Grrr. Motor Tax Office

[dergside]

For the third time I tried to get the registration sorted on the old 325i I bought back recently. Its a car I imported back in 2008 and sold back to the UK in 2012/13 without reclaiming VRT for the export (predated that process).

I'm fairly familiar with car importation and VRT processes but they're driving me mad with this one.

First attempt:
I searched Revenue, Department of Transport and a few other government sites for information about the correct steps for these specific circumstances but there is nothing that I could find. So, I booked an appointment with the NCTS for a VRT declaration as this seemed to be the only obvious process. Because there was no VRT to collect they didn't want to know about it and suggested I contact a Motor Tax Office.

To double check this advice I rang the Registration Office in Shannon and eventually spoke to some (after an inordinate amount of "for X, press 1" messages). She confirmed this and only mentioned the UK registration document as required documentation.

Second attempt:
So I chanced my arm at the MTO near work, even though I live in a adjacent county. Well, I didn't even get as far as that being a problem. She didn't like the proof of ferry crossing that I had and wouldn't even talk to me about anything else.

Third attempt:
This morning I headed to my own MTO with all of the ferry booking information and didn't even get as far as needing to produce that. The people I was speaking with (naturally, it took more than one to figure it out) wouldn't even talk to me about it until I get a certificate from a main dealer that confirms the make, model, VIN number, engine number and CC of the car. The fact that all of this information is on the registration document and the car was parked outside the office where everything except the engine number could be checked without having to crawl under the car was of no consequence.

So at this point I've covered about 120 miles specifically for the purpose of trying to get the registration sorted and the prospect of a trip to the dealer (which I'm sure won't be free) and another trip to the MTO at an absolute minimum to get this done, assuming they don't invent any other needs they haven't told me about yet. This is more stringent than declaring a car for importation in the first instance!

Thanks for reading, I needed to get that off my chest

[Smokey Bear]

Why don't you play dumb and go the usual route. When it comes time to pay money you then go and tell them it has already been registered and no fee is due, be argumentative and tell them if you are to leave the office without your logbook/registration cert that you want a headed letter explaining the reason for you have English plates on your car and no up to date Irish motor tax. That puts the ball back in their court and makes them look bad so will make them more likely to help you along.

Civil servants are like obstinate sheep, you have to herd them in the direction you need them to go. Best of luck with your "new" car, I'd say its good to have it back!

Other option is to send your V5 to shannon via registered post with a letter explaining to them what you want done and keep a copy in the car with you for checkpoints etc.

[eamo]

Even for a veteran of importing cars like you boss this must really take the biscuit. Your obviously not the first person to re-register a car so it must be very frustrating

[Curran]

If you haven't reclaimed the VRT, can't you just stick back on Irish plates....
Go back to the MTO and ask them to stamp something to prove you tride to follow the flawed system, and sort it at more leisurely pace.

[RossYB]

I'd be tempted to play stupid and apply for a lost tax book from Shannon.

Possibly get stung for backtax and stuff doing it that way so what about a transfer of ownership form and you 'sell' the car to wife/brother etc...

Maybe?

[dergside]

The car shows up as having been exported from Ireland because the reg doc will have been returned to them when the car was registered in the UK (on its original plate there), so I can't just stick the previous plates on, unfortunately.

As regards taking the hit on back tax, the car was exported at the end of 2012 so the cheaper alternative to paying the back tax would be to pay the VRT again and save myself the price of another nice toy! As a matter of principle, I will not pay VRT on the same car twice .

I know there's no VRT to pay because I paid it when I first owned the car in 2008 (and I have all of that documentation in the history file) and it was exported back to the UK (by me, again all documented) before the refund scheme was introduced. I'm not sure I'd trust these genius's with the UK reg document (re. posting it to Shannon with a cover note) until I have a fair idea that they'll be handing out an Irish one.

I've really only used the car to get to the NCTS and MTO offices since I got it back, so I'm not too worried about the long arm of the law showing interest, but it'll stick in my throat (but would be no surprise) if they insist on it being taxed from the date of arrival in the country.

The main problem is that there doesn't seem to be a list anywhere that someone can point to and say "get that lot, come back a to us and we'll get you sorted". I've no idea what requirements there might be on the page after the one they gave me today outlining what should be on this headed certificate.

One small piece of good news since my first post is that I got a few minutes to pop over to Conlon's. They were quite helpful (by they I mean Noreen the Service Receptionist, who in fairness has always done her best to be helpful through the years) and have a record of the car on their system from previous work and have given me a letter headed confirmation of the details, at no charge. We'll see now if the MTO have any holes to pick in this, but in fairness it details exactly what they've asked for but who knows if its in the right font, or needs to be in Irish or some other useless excuse to not get off their arses.

Further reports later!

[dergside]

WooHooo....

Fourth attempt and we now have white smoke

I went back this morning with the document Conlon's did for me on Tuesday. This and the reg document. I deliberately held back the ferry document that the dozy mare in the Limerick tax office couldn't proceed without and this mornings person didn't even want to see it.

Now, to get the plates made up and we're away!

[miller]

WooHooo....

Fourth attempt and we now have white smoke

I went back this morning with the document Conlon's did for me on Tuesday. This and the reg document. I deliberately held back the ferry document that the dozy mare in the Limerick tax office couldn't proceed without and this mornings person didn't even want to see it.

Now, to get the plates made up and we're away!

Hi Dergside, sent you a PM previously but have since found this thread, Im about to embark on the same journey. So it looks like I land in the Tax office with the V5 and the original Plates? What documents did Conlons do for you?

Shannon have sent me a list of things to complete which include Motor Dealer Certification that confirms the Vehicle Detail, Witness by a Solicitor/Commisoner of Oaths but Im not convinced this is right?

[dergside]

Miller, apologies but at this stage I can’t recall precisely the detail they wanted but the dealer declaration you mentioned sounds like it could be the same thing.

[bmwe34]

WooHooo....

Fourth attempt and we now have white smoke

I went back this morning with the document Conlon's did for me on Tuesday. This and the reg document. I deliberately held back the ferry document that the dozy mare in the Limerick tax office couldn't proceed without and this mornings person didn't even want to see it.

Now, to get the plates made up and we're away!

I have had similar dealings with Conlons in Limerick, they had to verify an engine number on an engine swapped car i had.
They were also very helpful and verified it no problem and wrote me a headed letter. I tried to give them some money for their efforts but wouldn't accept it. Excellent customer service.