Car seized after driver caught with poorly drawn tax disc more than 100 days out of date
The poorly drawn car tax disc was posted on Facebook
Meath Crime Prevention
A driver has had their car seized and will be prosecuted after police found the vehicle with a fake, drawn-on tax disc.
Posting to Facebook, Meath Crime Prevention in the Republic of Ireland posted an image of a poorly drawn tax disc, with hundreds of people finding the humour in the situation.
The image shows a hand-drawn tax disc with information that had clearly been written with a pen, lacking any sort of official insignia.
The motorist had written that the tax was set to run out in July 2023, making the fake tax disc out of date, and adding to the driver’s troubles.
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If there was any doubt that the tax disc was fake, the driver appeared to have made a mistake when writing “09” before going over it in pen again.
The post stated: “Gardaí from the Trim District were on patrol today and came across a parked car with this tax disc displayed.
“The tax was out 108 days so the driver tried to 'draw' a tax disc on the reverse side of an old disc!
“The car was seized and prosecution to follow. #NotVeryClever”
Other Facebook users saw the funny side of the incident, with one commenter joking that it was a “good side hustle” for an artist.
Another said: “Pack of crayons to jazz it up... they would have got away with it.”
Motorists in the Republic of Ireland are still required to display their motor tax disc if they want to drive the car in a public place.
People can choose to pay for three, six or 12 months of car tax, with the rate of tax depending on their vehicle type and its emissions output.
Drivers will get a reminder around a month before it is due to expire, with Citizens Information urging people to check their status online.
Electric car owners have the lowest tax rate, paying just €120 (£104) a year, compared to the most polluting petrol and diesel vehicles who could be forced to pay up to €2,400 (£2,088).
The Gardaí have the power to impound a vehicle if it is being driven without tax or insurance, with it being a requirement to carry a tax disc.
According to Donegal County Council, drivers can be charged €60 (£52) if they fail to display their tax disc, which can be raised to €90 (£78) or €180 (£156) if someone pays after they receive a summons.
Tax discs were abolished by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in October 2014, although motorists still need to make sure their vehicle is taxed.
Electric cars do not yet need to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), with changes being introduced in 2025, but owners still need to ensure the EV is allowed on the road.
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Car tax discs are still a requirement in the Republic of Ireland
PA
With tax discs no longer being used, drivers have taken to online marketplaces like eBay to sell them, with some selling for hundreds of pounds.