Do I have to pay unpaid VRT on this car?

Hi,

I have a good deal on a car, but it has imported from Northern Ireland in the summer. The seller says he didn't have the money to pay for the VRT etc. at the time of his appointment so never went through with the proper paperwork etc. If I buy the car and the Northern Irish owner writes me a new contract, will I have to pay the overdue charges?

Andrej Todorov (Schull)

Nov 2019 Filed under: importing

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Expert answer

Hi Andrej,

It all sounds a bit dodgy to us, to be honest. I’d tread very carefully, as if the seller has already brought the car into the country, and made an original appointment to have it inspected for VRT, then Revenue is already aware that the car is in the country. Given that there’s a 30-day limit from the date of arrival for VRT to be paid, I’d say that there’s not just an overdue payment, but possible penalties too. I think your best bet is to walk away — plenty of other cars available, from reputable sources, so you don’t need to be messing around with this sort of carry-on. 

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Advisor
@neilmbriscoe