Revenue detectives are lifting an average of €1 million a month worth of cars off the roads because the drivers have been caught with no VRT paid on their vehicles.
If you are caught on the side of the road with no VRT info, officers have the discretion to let you off as long as you pay the import tax within 30 days.
However, not everyone obeys the law and there are still thousands of cars being seized in recent years.
READ MORE - Importing a car: From VAT to VRT, here’s everything you need to know
There were fewer taken during Covid as there were travel curfews in place and the roads were empty a lot of the time, but outside of that thousands of cars a year have been taken off the road.
Before Covid, in 2018 and 2019, there were 1,223 and 1,263 vehicles lifted, with values totalling €12,424,560 and €12,378,776 respectively.
In 2020, the numbers fell drastically because of Covid, but there were still 411 vehicles removed by Revenue, worth €4,299,538.
In 2021, there were 444 vehicles, worth €6,789,493, in 2022, 877 with a value of €11,197,894 and to the end of April this year there have been 362 worth €3,562,012.
Social Democrats TD, Catherine Murphy, asked for the figures from Finance Minister, Michael McGrath, through a Parliamentary Question (PQ).
A spokesman for Mr McGrath gave Ms Murphy the following reply and details.
He said: "An Authorised Officer of the Revenue Commissioners may lawfully seize vehicles liable to forfeiture for excise offences, which include VRT related offences, in accordance with Section 141 of the Finance Act 2001.
"I am advised by Revenue that its approach to enforcement of the law relating to Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) is that in each instance where a failure to comply with the relevant legal requirements is detected, the matter is dealt with in a manner that is fair and proportionate in the circumstances of the particular case.
"The circumstances where vehicles may be seized for VRT related offences are set out in 5.7.2 of the VRT Enforcement Manual.
"This includes where an Officer forms the view that a person is a resident of the State and in possession of an unregistered vehicle contrary to section 139 of the Finance Act 1992, and that the person has had the vehicle in the State for in excess of a 30-day period.
"I am advised that depending on the circumstances of a particular case, an Officer may then offer local release of the seized vehicle at the roadside pursuant to the provisions of s.144(2) of the Finance Act 2001 on payment of a compromise sum.
"Upon release of a seized vehicle in such circumstances, the alleged offender is required to give an undertaking, on a Form 20A that the VRT will be paid or the vehicle will be removed permanently from the State."
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