🧾 VRT Calculator
How much VRT will I pay on this car?
Two charges fall due when a car is registered here: VRT, set as a percentage of Revenue’s valuation by CO2 band, and the NOx levy, charged separately on every car registered since 2020. The second is the one people leave out of the budget, and on an older diesel it can run to thousands.
Figures reviewed September 2026. Free, no signup, nothing stored on our servers.
What this means
The figure is what falls due at the NCTS centre when the car is presented for registration, which must happen within 30 days of it arriving in the State. It is not optional and it is not negotiable at the counter.
The percentage comes from the car’s CO2 figure alone — twenty bands running from 7% of the valuation at the bottom to 41% at the top. Crossing a band boundary by a single gram changes the rate, which is why two apparently similar cars can attract very different bills.
The NOx levy is charged on a separate, progressive scale: the first 40 mg/km at the lowest rate, the next 40 higher, everything above that higher again. It is capped — €4,850 on a diesel, €600 on anything else — and the cap is reached more often than people expect on a pre-2016 diesel.
What affects the result
- The Open Market Selling Price Revenue assigns. This is its valuation of the car in the Irish market, and it is not your invoice.
- CO2 emissions, which set the band. Where a car has both NEDC and WLTP figures, the one on the registration document is the one that counts.
- NOx emissions, charged on top of VRT and capped by fuel type.
- Whether the car is battery electric, which attracts a relief that tapers away as the valuation rises.
- The age and condition of the vehicle, which feed Revenue’s valuation rather than this calculation.
How much VRT will I pay on this car?
Why the estimate and the bill can differ
Everything in this calculation except the valuation is fixed by published rates, so the arithmetic is exact. The valuation is not: Revenue sets it from its own view of what the vehicle sells for here, and two cars with the same mileage and year can be valued differently. Treat the figure above as a floor and check the specific vehicle in Revenue’s enquiry system before committing money.
Where this fits in an import
For a car bought in Britain, VRT is one of three State charges. Customs duty and VAT are assessed first, at the point of import, and together they usually exceed the VRT. The car import cost calculator puts all of them in one landed figure alongside transport and registration.
After registration
The same CO2 figure that set the VRT band also sets the annual motor tax. If the reason for the import is that the car looks cheap, check what it costs to keep on the road with the true cost calculator before deciding — an older diesel that lands cheaply can be expensive on every line after that.
Important assumptions
Every figure on this page rests on these. Where one does not match your situation, the answer moves — sometimes a great deal.
- Rates are the published VRT bands for category A vehicles — passenger cars. Commercial vehicles, motorcycles and campers are charged differently and are not covered here.
- The Open Market Selling Price is whatever you enter. Entering the purchase price will usually understate the bill.
- The minimum VRT charge is applied where the band rate produces less than it.
- Electric vehicle relief is applied in full below the lower threshold and tapers to nothing at the upper one. The scheme has an announced end date — check Revenue before relying on it.
- Registration costs beyond VRT — plates, an NCT if one is due — are not included here. The import cost calculator adds them.
Official sources
Where this tool applies a published rule, this is where the rule comes from. Check the source before acting on anything that matters.
- Revenue — calculating VRT
The VRT band rates, the minimum charge, the NOx levy scale and its caps, and the vehicle enquiry system that returns a binding figure.
- Revenue — registering an imported vehicle
The 30-day registration deadline, what happens at the NCTS centre, and the documents required.
- NCTS — vehicle registration appointments
Where registration inspections happen and how appointments are booked.
Common questions
How is VRT calculated in Ireland?
As a percentage of the Open Market Selling Price that Revenue assigns to the vehicle, with the percentage set by the car’s CO2 emissions. There are twenty bands, from 7% at 50 g/km or less up to 41% above 190 g/km. A NOx levy is then charged separately on top.
Is VRT charged on what I paid for the car?
No. It is charged on Revenue’s own valuation of the vehicle in the Irish market, which is frequently higher than a British purchase price. This is the single most common reason an import costs more than the buyer expected.
What is the NOx levy?
A charge on nitrogen oxide emissions, applied to every car registered since January 2020 on top of VRT. It is progressive — the first 40 mg/km costs least per milligram and the rate rises in two steps after that — and capped at €4,850 for diesel and €600 for other fuels.
Do electric cars pay VRT?
Yes, but at the lowest band rate and with a relief applied on top of that. The relief is given in full below the lower price threshold and tapers to nothing above the upper one. The minimum VRT charge still applies, so the bill is rarely zero.
How long do I have to register an imported car?
The vehicle must be presented for registration at an NCTS centre within 30 days of arriving in the State. Late registration attracts a penalty, calculated on the VRT due and the delay.
What to check next
What will importing this car really cost?
Purchase, transport, customs duty, VAT, VRT and registration as one landed cost — and how much of it is the State.
Car Import CostNewWhat is motor tax on this car?
The annual rate by CO2 band or engine size, and what paying it quarterly costs you over a year.
Motor Tax CalculatorNewWhat is my car actually costing me?
Depreciation, fuel, insurance, tax, servicing and tyres as one annual figure and a cost per kilometre.
Car True Cost CalculatorPopularIs this car worth the money?
An estimated Irish market value from make, model, year and mileage.
Car ValuationNext steps across CheckIreland
Picked for what you just worked out — not a list of everything we make.
- The rest of the import billVRT is one line. Customs duty and VAT on a British car can be larger than it.
- What it costs every year after thatVRT is once. Motor tax is annual, and the same CO2 figure decides it.
- What the car costs to runRegistration is the entry fee. Depreciation and insurance are the recurring ones.
CheckIreland is independent and is not affiliated with the Irish Government or any public body. This tool is general information built on published rules and typical costs — it is not financial, tax or legal advice, and it does not account for your individual circumstances. Confirm anything that matters with the relevant body or a qualified adviser before acting on it.