Pop Tops - VRT & Road Tax

GG66

Hi everyone,

I'm considering importing a pop top form the UK but I'm not clear on the latest status regarding VRT and motor tax..

Is it true that pop tops attact a 30% VRT rate? Does the 1.8m internal height restriction apply to the camper with the roof down?

Considering something like this http://bit.ly/dRgbMf

Thanks

Aidan_M_M

ALL imported/new campers have the high rate of VRt now.

GG66

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

ALL imported/new campers have the high rate of VRt now.

How is the "high" rate calculated?

dorts

From what I know you will pay the full vrt on the open market value of the camper,not what you actually paid for it.could be quite a bit of money.

GG66

thanks for the replies .. just to clarify.

• I understand that the revenue make up their own open market value.
• I understand that all campers will attract a minimum of 13.5% of this from Jan 2011

What I'm not sure about is how pop top campers are treated for VRT? I've heard that it must have a height with the roof down of 1.8m or it's not classified as a camper & attracts 30% rate, but I can't find anything to verify that this is current on the revenue site.. Also how does this affect road tax as campers are normally much cheaper than cars

Any advice appreciated

Repolho

I've no input into your query but just to say that camper looks class.

niloc1951

A fantastic piece of kit. Total reliability of the Toyota Hi-Ace married to a GRP body, it should last 'forever'.

It would be most interesting how the 'open market selling price' is arrived at when assessing the VRT, considering it is so unique.

I hope you are treated as promised in the Revenue Customer Service Charter "Revenue will administer the law fairly, reasonably and consistently and will seek to collect no more than the correct amount of tax or duty."

spaceHopper

You need to call the VRT office in Roslare and ask them anything we tell you could be wrong. When you get an answer get it in writing and let us all know please?

Can't see the camper form work but if it's a hiace camper I have a hight top one they are great but check the fule consumption it tends to be high and hurts at the pumps

Macy0161

GG66 wrote: »

Does the 1.8m internal height restriction apply to the camper with the roof down?

They did stop excepting pop tops for the lower motor tax rate, but I have seen it suggested this has changed again under the new rules, but as others have said, Rosslare are the only people to confirm.

GG66

Thanks all for the advice, I'll call Rosslare ...

The one I'm cosnidering costs a good bit less and needs some attention, so I hope they don't look at this one when deciding a price..

I'll let ye know what they say.

spaceHopper

Before you decied to by check with dolmen insurance, send them photos and thay should be able to tell you if they will insure it but that one looks fine, once it's a proper camper, they get chancers looking for cheap insurance....
The one you linked looks fine, note its 4WD with free wheel hubs very handy in the last snow!

Just spotted something, there may be a ctach, you are meant to have a two ring gas stove, it only has one. Make sure the one you are looking at has two or can be changed if they get sticky. When you get it you'll probably need half sized gas bottles or camping gas, starting out they are expensive but if you go to the local bring center you can get emptines and bring them back for a refilll

GG66

ok, an update.

I rang the Valuations Office today and was informed of the following.

The information on the revenue website is out of date & valuations are now governed by the Finance Act 2009 or 2010 (not clear which year). I've emailed them to get written confirmation of what the status is.

So bearing in mind that this is not Official (as in writing), this is what I was told by phone


ALL campers now attract a VRT rate of 13.3% & the guidelines on what a camper is are now closer to an EU definition. This includes:

• There is no internal height restriction (this will bring VRT on pop tops down from 30% to 13.5%)
• It must have seats and a table (table can be removeable)
• There must be a sleeping area (this can be seats that fold)
• There must be cooking facilities
• There must be storage

I'll post something more official when/if I get it

paddyp

niloc1951 wrote: »

A fantastic piece of kit. Total reliability of the Toyota Hi-Ace married to a GRP body, it should last 'forever'.

That is a beautiful interior. Isn't the townace a liteace 4 inches narrower and less stable than the hiace also this is the short nose version so in a crash bye bye legs.

