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Sample document. Real car, real figures, identity removed.

A 2018 Mercedes A180d for sale in Northern Ireland: eight years of MOT records, the DVLA logbook entry and what happens to customs and VAT when the NI paperwork is missing. Your own document is built live for your car and costs €4.90. See the Japan sample with an auction sheet.

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VRT & taxes breakdown

Northern Ireland to Ireland · 03 Sept 2026

MERCEDES-BENZ A 180 D AMG LINE PREMIUM AUTO

A180 D AMG LINE PREMIUM 5DR AUTO

HEAVY OIL · 1461 cc · first registered 3/2018

NISAMPLE

Vehicle Registration Tax

€2,447-€3,047

17.5% of €12,843 valuation + NOx €200-€800 with the figure from the car’s papers

€7,097 if no NOx figure is shown at the inspection

Total on Irish plates

€22,999-€23,599

car + transport + duty + VAT + VRT

Taxes, costs and the official test history. Write-off, finance and stolen checks are a separate job - links to providers we trust are on the calculator page.

Inside this document

  • VRT line by line, with the appeal evidence
  • Total landed cost
  • Is it worth importing? Irish asking prices and 5 comparable adverts
  • Motor tax and NCT after registration
  • Official test history and mileage
  • DVLA record: CO₂, Euro standard, tax and export status
  • Shipping costs and where to book
  • Timeline with the legal deadlines
  • Paperwork checklist

01Vehicle Registration Tax

Open Market Selling Price (new)
€34,488
Depreciation applied
62%
Mileage reduction (none - the odometer is at or below what Revenue treats as normal for the age)
€0
Current OMSP (official valuation)
€12,843
CO2 (WLTP)
128
VRT rate
17.5%
CO2 charge
€2,247
NOx charge (Euro 6b/6c diesel, typically 40-80 mg/km on its papers; €4,850 if no figure is shown)
€200-€800
Vehicle Registration Tax with the NOx figure shown
€2,447-€3,047
Vehicle Registration Tax if no NOx figure is shown
€7,097

NOx: one line on the V5C is worth up to €4,650

No NOx figure was entered, and there is no public register that holds it: the number lives on the car’s own papers. A Euro 6b/6c diesel like this one typically shows 40-80 mg/km in its papers, a NOx charge of €200-€800, and that is what the figures on this page use. Without a document Revenue charges the flat maximum of €4,850 and the VRT becomes €7,097. The figure is on the V5C logbook (item V.3) or the Certificate of Conformity: get it from the seller before you pay and bring it to the NCTS inspection.

Statistical code 46385821. Bring this page to the NCTS inspection: if the inspector selects a different version, this is your evidence for the VRT appeal (pay first, appeal within 2 months).

02Total landed cost

Car price
€15,000
Transport to Irelandestimate
€190
Customs duty (10% of price + transport - no proof of the car's NI customs status, so Revenue treats it as a British import)
€1,519
VAT (23% of price + transport + customs)
€3,843
VRT (section 01, with the NOx figure shown)
€2,447-€3,047
Total cost to put this car on Irish plates
€22,999-€23,599
Total if no NOx figure is shown at the inspection
€27,649

Transport: northern ireland collection (drive or short tow) runs €80-€300, midpoint used - see the transport section

Also budget for (not in the total above)

  • Tyre recycling charge (EMC), collected at the NCTS counterrequired by law€14-€17€3.44 per tyre including the spare, charged on every used import at first registration under the tyre regulations (Circol ELT scheme). Four tyres €13.76, five with the spare €17.20.

03Is it worth importing? The Irish market today

Irish asking price, median of 19 2017-2019 Mercedes-Benz A Class adverts
€21,490
Typical range (20th to 80th percentile)
€17,950 - €22,950
Revenue OMSP used for your VRT (section 01)
€12,843 (-40% vs market)
Your all-in cost on Irish plates
€27,649

Dealers here are cheaper by €6,159. Your all-in cost comes out above the Irish asking price for the same car. Unless the purchase price drops, buying in Ireland is the cheaper route for this one.

The 5 closest adverts to your mileage

Asking prices on carzone.ie on 12 October 2026, not sale prices: dealers usually come down a few hundred euro and their price includes a warranty and the work to get the car ready. Too few 2018 cars advertised, so 2017-2019 registrations are included. The OMSP above is Revenue’s own figure for VRT; the NCTS inspector can set a different one on the day, and these adverts are your evidence if it comes out high.

04Northern Ireland: what the zero depends on

This estimate charges the full 10% customs duty and 23% VAT. Revenue does that for any car bought in Northern Ireland when there is no proof of its customs status: the rule is that such a car is treated exactly as if it came straight from Britain. Get the proof below from the seller and those two lines drop to zero.

