Open Market Selling Price · Ireland
OMSP — the Open Market Selling Price — is the tax-inclusive value Revenue believes your car would sell for on the open Irish market, and it is the figure your VRT bill is built on. Not what you paid in the UK. Not its trade-in value. Not your own opinion of what it is worth.
Thousands of importers budget around their purchase price every year, then discover the tax was worked out on a much higher Irish figure. Estimate your OMSP below before you hand over a deposit.
OMSP stands for Open Market Selling Price: the price, inclusive of all taxes and duties, that your car might reasonably fetch on a first arm's-length sale on the open Irish market in normal second-hand condition. In plain terms, it is what a willing buyer would pay a willing seller for that car on an Irish forecourt today — with VRT and VAT already baked into the figure.
The definition is not marketing language; it is set out in Section 133 of the Finance Act 1992 (as amended), which is why every Revenue valuation ultimately traces back to the same legal standard. For a new car sold by an Irish dealer, the OMSP is simply the Recommended Retail Price on the day of registration. For a used import, Revenue has to estimate it — which is where most of the confusion begins.
What the OMSP includes:
An important subtlety: because the OMSP is a tax-inclusive value, it already contains the VRT itself. Revenue is not adding tax on top of a tax-free price — it is taxing a retail value that assumes those taxes are present, which is part of why the figure can look surprisingly high next to a bare purchase price.
OMSP and OMV describe the same underlying idea — a car's open-market value — but OMSP is the exact term Revenue uses for the VRT tax base. You will sometimes see Open Market Value (OMV) used loosely in older guides or forum posts. For the purpose of your VRT calculation, the figure that counts is always the Open Market Selling Price: the value Revenue records against your specific vehicle when it is presented for registration.
Revenue sets the OMSP from Irish retail market data for your exact model, then adjusts it for the vehicle's age, mileage and condition — never from the price you paid abroad. The method is not arbitrary, even if it can feel that way when the number lands higher than expected. It is described in Revenue's VRT Manual Section 8 (Valuation), and it follows the same logic for every used import.
Every vehicle Revenue values is first matched to a VRT statistical code — a unique 8-digit identifier for a specific make, model and variant. That code is what tells the system it is looking at, say, a particular engine and trim rather than a cheaper or dearer version of the same nameplate. Get the variant wrong and every figure downstream is wrong too.
Once the vehicle is identified, Revenue reads its baseline retail value from Irish market data: what comparable cars are actually selling for at dealers and in private sales across the country, cross-referenced with recognised trade guides. This is the point that catches importers out — the baseline is drawn entirely from the Irish market, where used-car prices for many models sit well above their UK equivalents. The price on your UK invoice never enters the calculation.
From that baseline, Revenue adjusts the figure downward to reflect the individual vehicle in front of them, because the valuation is meant to mirror real retail behaviour:
These adjustments are applied when the car is inspected. In practice, you book a registration appointment at an NCTS centre (operated by Applus+), present the vehicle, and Revenue's data plus the inspection produce the OMSP that your VRT is calculated on that day. Until then, every figure — including ours — is an estimate.
Revenue ignores your purchase price on purpose: the OMSP reflects Irish retail values, so a car bought cheaply in the UK will almost always be taxed on a higher Irish figure. This is the part that feels unfair to most importers, but the logic is consistent — the tax is designed around what the car is worth here, not what you managed to pay for it there. The bigger the gap between UK and Irish used-car prices for that model, the larger the shock at registration.
The saving from importing is real only if the Irish OMSP-based tax still leaves you ahead of buying locally — which is exactly why checking the OMSP first is so valuable. Four budgeting errors flow directly from misunderstanding this rule:
Two identical cars bought at different prices usually receive the same OMSP, because Revenue values the model, not your transaction. Work every estimate from the Irish figure.
Your negotiating skill abroad does not lower your VRT. A great deal in the UK still meets an Irish OMSP — the discount you won never reaches Revenue's spreadsheet.
