Hi, thanks for all the good replies, especially Gilbert and the explanation on import/ export. The VAT and tax issues are a tricky mess.
Even in Northern Ireland VAT will be charged on items arriving from the UK, and cars comes under that banner. It is really mixed up, I think that it is something like this - if you import a vehicle that has to have VAT on it [perhaps only commercial vehicles] then sell it in the North then you have to pay VAT, but provided it is exported south of the border then you don't pay VAT. However the buyer in the south will have to pay Irish VAT.
I haven't got a real understanding of it all yet, but I have put off buying anything for my P38, or my Merc W126 500, for the moment. There is so much tomfoolery going on with the North, now the EU food inspectors at Larne port are coming under threat for checking food products coming in from the UK to Northern Ireland.
In all honesty the Tories didn't have a clue what the result of the last-minute Brexit agreement really means. For all the demands about fishing rights [ and it seems the UK only uses about 2% of the fish the UK fleets catch ] Scottish seamen can't sell and export shellfish to Europe. Or, they can but the shellfish will no longer be fully fresh by the times it arrives at its destination. Crazy stuff. Half of all trucks are leaving the UK and returning home empty because of the problems with paperwork and certs of origin.
GeorgeB, it's OK, I am not actually selly my P38 😆. But I am considering how long it will be before I will be using it as a garden shed due to Irish running costs !!!
I am not the greatest supporter of Elon Musk after his mad idea to invest $1.5 billion into cryptocurrency, thereby giving it acceptability. Now some American bank has said that they will deal with crypto. I do think that crypto is a big, big issue as it is not backed by any real security such as gold. Admittedly, the UK pound is no longer backed with 700 tonnes of gold, after the Labour government flogged most of it, but at least it is supported by government bonds. The only people who seem to use cryptocurrency appear to be criminals, drug-dealers, and dodgy dealers of all things.
So I won't be buying a Spacex space rocket, anyway I probably wouldn't be able to buy a replacement traction battery for it here in Ireland.
I am thinking about investing my pension in donkeys, as a hedge [get it ????] against no more petrol or diesel !!!!
Pierre3.