuss

kdevitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121512194#Comment_121512194

No, you have that wrong from my reading of it. If you're basing the changeover on manufacture date - then its eligible from Dec 2024 for vintage status.

Keliuss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121512899#Comment_121512899

I was basing my assumption on zg3409 comment above:

"So I am going through the same process in Dublin and it can vary by region or person on the day.

Officially it's any time in the year of it being 30 years old."

Based on date of manuf. mine is 30 years old in 2024.

Keliuss

kdevitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121529497#Comment_121529497

Some councils will change a 1994 reg car over to vintage anytime in the year it turns 30 - so from Jan 2024. For the vast majority of people - their car is manufactured in the same year as its first registered so it makes no difference

Have never heard of anyone changing a car over so far in advance of the 30 year anniversary of manufacture (where manufacture and reg years are different)

From having spent way too long reading the various statues involving this - I can assure you the only official language specifies 30 years of age - it’s doesn’t specify reg or manufacture dates. . The ZV plate qualifying language does mention that cars are eligible for vintage plates once 30 years from manufacture have passed, so it’s fair to assume the same logic applies to qualifying for vintage tax

Anyway, send the forms off - worst thing they can do is send them all back to you.

Dylancorco

My car is a February 94, I have just sent off my logbook and RF111 to Shannon.

I know it’s only a month away from February but I am eager to get the car taxed as soon as possible, so hopefully I can get it taxed this week.

apparently, in my local tax office they are not aware that it’s in fact the year and think it narrows down to the registration month.

alo1587

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121558068#Comment_121558068

Mine is October 1994.Sent mine off too, waiting on news. Manufacturing date is 1994 on book, no month or day, just 1994. Very annoying if some county councils are going on year and others on date of first reg.

Dylancorco

Good news, I got the tax a month early 👍

the RF111 came back to my house stalpled to my log book with a letter from my County council saying i didn’t put money in the envelope and that I hadn’t my insurance details filled in

reason I hadn’t them filled out was because I thought they were just going to change the particulars of the car and I was just going to tax it online.

So I just went into the tax office and they taxed it no issue.

alo1587

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121584286#Comment_121584286

Great stuff, may I ask what county tax office you used?