Revenue... Are they taking the mick??

Fallon2304

I've just bought a White 1999 VVTLi Celica, its a jap car, been in england since 05.

I looked into this, I entrered all the details into the forms on their website, there was no VVTLi or 190, nothing, there was however a VVTi, which is described as a 2 door coupe. It valued a 2000 VVTi and €2000 and VRT on it would be €560, so I thought grand, it shouldnt be much more if any than that to VRT the white one, the new one is 99, so its a 10 year old car.

In hindsight I know I should've gotton an official quote but assumed it wouldn't be too much more

Anyway, went in, gave all my details, forms, the works, Long story short the pox gets obsessed with the chassis number the "ZZT231" etc, I explained it's the same on all of them, which to the best of my knowledge it is, the first part anyway.

Goes away, comes back, tries to ring someone, eventually finds something on the computer that matches it, prints if off, and now all of a sudden the VRT is €2,712. I looked at him and wondered was he having a laugh.

He said it's a "liftback" and because it's Japanese it's extra. Even though the print out's I have for the 2000 VVTi states its a COUPE.

I asked him how on earth there system can say a 2000 is €560, same spec bar the engine, and yet add over €2k to the cost of registering it here just because it's originally from Japan, at the end of the day there all from bloody Japan!!

I told him that it couldn't be right, his reply being "its what the computer tells me" and he'd speak to someone in Shannon(the headquarters) on tuesday and that I can go back to him next week to see what the story is.

And as a parting farewell, did not give me back my V5 certificate that I had a nightmare to get and the only way I will get it back is to pay the VRT or else it wil be marked for export only.

What Can I do. This other mullah is going to say more or less the same thing.


To say that I'm pissed off here would be an understatement.

To make matters worse, he wants me to get a C02 report done, which toyota want 50quid for, car is a decat to which means emissions will be through the roof.


My argument being how can they justify valuing a 2000 car at €2000 yet, the same car essentially being valued at €7500 DESPITE being a WHOLE year older.. I don't know where to turn.

Any Ideas???

mick.fr

They cannot take the ownership certificate from you because they want to.
That is the only way you can prove this is your car.

Never let a public servant take any official document (ID/Certificate...) from you unless they are expired, no more relevant, court order, officially confiscated by police force with a legal reason...

Plus they have no authority on foreign documents. I still have my french vehicle certificate after I registered my car here. They wanted to take it, I said no, and gave them a copy.

Fallon2304

Thats what I thought too.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much I could apart from climb over the counter and get it myself. Wasn't budging.

JHMEG

Did they give you a receipt for the V5? They have no entitlement to it and you need to get it back (tell them you're selling it on again, in NI or GB).

The valuation is tricky, as I've no doubt they're confusing a Jap import with a UK import. For the purposes of this exercise it's a UK import, but for the VRO person this does not compute. Ask to speak to a manager or just try to deal with someone else who can get their head around it.

At the end of the day you can pay the VRT and appeal it. I reckon you have an excellent chance of succeeding.

mickey mac

Revenue... Are they taking the mick??

YES! COMPLETELY!

Cars&cars

HI

revenue did the same sort of thing to me in Tallaght - took the V5 because they said my L200 was a class A when I argued it had to be at least a B and probably a C. They wanted to charge me €5500 vrt.

They refused to give me back the V5 - I had to call Rosslare - but ofcourse no public number and little help, but one lady gave me the name of the manager in Tallaght. So I called, ofcourse he was not available, so left a message. Eventually I got the V5 back but they had put a massive stamp all across the second page where the owners details are - "Requires Full Inspection Tallaght".

I went bonkers! I told them I wanted to take the L200 back to the UK but now they had damaged the V5.

It took 3 days to sort out and 4 trips to the VRT Office. The girl in the VRT office was horrible and the manager wasn't that much help either.

"You think you were going there to ask them for €5500 - rather than you handing them over your money"!

These Public Officials have lost control of normality and think they are above the law. - I have also read recently that the 24 hour rule of having to VRT your car is totally illegal and that you do not have to hand over your car and keys to the VRT official if stopped on the road. Even if they call the police you still do not have to hand over your keys and if they arrest you, its false arrest and you can sue the police.