The levy is charged separately on top of the CO₂-based VRT and rises with the vehicle's nitrogen-oxide emissions. On an older diesel it can run to four figures on its own.
Import VAT at 23% and customs duty can apply where a vehicle is brought in from outside the EU customs union — a Great Britain import may not be free of these charges.
Case study — Declan, importing from England (2026): Declan bought a 2019 saloon in Manchester for roughly €18,000 and assumed his VRT would track that price. At the NCTS centre, Revenue assessed the OMSP at around €24,000 based on Irish listings for the same variant. His tax was calculated on the higher figure, adding several hundred euro he had not budgeted for. Had he run the model through a VRT calculator first, the gap would have been obvious before he paid a deposit.
Your VRT is a percentage of the OMSP: Revenue applies a CO₂-based rate of 7% to 41% to the OMSP, then adds a separate NOx levy — the higher the emissions and the OMSP, the bigger the bill. Once you accept that the OMSP is the base, the size of your bill comes down to one thing: the rate Revenue applies to that base.
The VRT rate for a passenger car is set by its official CO₂ emissions, ranging from 7% at the cleanest end to 41% for the highest emitters. That percentage is multiplied by the OMSP to give the core VRT charge — which is why two cars with identical OMSPs can produce very different bills.
| CO₂ emissions (g/km) | VRT rate on OMSP |
|---|---|
| 0 – 50 | 7% |
| 51 – 80 | 9% |
| 81 – 100 | 11.5% |
| 101 – 120 | 15% |
| 121 – 140 | 19% |
| 141 – 155 | 23.5% |
| 156 – 170 | 26% |
| 171 – 190 | 31% |
| 191 and above | 41% |
Bands are grouped for illustration; Revenue publishes the full granular scale, so confirm the exact rate for your car's CO₂ figure.
On top of the CO₂-based VRT, Revenue charges a separate NOx levy based on the vehicle's nitrogen-oxide emissions, calculated per milligram and added to the VRT charge. Import VAT at 23% and customs duty can also apply where the vehicle comes from outside the EU customs union. The estimator at the top of this page applies the CO₂ rate to the OMSP automatically, giving you the core figure before these extras.
Take a 2021 Škoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI bought in the UK: even if you paid the equivalent of €24,000, Revenue may set an OMSP of around €32,000 and calculate your VRT on that Irish figure, not on your invoice. And within the same nameplate, the trim you choose moves the number again — a higher specification carries a higher OMSP and can even push the car into a dearer CO₂ band. The figures below are illustrative; only the OMSP Revenue assigns at the NCTS centre is binding.
Both cars are 2021 Kodiaq 2.0 TDI diesels bought in the UK. The Sportline's richer specification and DSG 4×4 drivetrain raise its Irish retail value and its WLTP CO₂ figure, so both levers of the calculation move at once.
| Kodiaq 2.0 TDI Style (manual) | Kodiaq 2.0 TDI Sportline (DSG 4×4) | |
|---|---|---|
| OMSP assigned by Revenue | €32,000 | €35,500 |
| WLTP CO₂ | 154 g/km → 23.5% band | 163 g/km → 26% band |
| CO₂ component | 23.5% × €32,000 = €7,520 | 26% × €35,500 = €9,230 |
| NOx levy (100 mg/km) | €1,300 | €1,300 |
| Total VRT due | €8,820 | €10,530 |
Reading the result. Same badge, same engine, same year — and a €1,710 difference in VRT, driven entirely by the OMSP gap and the one-band jump in CO₂ rate. The NOx levy (100 mg/km worked as 40 × €5 + 40 × €15 + 20 × €25 = €1,300) is identical for both, which makes the valuation effect easy to isolate.
The wider context. Revenue's e-VRT enquiry tool showed comparable used-car OMSPs in May 2026 such as a 2019 BMW 320d at around €26,000 and a 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid at around €22,500. Different models and emissions produce very different outcomes — which is exactly why a per-vehicle check matters more than any rule of thumb.
