VRT of Vintage cars

I would also be interested if somebody has been through this before and knows for sure.

My understanding is if you can prove the car came into Ireland before 1st Jan 2021, (a ferry booking?) and its classic status when you register it, then you only have to pay classic VRT (€200) plus the late fee (0.1% per day) from the date it in entered Ireland. As the late fee is calculated on the €200 then the late fee should not be too much.

NOx is not applicable on classics as the €200 rate is a flat fee. VAT & Customs is not applicable if you can prove the car was in Ireland before 1st Jan 2021.

This is my understanding but would be great if somebody has been through the process to confirm.

Hi Folks,

I'm bringing in a classic car from the UK.

I was wondering if I managed to find an intermediary in NI, who would register the car there for me, would I then be able to import into the ROI vat free??

Because reading revenue guidelines, this would appear to satisfy them? Yes/no???

E.g. does a car have to be registered for a certain period in NI to be eligible say??

Hi,I'm in a similar situation to you,I imported a vehicle from uk in 2019,i have it at a friends place in Northern Ireland im going about registration at moment,I've contacted nct/vrt and also revenue vrt and neither can give me clear direction or advice,let me know if you got any further.the nct didn't really seem to want to help,revenue said book it through nct/vrt and see what happens,

Can I have the name of your customs agent ?

Just got a yungtimer delivered a 1985.. from uk. came via ni.. do i need to get a customs agent or can i do it myself ? have used agent before but trying to keep cost down on this . thanks

Hi lads. Looking to import a 1991 mk1 Mazda mx-5 from England. I know it used be a flat €200 but what's the current situation with importing a 30+ year old car now? This new 23% VAT, what's it calculated on? Also is there any more new charges I should be aware of? I'm buying private, what kind of a sales receipt satisfies revenue?

It's a question that's most certainly been answered before but the boards search function is not amazing..

Thanks. What's stopping me producing an invoice for much lower than what I paid over in the UK?

Mx-5s are probably one of the worst things you can import, they're all crusty, I'll take one that's been repaired to a good standard though. Even the newer ones are bad, I've seen some 2007/2008 models that are beyond saving. Ideally what I'm looking for is a pre 92 model that's not completely riddled. I have the time to repair minor rust.

The only fraud implications here are by the government charging an illegal tax in the first place.

High horse.

well considering the issue OP is referring to is VAT, not VRT, I dunno how you think that's illegal: every country in EU and the UK charge it.

What customs agent did you use? Why did you have to pay VAT in the end, did you not have any proof the car came into the country prior to Brexit?

If the car is transported in, it needs to have pre-clearance in place - but it you drive it over they should be giving you no hassle. Classic case of those who are tasked to apply the rules not quite understanding the rules. I would have just gone straight to Larne - you can only enter the EU once either way - that was either at the border up north, or Dublin Port!

I don't quite understand what you're saying - if you landed if Larne you would have just driven straight home, no one would be asking you about VAT or Duty, and you would have just done the customs clearance within the prescribed time (30 days I think). You certainly wouldn't be having the V5 address or anything updated to an NI address.

As for VAT being paid first in NI - even if it was done, you are also liable to pay any residual VAT which would have been due had you just cleared the car here. There is no getting around the regulations...

(although there actually is a massive way round the tax and duty obligations for 30 year old cars, but I'm not advertising it :D)

Did you not pay vat also?

Hi all. Looking for some advice. I am planning on importing an old VW T2 bus 1975 into Ireland from outside Europe. Two questions

will I get charged VAT on the purchase price?

should I get the interior refit done before it’s shipped or when it arrives in ireland because it is altering its original state ? Any advie would be appreciated.

thanks

Hey lads I've 2 cars ready for vrt in the new year. Both cars bought in Ireland on UK regs in 2019. Both car where bought with cash. They have been in restoration since 2019.

I have photos off the cars on my phone dated 2019 and 2020 and correspondence with the person I bought the cars off dating on watts app 2019

Will this be sufficient as proof the cars where in Ireland before 2021 and avoid payment of vat

Can anyone confirm whether VRT for over 30 is on date of first reg or just year of first reg and also motor tax for a 93 car ? Am I wrong in thinking its dependant on local authority in some form ? I am in Dublin. thanks

Depends on local authority it seems. Wexford is a year of reg local authority

Please, see above, new to posting

Thanks for your comment, really appreciate, that eased off the stress to mention first. I thought I have to pay duty and get clearance at the port and then only il be let out of the port to drive away. If that’s not needed I can drive in like any other car and then worry about, duty , VRT and vat. If the customs stops me would it be alright to say that I’m bringing this car to reregister or should I say something else? Do you know exactly why vat is 13% with some agents and 23% with others. Any recommended 13% guys? 😁

HI All,

so Finally my VW T2 bus shipped and is a couple of weeks away from landing in Dublin Port. I have the invoice, proof of payment and a copy of a document from the buyers local Motor registration Authority confirming the seller has cancelled his ownership and is exporting the van to Dublin Ireland this also quotes the Registration no. , Chassis no., engine no. and the brand and year of the vehicle.

Does anybody know if i need anymore paperwork to clear customs after VAT and Duty payments and when VRT ing will this be enough to get registered in my name?

im Panicking as i only have two weeks get all info together and finding it hard to find anything concrete online.

Thanks

I'd be interested in the answer to this, out of curiosity more than anything.

To my knowledge there is no age point where VAT or Duty are not applicable on imports of anything from outside the EU, so if they are not being levied it would likely more to be to do with an operational mistake at the NCTS at the point of registration.

The VAT rate is 23% but there are some saying that its 13%. The 13% rate is for cars that are collectors pieces and not driven on the roads here.

If you import a vehicle from UK to Ireland Customs Duty is 0% if the vehicle originated in the UK. If you import a vehicle from UK to Ireland Customs Duty is 10% if the vehicle originated outside the UK, e.g. a EU country or a third country like USA, Japan.

Have a chat with CarClear.ie - (I am not connected to them in any way)

Having just done this for the first time on a 33-year-old BMW bought in the UK on the 2nd of September 2023

No import duty to pay but VAT at 23% on the cost of the car including the cost of the ferry or the transport cost. If you buy through an auction the cost of the car includes any buyer's fee you pay. I used an import agent to arrange the customs declaration for me and he also collected the VAT on behalf of the revenue and I paid the VAT to the Import agent-not directly to revenue. I was then issued with the customs declaration so I could VRT it. I drove the car off the ferry in Dublin and was not stopped by customs. However, it is better to have the declaration on your phone or the ref no so you can prove you paid the VAT.

When you go to the VRT office you need to bring the car, the customs declaration, proof of ID, proof of address, proof of your RSI No and have the VRT form filled in correctly. You can opt for a ZV plate or a Year plate. If you go for a ZV you cannot change it to a year plate but you can go for a ZV after going for a year plate, if you change your mind later. For some daft reason, there is a disposal levy on the tyres on the car- €11 extra???? €2.75 per tyre I presume but they forgot the spare?

Taxing the car is done online with a ref no and pin you get from the just done that today. Tax as a classic rather than private!

As I was reg on the 30th of September I had to pay €11 arrears for September. They really go get every cent from you.

The next hurdle is the NCT test. Mine should pass as the car was MOTed in the UK in June.