What I'd like to see is a granvia with this conversion - Landcruiser engine, toyota supra gearbox, hilux diff, hiace power van long nose and handling :eek: A grp donut machine.

spaceHopper

paddyp wrote: »

This is the short nose version so in a crash bye bye legs.

Same with older Hiace's you're sitting one the engine so in a crash there isn't much infront of you, makes you take it easy driving.

GG66

Ye're freakin me out.. Crashing or losing my legs wasn't something I'd factored in when choosing a camper.. There I was worrying about it not being passed as a camper because of a single ring hob

I was thinking being over the engine would make this easy to maneuver in tight spaces, haven't driven it yet so don't know

spaceHopper

I find it great for manovering because you are over the wheels. As for saftey, I reckon if you are in a head on with a car it will push under the van and into the engine - I don't plan to put it to the test.

GG66

Neither do I ...

email from the valuations office as follows:

To be deemed a motor caravan for vehicle registration purposes, a vehicle must be an EU Category M1, M2 or M3 vehicle with a body type SA and must be constructed to include living accommodation which contains at least the following equipment:

seats and table,
sleeping accommodation which may be converted from the seats,
cooking facilities, and
storage facilities.

It should be noted that this equipment must (with the exception of the table which may be designed to easily removable) be rigidly fixed to the living compartment.

M1, M2, M3 - Motorhomes / Motorcaravans From 01/01/2011 all such vehicles are charged at 13.3% of the Open Market Selling Price.

Vehicle Registration tax is charged as a percentage of the expected retail price, including all taxes in the state. This is known as the Open Market Selling Price or OMSP.

niloc1951

GG66 wrote: »

Neither do I ...

email from the valuations office as follows:

To be deemed a motor caravan for vehicle registration purposes, a vehicle must be an EU Category M1, M2 or M3 vehicle with a body type SA

Don't know who wrote the above but it's pure rubbish. This is the correct/official EU Definition:

5.1. "Motor caravan" means a special purpose M category vehicle constructed to include living accommodation which contains at least the following equipment:- seats and table,- sleeping accommodation which may be converted from the seats,- cooking facilities, and- storage facilities.
This equipment shall be rigidly fixed to the living compartment; however, the table may be designed to be easily removable.

M1, M2 or M3 do not come into it and 'body type SA'
M2 and M2 are vehicles with more that eight passenger seats, that's buses to you and me and require a 'D' or 'D1' license.

Be careful of other ill informed 'official' utterances.

See HERE for the EU Directive which contains the DEFINITION OF VEHICLE CATEGORIES AND VEHICLE TYPES

Also, the 'expected' retail price is a real bit of crystal ball gazing, I would be concerned about how it is linked to reality.
An 'official' could pick an unrealistic number out of the air on which to base the VRT, what recourse to appeal exists.

GG66

The m1, m2 , m3 part was confusing me.. The email they sent to me was extracted from 3 different PDFs I had been directed to over the phone. I asked that they confirmed via email.. It's frustrating that there is no single source

The eu description you provided is what they're using.

He looked at a few campers on done deal, similar size, coachbuilt & same year. Informed me the avg price is most likely what they would use. In the case of appeal this would also be a strong basis of appeal

It's all a bit smoke & mirrors though

spaceHopper

GG66 wrote: »

The m1, m2 , m3 part was confusing me.. The email they sent to me was extracted from 3 different PDFs I had been directed to over the phone. I asked that they confirmed via email.. It's frustrating that there is no single source

The eu description you provided is what they're using.

He looked at a few campers on done deal, similar size, coachbuilt & same year. Informed me the avg price is most likely what they would use. In the case of appeal this would also be a strong basis of appeal

It's all a bit smoke & mirrors though

When I took my camper to them for VRT they measured the height at 1.79 M and tried to charge me 36% VRT, got it sorted in the end but it was stressful. At worst they will charge you 200 or 300 euros more and you would have a good chance at appeal, go for it you'll so much fun with the van that it will soon be forgotten.