Cheaper Cars?

mfield · 13-05-2002 5:15pm #1

If you have an address in Belgium even though you are living and working in Ireland and you buy a car over there for half the price of what it would cost you in Ireland, can you bring it back here immediately, and drive it on the open road with the Belgian licence plates, without paying VRT? Any help is appreciated!

mfield.

mike65 · 13-05-2002 6:48pm

Well I suppose that would make you a "tourist"! As I understand
a car needs to be owned for six-months before it can be brought over (as if you were a Belgian national who came here to live) tax free.

Is this car right or left hand drive? If its right hand that argument wont wash.

Mike.

Odian · 13-05-2002 11:41pm

yea its 6 months,strict on it too,ull need bank slips,wage slips,elec bills etc

mfield · 14-05-2002 12:15pm

Say then, I buy the car in Belgium and bring it back to Ireland immediately, and then I leave it in my garage for six months am I exempt from VRT after the six months has elapsed? Six months isn't too bad considering how much you can save!

mfield

Saruman · 14-05-2002 12:19pm

Eh this seems a bit silly to me.... Buy a car.. let it devalue in a garage for 6 months before you drive it? I doubt it even works... besides it would be a left hand drive car would it not?

mfield · 14-05-2002 12:42pm

Originally posted by Saruman
Eh this seems a bit silly to me.... Buy a car.. let it devalue in a garage for 6 months before you drive it? I doubt it even works... besides it would be a left hand drive car would it not?

But you can buy a car on the continent for up to 50% less than here, therefore leaving it in a garage for 6 months isn't that bad. You can also get cars made to right hand-drive specifications. So maybe it really is worth your while. What do ya reckon?

mfield.

Mercury_Tilt · 14-05-2002 1:26pm

This post has been deleted.

mike65 · 14-05-2002 7:26pm

Even if you leave the car for six months and can prove that you
"lived" in Belgium with phone bills, bank account books etc, if the car is right hand drive I doubt you'd get it through. After all
why would someone living in left-hand drive land buy a right hooker?

And remember the VRT people make an angry cop look reasonable.

Mike.

seamus · 15-05-2002 9:14am

Originally posted by mfield

But you can buy a car on the continent for up to 50% less than here, therefore leaving it in a garage for 6 months isn't that bad.

Car prices in Ireland are some of the cheapest in Europe. It's VRT and VAT the brings it up really high. Best idea would be to buy it here, bring to Belgium for 6 months, reg it over there, and bring it back here. If they know that's what you've done though it won't wash. If they see you with it, and undeclared, the Revenue Commissioner can make you pay VAT of 21% of what he thinks the car is worth, not its actual value.

Jackoman · 16-05-2002 4:55pm

In most cases bringing cars over to try and avoid high Irish prices will work out more costly or problematic than it is worth. The govt are pretty much on top of all the situations.

The only way I have heard of it working was from a friend who lived here , but was not claiming residency, and used a really good friends address in England to buy a car and have all the insurance done out in England, and his mate would post on all the details to him. What he had to do, legally, was take the car out of the counrty every six months for two years before being able to put Irish plates on it without paying Tax and all that. I

Another way is if you are a student and you can say you have reseidency in another country you can bring it into Ireland without paying high taxes.

In most cases its a lot of hassle, the govt has got all sorts of levies they can hit you with no matter what way you try it.

Cheaper Cars?

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