Hundreds queue at motor tax office as loophole closure looms

There were panicked scenes at the taxation office in Kerry yesterday as hundreds of motorists queued for hours ahead of the closing of a tax loophole at the end of the month.

By mid-morning, the queue at the office in Tralee was 300-strong, with many forced to wait outside in the car park for hours.

A county council spokesman said there had been “a surge in the last few weeks” ahead of the Oct 1 deadline which effectively ends an owner’s ability to declare their vehicle “off the road” for motor tax purposes. The measures are designed to close the controversial loophole which previously allowed motorists to make such declarations retrospectively at their local Garda station.