All refund applications must be made through your local Motor Tax office.
How can I apply for a refund?
Requirements:
- RF120 (Application for a Refund of Motor Tax) form
Please bring the completed form to your local Garda station for signing and dating in their presence. The Garda present will then stamp the form to confirm that they have witnessed your signature as you are stating the information on form is correct. - Original Tax Disc
All applications must include the original tax disc for this vehicle.
If the disc has been lost or destroyed, a completed RF134 (Application for Replacement Document) form will be required (signed and stamped at your local Garda station).
Based on your reason for a refund, we will also require the following:
- Vehicle Stolen – a Garda report confirming date of theft and that the vehicle has not been recovered since.
- Vehicle Scrapped/Destroyed – A copy of the Certificate of Destruction issued by the Authorised Treatment Facility that dismantled the vehicle.
Locations of Authorised Treatment Facilities are available online at https://www.elves.ie/en.
The following are the authorised dismantlers based in Laois:
- Hegarty Metals Ltd t/a A1 Metal Recycling, Mountmellick, Co Laois.
- Corcorans Auto Body Repairs, Portlaoise, Co Laois.
- Martin Byrne, Killone, Stradbally, Co Laois.
- Munnelly Brothers Car Sales Ltd., Arles, Ballickmoyler, Co Laois.
- Whelan Car Dismantlers, The Heath, Portlaoise, Co Laois.
- V-Tech Metals & Dismantlers Ltd., Vicarstown, Co Laois.
- Alpacific Limited, Knockmay, Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
OR A letter from your Insurance Company confirming the vehicle is a total write off (i.e. category A or B write off). Please note that vehicles classed as category C or D write-offs do not qualify for a refund. - Vehicle Exported – a copy of the re-registration documents from country of import. There must be 3 months unexpired tax from the date the vehicle was re-registered in another country.
- Vehicle Not Used – this category refers to a tax disc which has never been used in a public place. A refund will only be issued if the disc is returned before the commencement of the tax period.
- For injury/illness reasons – a medical certificate from a doctor covering a specific period.
- For absence from the State – a letter from the Defence Forces, employer, or college, confirming the nature and timeframe of absences.
- Vehicle Duty Error – examples are error or change in your tax class/band, please submit an explanatory note with the refund application form and tax disc.
How do you qualify for a refund?
- As stated on the top of the RF120 form, a minimum of 3 unexpired whole calendar months must remain on the disc to apply for a refund. Refunds are calculated from the start of the month following receipt of a fully completed application. An exception is in the case of a vehicle that requires a Certificate of Destruction – the refund applies from month following issue of Cert.
- Refunds are not given where a vehicle has been sold as the tax disc will remain with the vehicle.
- The annual rate of motor tax must be more than €119 to qualify for a refund.
If approved, what next?
A Supplier Set-Up form will be sent to you. This form needs to be fully completed with your bank account details. In line with Data Protection laws and due to the personal information given, this form must be returned directly to Accounts Payable, Laois County Council, Aras An Chontae, Portlaoise, Co. Laois or emailed to accountspayable@laoiscoco.ie.
Further information
If you have any other queries, please contact us directly at 057 8664009 or email motortax@laoiscoco.ie.
