Auto advice: How do I declare my car off road and save motor tax?

My car is not going to be used for a few months so how do I declare it off the road?

Declaring a car “off the road” means you are registering it as being temporarily taken out of use and exempt from motor tax. This is also known as a Statutory Off Road Declaration (SORD). To do this your car must not be in a public place and must be kept off the road. You must submit the declaration in the month your current motor tax disc expires. You need to complete Form RF150 and submit it to your local motor tax office. An online facility is available at  motortax.ie using your renewal PIN. A PIN is included in your renewal notice, which you would have received in the month of expiry of your current disc. If you have just bought a new, imported or used car and you do not intend to use it immediately, you have 21 days from the date of purchase to declare it off the road.

If my tax has expired before I declare it what can I do?

Any arrears that are owed must be paid in full and motor tax paid for a minimum of three months before a declaration of non-use may be made. If you are posting the declaration ensure you allow yourself enough time. If you submit the declaration after the tax has expired it will be returned to you.

Do I need to provide a reason for why it is off the road?

It is not necessary to provide any reason or explanation for why your car is not in use. However it’s important to remember that using a car that has been declared off the road or making a false declaration will leave you open to being fined and/or convicted.

Can I keep the car off the road for longer than I had originally planned?

To extend the amount of time the car is off the road you need to make a new declaration for between a further three and 12 months before the end of the period specified in your first declaration. You can cancel the declaration at any time by renewing your tax in your local motor tax office. The validity of the tax disc will commence from the first day of the month in which you tax the car.

Top tip: The minimum period is three months and the maximum is 12 and the declaration must be for full calendar months, starting on the first day of a month and ending on the last day

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