Help please - two registration problems

I recently retired from work in England and moved temporarily to Co. Tyrone, where our camper van was registered. We have now moved over the border to Donegal with the Toyota Proace (we bought it as a converted van brand new in England just over a year ago). We had the VRT inspection last Saturday. We had successfully applied for a transfer of residence exemption from VRT for the vehicle - my problem is different.

The man at the VRT office in Letterkenny on Saturday took a number of photos of the inside of the van and said he had to send them in for approval and that I would receive a call to go and complete the registration process. I understood this to mean that someone had to approve its classification as a motor caravan and that I would then be able to avail of the flat rate €102 tax on such vehicles. Anyway, I received the call yesterday and went in to conclude the registration process. The first surprise was when the woman in the VRT office told me that the van, first registered in November 2019, would need a CVRT before it could be taxed. I hadn’t expected this as I thought motor caravans didn’t have to be tested until four years after first registration. I duly went along to one of the test centres she mentioned and they were adamant that the vehicle does not need a CVRT.

My second problem is that I just checked online at motortax.ie the amount of motor tax payable and it is given as €710, based on the emissions class for the engine size (1997cc). This is a rather nasty surprise. How has this happened and how can I have this changed? What I really don’t follow is that motortax.ie describes the van as a ‘motor caravan’ under ‘body type’, yet the tax seems to be calculated on emissions categories instead of the motor caravan flat rate.

My van most definitely fits the definition of a motor caravan.

It, as you think does not need a cvrt, you have been dealing with someone who hasn't a clue what they're doing, as for going in, in person, I don't think you can at the moment, have you got the reg cert yet, if its commercial send it back to Shannon and tell them the details are wrong and ask them to correct it, that should get the ball rolling on sorting your problem

statement from the Revenue website.

Imported vehicles from another EU Member State can continue to display the roadworthiness certificate from the country of origin within the EU, which will be recognised in Ireland until the expiry date. The owner should apply and pass the NCT for the vehicle before the expiry of their current out of state roadworthiness certificate.

You can no longer transfer the unexpired portion of an EU certificate for a mutual recognition cert however, vehicle owners may use their current EU roadworthiness certificate until the expiry date and then present the vehicle for its NCT. ????

Disregard above it is not relevant to CVRT. In case you don't know First test 4 years then every 2 years untill 10 years there after every year. If your vehicle is in test from another EU state you need to apply on line for a Mutual Recognition of EU Cert.
( that said it is probably less trouble to go and get it tested. or do it before you bring in the vehicle ) this does not apply to UK sorry.
In case of an under 4 year vehicle which will not have a cert you should contact cvrtadmin@rsa.ie and probably send a copy of the logbook also .

Just to update and conclude this one - the VRC came from Shannon, clearly classifying the van as a ‘motor caravan’. I have heard nothing (as forum users assured me would be the case) about needing a CVRT for the vehicle. The woman at the VRT centre managed to make me worry unnecessarily with the stuff about the CVRT and when I saw (online) the tax as €710 I think my anxiety about it all went into overdrive. All sorted. Thanks for your contributions.