For riders down south of the border MAG Ireland, the Irish Motorcyclists’ Action Group, are highlighting changes to the system of declaring a vehicle off road and thus avoiding the requirement to pay motor tax for the period of non use.
- The existing arrangement is that a vehicle owner got their signature witnessed on forms that the vehicle has not been in use in a public place at a Garda Station. This has been sufficient to ensure that motor tax is not payable in respect of the period identified on the form. While the owner’s signature is witnessed by a Garda, there is no requirement that the accuracy of the statement is checked.
- The use of such declarations is increasing with a consequent loss of income to the State. An analysis of Garda-witnessed statements in the 12 months to the end of July 2012 showed that there were 539,000 declarations made during the period, with a value of over €110m. €22m related to changes of vehicle ownership, with the majority of the remaining €88m being made for periods of between 1 and 3 months.
- New arrangements will apply to declaring a vehicle off the road for motor tax purposes from 1 July 2013. The new system requires a vehicle to be declared off the road in advance, and will replace the system whereby owners declare a vehicle off the road retrospectively when seeking to tax a vehicle.
- There is no change in the rules for those who pay their motor tax by its expiry date, or those who end up paying arrears after their tax has expired. There is a three month transition period from 1 July 2013 to 30 September 2013 during which those in arrears must pay the arrears and either take out a new vehicle licence or make a declaration of non-use, that is, inform the motor tax authorities of their intention not to use the vehicle in a public place.
Here in Northern Ireland as you may know the system in place for this is SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) – If you’re the registered keeper of a vehicle that’s not being taxed and is kept off the road you must make a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification).
For full details of SORN visit the nidirect government services website – Click Here
Have a vehicle off the road? Act now!
1st July 2013
A three month transition period begins Monday 1st July according to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport who have been in contact with us in MAG Ireland in relation to the changes.
If you have a motorcycle which is currently unused, you must declare it off the road or you may be liable for any arrears owing when you next try to tax it. The old system whereby you declared the vehicle off the road after the fact is being scrapped.
According to the Department, during this transitional period:
Those whose vehicles have not been on the road must make a declaration of non-use for the period in question and either take out a new vehicle licence or make a declaration of non-use, that is, inform the motor tax authorities of their intention not to use the vehicle in a public place.
The Department then goes on to say that:
Following the end of the transition period, the current system whereby a person can go to a Garda Station and make a declaration that a vehicle was off the road, without having to pay arrears, will cease, and you will be liable to pay all motor tax arrears before a new vehicle license can be issued in respect of the vehicle.
We in MAG Ireland have been asked to disseminate this information in the Irish motorcycle community, and in this regard we are asking you to share post with others. The full text of the Department’s communication is below.
This is the Q&A document from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
pdf format, 264kb
Download this poster and put it up in your workplace or club.
PDF Format, 240 KB
We in MAG Ireland will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds. If you have difficulties with the process you need to contact your local motor tax office in the first instance.
Original Source – MAG Ireland – Click Here
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