Motor Tax non-yearly penalty

Tails142

Does anyone else think the penalty for not paying your Motor Tax annually is harsh. Especially in this 'climate'. (Apologies for the over-used cliché)

Bin charges, Rates(?) and many other annual charges imposed from the government and local authorities (would be useful if people could list ones they know) can be paid in installments without any penalty, however with my Motor Tax I have to pay an extra 13% to pay it in 3-monthly installments.

It's all getting a bit too much as this year I haven't got the money spare to take the hit all in one go.

I plan on writing to the Minister for Transport as soon as there is one, but I expect I'll be ignored or fobbed off.

Who is be the best lobby group to get in touch with to complain about this? SIMI?

Maybe boards.ie should start a petition!!

The government get away too much with horsecrap charges that they sneak in, take the 50c on prescriptions with a medical card. They start them off small so nobody will notice or be angry enough to riot, and then they slowly sneak them up while everyone is looking the other way.

Think how much extra cash the government will be getting during this recession from all the people out of work and on reduced wages who now have to pay in installments to keep a car running.

Will we be getting this money back in tax cuts? NO, WE'LL BE GETTING SHAFTED with even more tax HIKES! Time to take to the streets...

sogood

Revenue/Transport, or whatever department is responsible, will tell you that you aren't being penalised by paying your road tax quarterly, but rather that you are being rewarded for paying it in full, annually. This could be justified by the fact that doing it yearly requires one visit to the tax office (assuming you dont do it online) and so takes up a quarter of the time and energy of the staff concerned.

But you are of course right, we do get ripped off, and largely because we allow ourselves to be ripped off. Take a leaf out of the OAP's book! See what they achieved in having the medical card issue overturned. At a guess, I would imagine there are a good deal more motorists that OAP's in the country. Properly organised car pooling, in certain locations, could reduce ones petrol costs by up to 60% - 70%, if five drivers share on a rotating basis, Monday to Friday. That way you only each use your car for work, one day a week instead of five. Clearer roads is an added benefit. Sure, people will complain, saying " I pay for it and so I'm going to use it" etc. etc. A valid point, but you cant have it every way. The suggestion to have road/car tax included in your petrol cost has also been mooted numerous times. Fairer than the present system, as you "pay as you drive" and no one can avoid it, etc. etc. At present I pay heaps more on my low mileage-big engined car, than someone driving a million miles a year in a Mondeo or similar. Taxi drivers, truck drivers, even farmers took to the streets and caused enough mayhem to be listened to, but if we didn't do it during the good times, we have little chance of being listened to in recession, but what is there to lose? I for one would be at the top of the queue!! Food for thought, at around €1.44 a litre, you are paying somewhere in the region of 95 cent tax!!! Motorists have always been a soft touch, non pro active and whinging group. Thats why we are where we are..............

pajo1981

And what would it cost you to borrow it from a bank?

I think you should need compare the two to really know how competitive/uncompetitive the tax office are being.

Anan1

sogood wrote: »

Revenue/Transport, or whatever department is responsible, will tell you that you aren't being penalised by paying your road tax quarterly, but rather that you are being rewarded for paying it in full, annually. This could be justified by the fact that doing it yearly requires one visit to the tax office (assuming you dont do it online) and so takes up a quarter of the time and energy of the staff concerned.

That'd be my outlook too, TBH, if you can borrow the money cheaper elsewhere then do so and pay the tax in one go.

Esel

Harsh, maybe. But not if you're a chancer and do the 3 months on, 2 months off dance. Or if you have a classic (less than 30 years old) that you only drive in the summer.

Anan1

Esel wrote: »

Or if you have a classic (less than 30 years old) that you only drive in the summer.

I've been that man, €800 for 6 months on a convertible, looking out the window wondering whether April will be sunnier than October..

Del2005

Tails142 wrote: »

Does anyone else think the penalty for not paying your Motor Tax annually is harsh. Especially in this 'climate'. (Apologies for the over-used cliché)

It's always been the same rate for paying motor tax for 3/6 months and with the way the country is now I can only see it going one way for instalment payments of motor tax.

sogood wrote: »

Taxi drivers, truck drivers, even farmers took to the streets and caused enough mayhem to be listened to, but if we didn't do it during the good times, we have little chance of being listened to in recession, but what is there to lose?

I didn't see any changes for Taxi drivers or haulage companies from any of their protests. The farmers get stuff as they have a powerful lobby group used to playing politics. The pensioners vote so they get whatever they want.

Motorists don't have a decent lobby group and I doubt anyone could gather enough people to create a decent one, as the boy racers have different issues from the commercial drivers who have different issues to the long distance commuters.

Esel wrote: »

Harsh, maybe. But not if you're a chancer and do the 3 months on, 2 months off dance. Or if you have a classic (less than 30 years old) that you only drive in the summer.

With ANPR being roller out in a lot of Garda cars you'll find a lot of fines on the floor doing that. It's an offence to drive without motor tax and the 3 month rule isn't a law it's just Garda discretion not to take the vehicle the day after the tax has expired.

Classic is the way to go, but then you have the safety and security issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDyeWofcLY

Makes you think as that's a relatively modern Volvo

rex-x

actually it is law http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=68675934

Esel

The law states that the vehicle can be seized if the tax is more than 2 months out of date.

I tax mine online for 3 months, about 28 days after the tax has expired, they charge me a premium for paying it quarterly so I give them the tax as late as possible. Gardai don't have a problem with this whenever I am stopped so happy out all round.

Merch

sogood wrote: »

Revenue/Transport, or whatever department is responsible, will tell you that you aren't being penalised by paying your road tax quarterly, but rather that you are being rewarded for paying it in full, annually. This could be justified by the fact that doing it yearly requires one visit to the tax office (assuming you dont do it online) and so takes up a quarter of the time and energy of the staff concerned.

But you are of course right, we do get ripped off, and largely because we allow ourselves to be ripped off. Take a leaf out of the OAP's book! See what they achieved in having the medical card issue overturned. At a guess, I would imagine there are a good deal more motorists that OAP's in the country. Properly organised car pooling, in certain locations, could reduce ones petrol costs by up to 60% - 70%, if five drivers share on a rotating basis, Monday to Friday. That way you only each use your car for work, one day a week instead of five. Clearer roads is an added benefit. Sure, people will complain, saying " I pay for it and so I'm going to use it" etc. etc. A valid point, but you cant have it every way. The suggestion to have road/car tax included in your petrol cost has also been mooted numerous times. Fairer than the present system, as you "pay as you drive" and no one can avoid it, etc. etc. At present I pay heaps more on my low mileage-big engined car, than someone driving a million miles a year in a Mondeo or similar. Taxi drivers, truck drivers, even farmers took to the streets and caused enough mayhem to be listened to, but if we didn't do it during the good times, we have little chance of being listened to in recession, but what is there to lose? I for one would be at the top of the queue!! Food for thought, at around €1.44 a litre, you are paying somewhere in the region of 95 cent tax!!! Motorists have always been a soft touch, non pro active and whinging group. Thats why we are where we are..............

Should be incentivised to pay online, ie a reduction
And a pay per use in fuel for private users would be a good idea, save on the costs of running a motor tax office and then garda time checking to see if people are paying!
No doubt high mileage users will say its unfair, but the chances of seeing it implemented are slim