UK registered cars

[muscas]

What is the deal with so many long term UK registered cars on Irish roads?

I am thinking about importing two cars, one older than 2008 is €1080 and second is younger that 2008 so is €2450 to tax per year!!

Crazy money, so may have to ditch the €2450 before hand.

What's the score with keeping a car on Irish roads with UK tax, Insurance and MOT?

[wedgemaniac456]

Don,t know about keeping uk plated cars on Irish roads, think that depends if you are using the vehicle in the uk as well as Ireland I suppose just guessing.If you are moving to Ireland from uk I think you can bring in a car or two vrt free under the transfer of residency but that was a couple of years ago.

[muscas]

Moving to Ireland from the UK, mid 2014

First car up is a 1999 2.4 Turbo Volvo V70R-AWD, second car is a 2009 2.8 V6 Saab Turbo-X XWD.

Irish road tax is bonkers, Volvo would be 1080 and Saab would be 2450 per year.

Saab may have to go as that's crazy money to tax a car.

The car would remain in the ROI.

Still can't understand why there are so many long term non Irish registered cars on Irish roads and how they get away with it???

[Odhran]

Is it not the case that if you own a car for a certain period (6 months) the your first car is vrt free.

If you live near the border they are very strict - Garda / customs checkpoints etc to catch people, can also seize vehicles they catch.

[wedgemaniac456]

There is a car tax list on internet showing rates on engine size pre 2008.I think upto 2 litres about 700 euros so 2 litre turbo cars ie cosworths, scoobys ,fiat coupes etc might give you a nice motor but bring your tax well below 1000 euros.Vintage cars ie over 30 years old is 50 odd euros if you like stags,tvr,s etc. Nice motors by the way and good luck with the move

[cianha]

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/faqs-vrt.html#sec...

If you have owned the cars for more than 6 months, you won't be charged VRT, but you'll still have to register the car within 30 days.

[speedyellowrs]

Moved back to Ireland from the UK almost a year ago and really enjoying being back.

We brought our 2009 Landy Defender 110 7 seater, which we've had from new, with us. There was some good news, in that we didn't have to pay the VRT on importation, as we'd owned the vehicle for more than six months. The bad news, however, is the requirement to pay €2350 IIRC per annum in road tax.

Insurance was pretty much on a par with the UK.

I agree that the road tax rates over here are pretty high, which has killed my aspirations of owning something with disgusting amounts of power and high emissions, alongside the Defender. However I have become more interested in classic cars (more than 30 years old) which don't attract VRT and can be taxed for under €100 pa. Insurance cheapish as well.

Good luck with the move.

[MarkGArgyle]

I too have high vrt cars, a similar 2.8 V6 Saab and Alfa 159. I have a choice to live north or south as I work in Dundalk however car tax alone is pushing North; I want to live in ROI but I don't want to own Seat diseasels for the rest of my life....

I have already posted in the homes sectio n but I am also looking for professional removals from Cardiff to Ireland; experiences & recommendations please!

[muscas]

Thanks for all the useful advice. I've decide to swap in the Turbo-X for a Saab 93 TTiD 180, road tax will be about €270 per annum, much better than the €2350 for the Turbo-X. Insurance quotes with 123.ie are about the same as the UK. Aiming to make the move in the summer to avail of the new school terms starting in September.

[renaultgeek]

post 2008 cars are only ever taxed on the engine they came from the factory with AFAIK. So if you can do an engine swap, you're in flavour country.