Motor tax system to change amid concern over ‘off-the-road’ declarations

THE motor tax system is to be revised to counteract the growing problem of motorists making false declaration of vehicles being off the road in order to avoid paying motor tax for short periods, Environment Minster Phil Hogan has said.

Department of the Environment figures estimate that genuine and bogus off-the-road declarations see the Exchequer miss out on approximately €75 million in revenue per annum.

Officials have become increasingly concerned that the current system is open to abuse as it is difficult to retrospectively verify periods where motorists have declared that their vehicles were off the road.