A recent report published by the Comptroller and Auditor General about Motor Tax in Ireland showed that there is non compliance by at least 5% of car owners.
About 2.4 million vehicles were taxed in 2011 and paid a total of just under €1 Billion in motor tax.
No regular check is in place to try and track motor tax non-compliance levels in Ireland – (The UK carries out an annual national survey)
The only figures available in Ireland is from data for vehicles that went through the M50 toll in Dublin on four separate days during 2010 and 2011 . Over 7% of the vehicles checked were found to be untaxed. Even ignoring those that had expired for less than a month – the non compliance rate was still 5%.
On a national basis that could equate to €50 Million Euro in unpaid motor tax every year.
The Department of Transport issues reminders and final reminders when motor tax discs have expired – but they do not carry out any further follow up action if the motor tax is not paid.
Gardai Actions :
There is a fixed charge penalty of €60 for the non-display of a current tax disc . A person is required to pay the charge within 28 days otherwise it rises to €90 – which has to be paid within another 28 days . The next stage is prosecution – but there are no procedures in place to ensure that the motor tax due, including any arrears, is paid.
Between 2008 and 2011 – 40% of all fixed penalties for a missing motor tax disc were not paid (a total of 97,000 cases) . That equates to unpaid penalty charges (assuming €90 each) of €8.7 Million Euro.
For those of you that will be paying your motor tax – here are details of the 2013 motor tax rates.
