Moved up North - What are my car options now?

username?!

I've just taken a job in my companies North Irish office, living in rented accommodation and will probably be here 9 - 18 months. I'd like to use this time to scratch an itch on a car that down south would cost 2400 a year in road tax plus 36%+ VRT as they are rare enough in Irish road.

My questions or concerns are mainly around my trips back home most weekends to see family. Will I get hassle from the Guards / Customs over having a car on NI plates down frequently in the south or do my circumstances warrant my avoiding VRT?

Thanks in Advance.

whomitconcerns

You need to have it 6 months in your ownership to avoid vrt, but that's only if you want to sell it. Your residency is the complex thing. An Irish resident is not allowed drive a yellow plate in Ireland.

(Speaking from a UK mainland perspective, not certain that NI doesn't have a separate setup someone else will be needed for that answer)

User1998

12 months not 6 months.

OP your living and working in the North. Visit Ireland as much as you want

username?!

I should add, I’m not looking to keep and import the car when I move back south. Purely just to use while I’m up north.

mickdw

Time to make hay car wise. If you get to 12 months there, you will surely qualify for vrt exemption I'd imagine.

Revenue are easy to deal with re exemption when it's genuine. It's the fellas pulling a fast one that get caught up in knots.

Alkers

If you're going to be paid in sterling with a ni address, ni insurance and tax etc then there's no issue with what your planning. It's well documented on the revenue website. You can't let anyone else drive thr car while I'm thr ROI though

djan

You've an opportunity to make a good chunk of money if you buy and in demand high vrt car while there and then bring it back to the Republic.

Definitely make sure you meet all the criteria as outlined by revenue first but it's a no brainier if the finances in any way allow.

goochy

Just not a car with €2400 road tax as dont think many people are willing they pay that much

mickdw

I'd go high value car with reasonable tax.

No point nowadays in paying 2400 tax when extreme amounts of power are available with tiny tax so only the purist now will want to pay high bracket tax.

arsebiscuits82

Drive away, I worked up north and in Scotland for around 5 years. First thing I bought was a car, only came home every few weeks. Never had any hassle at a checkpoint even on an Irish licence. Just make sure you have some documents with you if south of the border.

The brother in law was in the traffic corps at the time, he never made an issue of it and he would do his own mother if she was doing anything illegal.

After 3 ands bit years I swapped to a uk licence after being stopped in the north. The police just advised swapping it over.

Marcusm

Problem for OP is that if his assignment is potentially as short as 9 months he won’t be entitled to import a car VAT/VRT free. Transfers of a defined duration this short fall outside of transfer of residence relief.