DRIVERS are importing
Northern cars into Inishowen and wider Donegal at a
rate of around 50-a-day as the euro holds firm
against sterling, unofficial figures show.
While anecdotal statistics conflict dramatically
with the official Revenue numbers, it would appear
that trading up with an import is replacing the
brand new car for cash-strapped drivers in the
peninsula.
On one day alone, between 80 and 90 used cars were
imported from the North into Donegal - with a daily
average of around 50, sources have claimed.
Revenue statistics, however, show that in the first
seven days of January 2009, a total of 90 used cars
were imported through the VRT office in Lifford.
A Revenue spokesperson could not confirm how many of
the cars were imported from the North or Britain.
"We cannot give an exact breakdown of the
registrations from Northern Ireland but it would be
safe to assume that the majority (of the imports
into Donegal) came in from the North," said the
spokesperson.
Applying a random average of €3,000 VRT duty per
car, Revenue would earn around €270,000 for a total
of 90 cars imported into Donegal.
The spokesperson also confirmed that just 120 brand
new cars were registered in Donegal in the first
seven days of the new year.
This is a major drop from the same period last year
when closer to 700 new cars were registered in the
county.
It also mirrors the national trend which shows that
so far around 5,500 new cars have been registered
nationally compared with 17,000 in the same period
in 2008 - a staggering 67% fall.
Meanwhile, a recent ten-day crackdown on vehicle
registration tax (VRT) evasion resulted in the
seizure of 140 vehicles as well as fines for
motorists amounting to nearly €500,000. Revenue
conducted the State-wide VRT blitz in association
with their colleagues in Customs. Just under half of
the operation was concentrated in the border
counties including Donegal, with 11% taking place in
Dublin. Vehicles imported into the Republic should
be registered and VRT paid by the end of the next
working day. |
