State reaps €500,000 from car tax fines

THE State has collected almost €500,000 in “fines” this year from motorists who have tried to dodge paying Ireland’s punitive taxes on cars, it emerged last night.

A blitz by Revenue in June revealed one-in-five motorists on Ireland’s roads failed to pay the right rate of vehicle registration tax (VRT).

So far this year, penalties totalling €474,734 have been levied against 645 motorists who imported cars but failed to pay VRT of up to 30%.