Farmers must declare restricted usage for lower jeep tax

LOCAL Authority officials have been instructed to clamp down on ‘commercial’ road tax for farm jeeps, and the Gardaí are also being advised on the change, unless there is an assurance in writing from the owner that use of the vehicle is restricted.

In future, owners of crew cabs and jeeps will be restricted to using these vehicles only for the purposes allowed under the commercial rate of road tax. To use the vehicles for ‘social purposes’ will incur a four fold increase in the road tax, to almost €1,000 per annum.

At a recent meeting between Limerick IFA and officials of the Motor Taxation Office of Limerick County Council, farmers were told that a declaration by the owner of the vehicle that it will only be used for farming business is now required for ‘commercial’ rate road tax. The declaration must be endorsed by the applicant’s local Gardaí.