Question to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government:
To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider extending the assessment of motor tax applied to post 2008 vehicles to those registered prior to 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – Jerry Buttimer, TD
For WRITTEN answer on Wednesday, 16th January, 2013.
Ref No: 57831/12
REPLY
Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Mr. P. Hogan)
I have no plans to bring in legislation to change the basis for charging motor tax for vehicles registered prior to 2008 to the CO 2 system. The question of applying the new CO 2 based motor tax system to all cars was subject to detailed discussion during the debate on the Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Act 2008. Any retrospection would not be possible, as the CO 2 data for the pre-2008 car fleet ha ve not been authenticated for business purposes. The cost of any retrospection could be substantial were it possible, depending on how it applied, and could have direct implications for the revenue base of local government. Any loss in revenue would have to be compensated for elsewhere in the motor tax system, or through the taxation system generally.