Two operations are aimed at clamping down on people who are not paying VRT after importing vehicles, writes Paddy Comyn
This year up to the end of June, 28,765 used cars were imported into the State and registered as Irish cars, but several owners within the State are failing to pay the vehicle registration tax (VRT) or are delaying paying the charge.
Anyone importing a car from the UK or elsewhere must register their car and pay the VRT by the end of the next working day following its arrival into Ireland.
The car must be brought to a Revenue Vehicle Registration Office (VRO) not later than the next working day following its arrival into Ireland.
The Revenue Commissioners are clamping down on VRT evaders, especially those who are illegally converting SUVs from commercial to passenger vehicles.
"Operation Viking" has been running in Dublin since 2005, using roadside checks.
In the case of commercial SUVs, a separate national operation code-named "Operation Attic" is aimed to counter the conversion of SUVs from commercial to passenger type motor vehicles where VRT and VAT is being evaded. Often the evaded tax can be up to €45,000.
In this instance, a list of registrations of converted SUVs was selected from the computer system and Customs and Enforcement Officers examined the vehicle to confirm their status.
One particularly successful operation took place over a two-week period in May where a total of 2,365 vehicles were challenged.
Of these, 114 SUVs were checked to ensure that they had not been illegally converted from commercial to passenger vehicles. One hundred and fifty-seven vehicles were seized for evasion of VRT, including six converted SUVs where the addition requisite VRT had not been paid.
Up until the end of June, a total of 59 SUVs have been retained as part of "Operation Attic" and €1.37 million has been recovered.
Of these, 54 have already been seized and five have been detained pending further investigation.
Of the 54 that have been seized, 21 have been referred to the Revenue Solicitor for prosecution and a further 30 are being processed with a view to prosecution.
In the May blitz, 633 warnings were issued to drivers where that been a minor delay in registering the vehicle after it entered the state.
A total of 31 owners claimed entitlement to Temporary Exemption, and were given seven days to produce the necessary evidence that they were not residents of the country.
There were also warnings issued to 23 drivers on the use of illegal registration plates. There are exact rules regarding the format of registration plates within the state. The registration number must be in black on a white reflective background and there must be no variation on these. Several of these cases were reported for prosecution.