What the records show

  • 2 tests recorded in Northern Ireland, from 2025-06 to 2026-07
  • 6 tests recorded in Great Britain, the last one 2024-09

Test records tell you where the car was serviced, not who owned it. Revenue decides on the documents below.

Bring these

  • Customs declaration and proof the duty and VAT were paid
  • V5C registration certificate
  • Purchase invoice with the date

If you are buying from the person or dealer who brought the car into NI themselves, only a copy of the NI customs declaration is accepted - no other paperwork will do. Revenue does not check documents in advance, so get them before you pay.

05Running costs after registration

Motor tax (annual)
€190
Next NCT due
Due now (cars over 4 years need a valid NCT)

06Test history and mileage

  • 2026-07 PASSED96,321 mi
  • 2025-06 PASSED71,280 mi
  • 2024-09 PASSED61,613 mi
  • 2023-09 PASSED50,435 mi
  • 2023-09 FAILED50,435 mi
  • 2022-11 PASSED34,273 mi
  • 2022-02 PASSED30,565 mi
  • 2021-02 PASSED23,299 mi

What the numbers say

  • About 13,500 miles a year on record, against a UK average of 8,300 for a car on this fuel (Department for Transport, 2024). That is heavy use: motorway or trade miles.
  • The last reading is 2 months old. At this car’s pace the odometer should show around 98,571 miles today. Much less than that on the clock is a question.
  • Recurring items across tests: tyres (2).

Official test records (Northern Ireland records list no defect details). They show mileage and roadworthiness only - write-off, finance and stolen checks are a separate job, links on the calculator page.

07What DVLA holds on this car

CO₂ on the V5C (NEDC), 128 g/km WLTP-equivalent by Revenue's formula
101 g/km · matches the version above
Vehicle category on the V5C
M1 (passenger car)
First registered
2018-03 · built 2018
UK road tax
Taxed (due 2027-08-01)
MOT status
Valid (expires 2027-07-17)
Marked for export
No
Current V5C issued
2025-06-06
Colour on record
BLACK
Gross vehicle weight (DVLA)
1,960 kg

Source: DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service, the same record the V5C is printed from. The V5C is the document Revenue reads at the NCTS inspection, so these figures beat any advert.

08Getting the car to Ireland

Transport company (car on a trailer, door to door)estimate
€550-€950
Northern Ireland collection (drive or short tow)estimate
€80-€300

Transport company (car on a trailer, door to door): Marketplaces (Shiply, AnyVan) collect competing quotes from carriers running the route with spare space.

Northern Ireland collection (drive or short tow): No sea crossing: fuel or a local transporter.

Ranges reviewed manually on 2026-08-31; operators publish exact prices only inside the booking flow.

Where to book

  • AnyVan - Door-to-door car transport quotes, covers UK-Ireland
  • Shiply - Carriers already running the route bid on your job

Independent operators, listed for convenience - we hold no stake in your booking and prices are theirs, not ours.

09Timeline to Irish plates - 1-5 weeks

  • Day 0-3Collect the car
    No sea crossing: drive it down or a local transporter.
  • Day 1-8Book the NCTS inspection - 7 dayslegal deadline
    The clock starts on the day the car arrives in the State. Book at ncts.ie even if the first free slot is weeks away - the booking date is what counts. No-show, a late reschedule or missing documents on the day costs €54.76.
  • Day 8-24NCTS appointment and VRT payment
    Dublin and Cork centres often run 2-3 weeks of queue; smaller centres are faster. Bring the NOx evidence (V5C item V.3 or Certificate of Conformity) or Revenue charges the flat maximum.
  • Day 1-31Register and pay VRT - 30 dayslegal deadline
    Registration must be completed within 30 days of arrival. After that Revenue adds 0.1% of the VRT for every day late.
  • Day 9-27Irish plates - 3 days after registrationlegal deadline
    Fit the plates within 3 days of registration, then motor tax at motortax.ie, insurance, and an NCT test if the car is 4 years or older.

The slow part is the NCTS queue, not the transport - book the moment the car lands.

10Paperwork checklist

  • V5C logbook in the seller's name (never buy without it)
  • Purchase invoice with the date clearly shown
  • Customs declaration and proof the duty and VAT were paid
  • V5C registration certificate
  • Purchase invoice with the date
  • Insurance for the drive home: your insurer can cover the car temporarily on its UK reg or chassis number before Irish registration - one phone call, do it before the ferry
  • Bring NOx evidence: V5C item V.3 or Certificate of Conformity
  • Bring this report: the statistical code backs a VRT appeal

Print this page and tick the boxes as you go - every line here has cost someone real money or a wasted NCTS trip.

IRLVRT·CALCvrtcalc.ie·hello@vrtcalc.ie
Independent estimate based on official public valuation data. Figures are a snapshot as of the generation date; the final VRT amount is determined by Revenue at registration. vrtcalc.ie is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting for Revenue, the NCTS or any other public body.

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