Import statistics

nailik wrote: Last year Revenue challenged 23,986 vehicles and 1,589 cars were seized for VRT offences."

That tells me that only 6.6% of foreign reg'd vehicles on our roads are being driven illegally, no ?

Press Statement from Revenue today:

Revenue crackdown on VRT offences in border counties

The Revenue Commissioners have commenced a major national crackdown on VRT offences. Customs checkpoints, principally in border counties and major urban areas, have commenced this week in an operation which will continue for some time. The major focus of the blitz is VRT evasion through the use of foreign registered number plates.

"We maintain a focus on VRT offences throughout the year but at regular intervals we undertake 'blitz' style operations which are high visibility" said Revenue Commissioner Liam Irwin. "The focus of this specific campaign is Irish residents illegally driving foreign registered cars. The rules are very clear and people who attempt to evade VRT will face the consequences", he warned.

Last year Revenue challenged 23,986 vehicles and 1,589 cars were seized for VRT offences."

Good on them. This country is on its knees financially. Any measures to increase revenue are to be welcomed.  

To all the VRT crooks out there, if you dodge tax, you are cheating yourself and cheating your country.

Next time you go into A&E and have to wait 12 hours or get battered on the street because the Garda overtime bill has been slashed or have to send your kids to a school with 40 kids per teacher, I hope you remember that.

If you don't want to pay the tax, don't buy the car. Simple.

Joey:

I wonder how long the Revenue will take to track down a E36 M3 Cabrio Cosmos Black in Dublin with yellow plates and no tax disc?

You're a very foolish man to brag on the internet about your illegal tax-dodging. Very foolish indeed.

Joey wrote: This current form of taxation has come under pressure from a number of areas.

But where has it been found to be illegal, either in terms if Irish or EU law?  Which court has ruled on it? 

If none has then your assertion of illegality is merely personal opinion.  You are clearly entitled to that opinion but that doesn't make it right.

found this on the net

This current form of taxation has come under pressure from a number of areas. The fact that both VAT and VRT are charged on newly registered vehicles in Ireland has been the bone of much contention, both locally and at a European level. The European Commissioner for Customs and Excise has expressed concerns to the Irish Government, over the VRT on new and second-hand imported vehicles, commenting on the excessive levels of motor taxation on Irish citizens. Article 25 of the Treaty of Rome, which governs the European Union, prohibits customs and excise duties and charges having equivalent effect.

if the irish government can pick and choose what E.U. laws they obey and break why shouldn't i hav ethe choice wheather to pay an illegal tax or not???????????

Sure, there are a lot of serious problems in this country at the moment and it seems that the only thing that varies is the depth of sh1* that we are in.  There is also an awful lot of crap being talked as well (in general, in the media, etc.).  There is also a lot of anger, but a lot of the basis for the anger, in the media, is ill-informed, naive and giving rise to mass hysteria.

We can either huddle together and stoke up the anger about the level of crap we find ourselves in (either personally or collectively) or we can get over ourselves and try to climb out of the crap.  That requires realism and will require blood, sweat and tears by many.  Anger will not change the fact that taxes will need to rise, living standards are going to fall, services will suffer, people will lose jobs, etc.  It also means that we have to get over the mock indignation we have about how everyone should make sacrifices, but moan about the first one that affects us personally.

For those that have done wrong on the way in to this situation (I include the politicians, the bankers, the developers and the naive individuals that thought the only way was up and that the good times would never end), they will eventually get what they are due - good, bad or indifferent, in this life or another.

In the meantime, Bono is tax compliant I am reasonably sure.  He may have interests in businesses that have set up tax residence in other juristictions but these are seperate legal entities to him and there is nothing illegal in what has been done.  We need to be careful of taking the high moral ground on that one.  These businesses have done nothing different to what thousands of other businesses have done by moving their tax residence TO Ireland.  We would lose far more than we would gain by stirring up that hornets nest.

So, we have a choice, either wallow in the crap while things go down the plughole or get over ourselves, roll up our sleeves and get stuck in to getting on with what has to be done.  So which category are we each in?

I'm for getting on with it.

Mike Ryan wrote: As they get less from the sale of new cars that fall in to the low co2 tax bands, they will make up the difference by raising the contributions that will have to be made by owners of cars with high co2 emissions.

The issue of falling VRT tax take from new cars is twofold, consumers have voted with their feet when buying new and the impact of the general economic climate.

Pushing the only higher rates of VRT up will force more people in to the market to ditch the bigger stuff and buy low emissions vehicles, and thus make that aspect of the situation worse.  Given that the only volume of sales is in the low emission section increasing this will yield revenue.  I suspect that they will force up all VRT and road tax rates to maintain the relative difference between the "green" end of the scale and the higher rates.  I can't see the Green party allowing a change that would undermine the environmental aim of the new VRT scheme.  Its one of the few real policy influences they have had in government.

beemerchris wrote: Moral is something that is realy lacking here lately, same for comunity sence, or emphathy for the elderly, and less well off's. If that would change then people like Joey might be less inclined to evade vrt/tax.

And which put upon social minority does Joey belong to that gives rise to his legitimate anger and defiance?

Is there any chance that maybe, just maybe, he lacks empathy or morality, in the same way as the you suggest politicians, bankers and property developers do?

Neither of them but neither should it aply to bankers, politicians, horse breaders, musicians and artists or big companies.

Lets face it a Teasoch with the highest salary as a leader in the world and anyone of them getting a pension even so they are still working, or banking control personell that f*** up and getting paid big bucks for it do absolut nothing for the moral. Moral is something that is realy lacking here lately, same for comunity sence, or emphathy for the elderly, and less well off's. If that would change then people like Joey might be less inclined to evade vrt/tax.

Will they change this? I have my doubts that this will happen without an election, or a change in governance laws. E.g. in germany the lading parties need a two thirds majority for things like the budget so no ruber stamping here. Or what about that a party member who votes against his party is automaticly sacked from it. What form of democracy do you think comes from that. They have a position of "Chief Whip" for heavens sake why are we surprised that in this country they make politics for themselfes and their friends.

I realy don't wanna go their any longer as it realy f***es up my day. I spent a fortune on inward investment in this country and by the looks of it might well have to start up again somewhere else just because of stupid decisions and greed and golden circles.