Eoghan Murphy
Question:640. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will review the following case regarding motor taxation (details supplied). [45898/13]
View answerTuesday, 5 November 2013
Questions (640, 641)
Eoghan Murphy
Question:641. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will review the following case regarding motor taxation (details supplied). [45899/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 640 and 641 together.
The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 came into effect on 1 July 2013, replacing the system whereby vehicles were declared off the road retrospectively when next being taxed with a procedure under which vehicles must now be declared off the road in advance. The Act provided for a three month transition period from 1 July 2013 to 30 September 2013 to allow owners of vehicles that are not being used in a public place to bring their motor tax status up to date by making both a retrospective and prospective off-road declaration on or before 30 September 2013. From 1 October 2013, the Act provides that only a prospective declaration may be made. Any vehicle owner who did not bring his or her motor tax status up to date by the September deadline is liable for arrears from the expiry of the last period for which motor tax was paid, should he or she again wish to use the vehicle in a public place.
There was extensive public notice of the Act's coming into force and widespread awareness of the new arrangements from before the start of the transition period. Advertisements giving notice of the proposed changes were run in national and local newspapers in the first week in July and again in the second week in September. Local radio ads were run over the course of a week in July and both national and local radio ads were again run over the course of a week in mid-September. Information provided by myself and my Department through public notices, Frequently Asked Questions, press releases etc. set out clearly that the retrospective declaration of non-use had to be provided to the motor tax office by 30 September 2013, either submitted in person or by letter postmarked no later than 30 September. The changes were also highlighted in a number of media articles over the course of that period, including in late September in relation to the queues of vehicle owners at motor tax offices seeking to present their documentation by the end-September deadline.
On transfer of ownership of a vehicle, the liability for motor tax of the new owner will arise from the beginning of the month in which the transfer takes place.