Dealers urged to report VRT abuses

THE SOCIETY of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) has called on car dealers to gather details of locals driving UK-registered vehicles, so they can be given to the Garda and Revenue officials.

In an e-mail sent last week, dealers were asked to direct staff to take note of vehicles with UK plates, driven by Irish residents.

Vehicles imported to the Republic should be registered and vehicle registration tax (VRT) paid by the end of the next working day. However, Revenue allows people up to a week to register. Driving an imported vehicle outside those terms can lead to the impounding of the vehicle, with fines and penalties for the driver.

Revenue rejects the suggestion it is not enforcing regulations. However, SIMI estimates the Government is losing out on between €50 million and €100 million annually due to people failing to pay VRT and road tax. The e-mail began: "We are sick and tired of seeing Irish residents driving UK cars on which VRT, road tax, etc, has not been paid." It went on to decry what it called a "continued lack of enforcement".

"We want to collect information . . . to illustrate the level of the problem. We will forward this information to the appointed official . . . with a demand for action and feedback . . ." The e-mail was signed, simply, "Tom, Director SIMI".

SIMI chief executive Alan Nolan confirmed the e-mail was genuine and said "Tom" was Tom Cullen, director of corporate affairs. Asked if SIMI was asking car dealers and their staff to spy on the public, Mr Nolan said the body would make "no apology" for the e-mail.

But Revenue has rejected what it said was "the suggestion that we haven't enforced the VRT regulations . . . Up to the end of August . . . we had challenged over 12,000 cars. In 72 per cent of these cases the registration was satisfactory. For the balance we issued 2,748 written warnings, imposed 673 compromise penalties totalling €716,090 and obtained 18 convictions with court fines amounting to €18,295.

"Monitoring VRT compliance is part of our day-to-day compliance activity. It is supplemented from time to time by major targeted compliance operations," the body said in a statement.