Having difficulty insuring a commercial Yeti...

Hi guys,

I was really interested to read your article on taxing and insuring commercial vehicles for private use. I drive a commercial Skoda Yeti (2.0-litre 4x4) that is registered commercially, but which I have taxed and insured privately. I have no VAT number so commercial tax and insurance is out of the question. Adding to this, I can only find one insurer to give me a policy. I was wondering if it's possible to re-register the car as a private vehicle that just happens to have no back seats. This was flagged as the reason insurers won't look at me (my driving history is squeaky clean). Any suggestions here would be great. I love the car and got a great price on it so I really dont want to sell it.

Conor Behan (Thomastown)

Jan 2021 Filed under: insurance

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Expert answer

Hi Conor,

You say you’ve already taxed the Yeti privately, is that right? Once you’ve informed your local motor tax office of the change of status, that should be sufficient for any insurer. That said, Irish insurers will find any excuse in the book to either not quote you, or to give you some astronomical quote just to make you go away. Our advice is to find a good insurance broker who can help you navigate the ins and outs. 

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Advisor
@neilmbriscoe