Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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233. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the last full year and the percentage of all motor tax payments that were paid in instalments versus those which were paid upfront in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37522/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Motor tax is payable on an annual, half-yearly or quarterly basis. 

4,960,487 motor tax discs were issued in 2020.  Of these 1,985,929 (40%) were annual, 730,453 (15%) were half-yearly and 2,244,105 (45%) were quarterly.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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234. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount that is raised from the higher rates of motor tax for those that choose to pay in instalments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37523/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Motor tax is payable on an annual, half-yearly or quarterly basis.  The rates applicable to the half-yearly and quarterly options are 55.5% and 28.25% of the annual charge, respectively. 

Based on the volume of transactions in 2020, the estimated annual cost to the Exchequer of setting the half-yearly and quarterly rates at pro-rata rates of 50% and 25% of the annual rate respectively is €41.3m.   This does not take account of the likely cost of additional administration arising from the likelihood that more users may opt to tax their vehicles for short periods and therefore require more frequent renewals.