Know your rights - but more importantly stick in complaint about VRT do the EU - I can give you details of addresses if you wish.

Bad things happen when good people stand by and do nothing! So act.

x in the city

he seemed like a CIA*

appeal this and also the way e kept your document




*compete incompetent asshole

old boy

get some solicitor to write a letter (cost about 50 lids), take it with you, do not post it, get them to sign for a copy of it, (they do not like to do things like that) make sur that it requires a reply within 24 hours, another little beaut is a letter signed by a commisioner of oaths, (costs nothing) they will be glad to do it as there are local elections this week.

Carawaystick

is the V5 not your property, which if a person was to take from you and refuse to return not be theft? I'd have called the cops first and if you got nowhere there, then go to a station and log it and make sure you get a pulse number "to make an insurance claim" and then get a lawyer if this didn't get results.

I'd print this out http://www.revenue.ie/en/about/custservice/customer-charter.html
and ask why it is not being followed....

Gregor Samsa

Cars&cars wrote: »

I have also read recently that the 24 hour rule of having to VRT your car is totally illegal and that you do not have to hand over your car and keys to the VRT official if stopped on the road. Even if they call the police you still do not have to hand over your keys and if they arrest you, its false arrest and you can sue the police.

Know your rights - but more importantly stick in complaint about VRT do the EU - I can give you details of addresses if you wish.

:rolleyes:

You may have read that somewhere (probably in an ill-informed post here), but you didn't read it in the Statute Book, which does indeed give Customs Officers the powers to stop and confiscate vehicles for non payment of VRT. Obstructing an officer (by not handing over the keys, etc) is a further offence.

If you actually do want to inform yourself about your rights (and those of Customs Officers), this is a good place to start:

http://www.revenue.ie/en/about/foi/s16/vehicle-registration-tax/index.html

Specifically, Section 5, which deals with enforcement. They have guidelines as to how to deal with various scenarios that they encounter.

For instance, if you've imported a vehicle less than a month ago, and you haven't been stopped before, and there's no reason for the Officer to doubt that you'll pay the VRT now that you've been caught, they'll issue a VRT Demand Notice, and send you on your way.

If, on the other hand, you've left paying your VRT for more than a month, or you've been stopped before, or they suspect that you're not going to pay (I'd say mouthing off about "Illegal VRT" and refusing to co-operate would put you in this position), they can seize or detain your car.

If your vehicle is on private property, they need a Search Warrant to seize it. On a public road, they don't. And so on...

Cars&cars

Hi

perhaps I am misinformed but yes its on here and on the net. Something about an Irish motoring group that have looked at certain laws and suggest that the impounding of cars is illegal under the current laws, State and EU.

Anyways - the EU have started infrindgement proceedings against the Irish State regarding VRT.

My own view is that the EU wont do much as they want Ireland to pass the Lisbon Vote -- but hopefully the Irish people will say NO! and then the way will be open for the EU to lash back at Ireland for VRT!

Getting back to the point of this thread: the VRT people are going too far, holding V5s - what next, arrested individuals. And we all just kick back and take it.

Do something - contact the EU make a complaint - every time!

oooh the best thing to do is Appeal every penny of VRT you pay - clogg up the system! stick it to them the way they stick it to us.

cashmni1

My own view is that the EU wont do much as they want Ireland to pass the Lisbon Vote -- but hopefully the Irish people will say NO! and then the way will be open for the EU to lash back at Ireland for VRT!

Do you really think the above statement is true? I think not, and there are far more consequences that are far more important to the EU if Ireland votes no, than VRT policies.
Regardless, Ireland will just find another way of taxing the imported cars.

cianclarke

cashmni1 wrote: »

My own view is that the EU wont do much as they want Ireland to pass the Lisbon Vote -- but hopefully the Irish people will say NO! and then the way will be open for the EU to lash back at Ireland for VRT!

Do you really think the above statement is true? I think not, and there are far more consequences that are far more important to the EU if Ireland votes no, than VRT policies.
Regardless, Ireland will just find another way of taxing the imported cars.

Agreed, that's a load of rubbish. VRT isn't going anywhere one way or another...