Tax/Insurance Implications of UK reg

gulio

All,

Am considering buying car from older English gent, who - while he's lived and driven his car in Dublin for some years - never "got around to regestering it here", so it's still on UK plates.

Can anybody enlighten me as to what the Tax/Insurance implications would be for me if I buy this car and don't reregister it, OR am I *oblidged* to.

Any info on this (or a pointer to where I might find this stuff out) would be invaluable.

Cheers.

Quigs Snr

You will be shafted on VRT. Up to 30% of what they judge the car to be worth or thereabouts.

EG: When I wanted to buy an MGF 4 years ago. It was for example costing me 12,000 punts for a second hand one. At the time, the same car could be had north of the border for 6000stg. At the time that would have worked out at around 7200 ish punts. VRT couldn't be that bad could it ? You betcha. In the end it was working out at 11+ k including the VRT. Then there were the costs of getting there and the hassle re-registering blah blah in the end it wasn't worth it.

I have looked into this several times with several cars, including a few old classics and in the end it was never worth it. Whatever formula they have worked out, it's the most fantastic piece of maths ever as it always seems to put the purchase abroad just beyond being worthwhile.

gulio

Just to clarify - The car is already in the country and presumably has been taxed/insured here for some time as the gent has been driving it here for 5+ years...

(Not sure though - havn't viewed it properly yet)

My question really is - If this gent did not pay import duty originally (as it was already his own car come from the UK) and he is selling it now 5+ years later, am I liable for his Duty?

Or are there any other "hidden" costs which I am not accounting for.

Abraxas

Not sure about other hidden costs, Gulio. But if the car has been registered to the English guy in a UK address for some years, surely he's allowed to register it on Irish plates without paying VRT. I could be wrong, but I think this applies if he can prove he owned it at a UK address for longer than either 6 months or 1 year, can't remember which. Only thing is if he re-registers it himself, its value in Ireland increases automatically.
If this gent did not pay import duty originally (as it was already his own car come from the UK) and he is selling it now 5+ years later, am I liable for his Duty? In short, yes is the answer here.

Quigs Snr

You are liable for the duty.

This guy sounds a little dodgy.

gulio

Have only spoken to him about Car itself as yet, but will have a chat about how he has insured/taxed car here and ring corpo to see if problems arise with change of ownership.

Cheers

Da Man

Call VRO in Tallaght. The Corporation doesn't deal with new vehicle registrations. You'll find the VRO phone numbers under the Revenue Commissioners in the phone book.