Are my calculations right on importing this Honda?
Hi,
I've recently paid a substantial deposit on a car in Northern Ireland. (I/we live in Ireland). We bought a petrol car as the import charges are a lot less than diesel. I worked it out to be approximately €196 NOx charge and about €1,200 VRT. In total the cost of the car is under £3,000 Sterling. It is a 2012 Honda CR-V 2.0 petrol.
Can you please advise me urgently as I was going to collect my new car this weekend. If I’m being misled please let me know so I can try to stop the sale due to this discrepancy and get my refund back.
Thanks
Raymond O Callaghan (Slane)Sep 2024 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Raymond,
Following on from our separate conversation, you've confirmed that car is on a Northern Ireland number plate, so I'd assume it has been used in the North by a private individual for quite some time. A quick check of the UK's MOT history service confirms the car was tested in the North since at least 2018.
You'll need documentation to prove all this on importation, but it would appear that you will not be liable for VAT or import duty on this car.
So then it's just VRT and the NOx levy.
It would appear that the NOx rating is 23mg/km, which means a bill of €150 if that's correct.
The CO2 rating appears to be 190g/km, though that would be on the old pre-WLTP system and it needs to be 'uplifted' by Revenue's calculations. That would bring it into the top band, at 41 per cent of the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price). The OMSP is the value Revenue believes the car to be worth on the Irish market, and it's not always an easy figure to guess accurately.
There don't see to be many similar cars on sale in Ireland now so our job is made more difficult by that. If you assume an OMSP of €12,000 as a worst case then VRT would be 41 per cent of that, at €4,920. Obviously, that final figure depends massively on the OMSP.
Hope that helps
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor@Shane_O_D