You can get a reliable OMSP estimate in a couple of minutes: use the estimator at the top of this page, or Revenue's e-VRT enquiry tool, before you ever hand over money for an import. Both work the same way — you identify the exact vehicle, and they return an indicative OMSP and estimated VRT. Revenue's tool draws on the same statistical codes used at registration, so its figures track closely to what you will be charged.
To get an accurate estimate, have these details ready:
Case study — Aoife, planning ahead (2026): before flying over to view a car, Aoife ran three shortlisted models through the calculator. One showed an OMSP several thousand euro higher than the others despite a similar UK asking price, because Irish demand for that variant was strong. She switched to the lower-OMSP model and saved on VRT without changing her budget — the check took less time than the ferry booking.
If you believe Revenue's OMSP is too high, you can challenge it — but you need evidence, and you generally must appeal within 30 days of the assessment. An appeal is not a matter of simply objecting; it stands or falls on the evidence you bring. The stronger your comparable Irish listings, the better your chance of a revision.
Collect screenshots or printouts of comparable Irish market listings for the same make, model, variant, age and mileage — ideally showing lower asking prices than the OMSP implies.
An independent appraisal can carry weight where the car has genuine condition issues that Revenue's baseline data would not reflect.
Lodge your challenge, normally within 30 days of the assessment, setting out why the OMSP overstates the market value of your specific vehicle.
If Revenue does not revise the figure and you still disagree, the independent Tax Appeals Commission provides the next level of appeal.
Know what you're appealing: an appeal challenges the valuation, not the rules. You cannot appeal the CO₂ band or the existence of the NOx levy — only whether the OMSP itself reflects the true Irish market value of your specific car.
Short answers to the questions Irish importers ask most about the Open Market Selling Price.
You cannot avoid VRT on a registrable vehicle, but you can influence it legitimately. Choosing a lower-emission model places the car in a cheaper CO2 band, certain vehicles qualify for reliefs (electric cars, for example, benefit from VRT relief tied to their OMSP), and a well-evidenced appeal can correct an overstated valuation. None of these is a loophole — each works within Revenue's own rules.
Yes. The OMSP falls over time as the vehicle ages and accumulates mileage, because it tracks the Irish retail market, and that market values older, higher-mileage cars lower. The same model registered today and in three years' time would carry different OMSPs, reflecting its depreciation.
No. There is no downloadable table of OMSPs. Each value is held against a specific statistical code in Revenue's valuation database and is reviewed as the market moves, so it can only be retrieved per vehicle — through the e-VRT enquiry tool or an estimator like the one on this page.
They can. Where a car carries factory-fitted enhancements that were not standard on the equivalent Irish specification — a panoramic roof, upgraded wheels, premium audio — Revenue may add their value to the OMSP at inspection. If your import is heavily optioned, budget above the base-model estimate.
Yes. The valuation comes from Revenue's national database, not from the discretion of the individual centre, so presenting the car in Cork rather than Dublin will not change the baseline figure. What the local inspection does affect is the condition assessment applied to that baseline.
It happens. If you paid a strong price abroad for a model that is weak on the Irish market, Revenue's assessed value can come in under your invoice — and your VRT is then calculated on that lower figure. The OMSP cuts both ways; it simply ignores your transaction entirely.
Partly. Light commercial vehicles in Category B pay VRT at 13.3% of their OMSP (subject to a minimum charge), so the valuation matters just as it does for cars. Larger Category C commercials pay a flat €200 regardless of value, and motorcycles are charged on engine capacity, so the OMSP plays no role for either.
The OMSP is Revenue's assessed Irish retail value of your vehicle, tax included, and it is the base for your VRT. It is built from Irish market data for your exact variant, adjusted for age, mileage and condition — your UK invoice never enters the calculation.
A CO₂-based rate of 7% to 41% is applied to that value, a NOx levy is added on top, and the trim you pick can move both the OMSP and the band — worth €1,710 on the two Kodiaqs above.
Check the OMSP before you buy, keep evidence if you plan to challenge it, and remember you have roughly 30 days to appeal a figure you can prove is too high.
Estimate my OMSP now ↑