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Importing from the UK - definitive guide (Q&A)

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 315 ✭✭danyosan


    MrC wrote:
    Who said I was referring to you?

    Well considering you this right after my account I'd say it's a good bet you were referring to me.
    "Good to see Boards has no problem publishing accounts of how to dodge mandatory compliance with the taxation legislation of the State. "

    And if by your interpretation of the law, you have to pay the tax 24hrs after coming into the country, why wasnt I charged the tax when I proved to the tax office I had been in the country for 6 months?
    Dont you think that there is a provision for people to decide whether they are going to live in the country or not before they decide to re-register their car?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 407 ✭✭Ronanom


    Hi,
    Can someone answer this...

    A UK reg car is in my sisters name (she lives in UK at the moment) and is currently at our home house in ireland. Am i able to drive the car (under hibernian's driving other cars policy) with the uk reg here?


  • Registered Users Posts: 315 ✭✭danyosan


    Yes you are entitled to drive it. I know this because recently I went back to Scotland and had the use of my Fathers car. So I contacted Hibernian and they said it was ok to drive a UK reg'd car whilst I was over there.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 407 ✭✭Ronanom


    danyosan wrote:
    Yes you are entitled to drive it. I know this because recently I went back to Scotland and had the use of my Fathers car. So I contacted Hibernian and they said it was ok to drive a UK reg'd car whilst I was over there.

    Ya, but from the point of view of the customs is it ok?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,907 ✭✭✭jayok


    If it's not your car then customs cannot make you register it!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 407 ✭✭Ronanom


    jayok wrote:
    If it's not your car then customs cannot make you register it!

    Hmmm but that seems too easy of a solution...doesn't it?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,907 ✭✭✭jayok


    Well it's just that easy. If you are driving your sister's car and it's not in your name there is feck all the revenue can do about it. They need to sort this out with your sis. However, there is a 3 month limit on how long a car can stay in this country on foreign plates, it is much abused at the moment, but it is the law. If you are planning on driving it for longer than this then you will have to register.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,171 ✭✭✭PaulieC


    The discussion so far (mostly) seems to be focussed on importing pre-owned or pre-registered cars from the UK. I have been looking at a new Renault Grand Scenic 1.9 DCI Dynamique and have found several car supermarkets in England with pre-registered cars for sale at way below the list price. So it looks to work out like this. Sale price is 14,000 stg. As car is unregistered, I can claim VAT back which leaves the price at 11,914 stg. Converting to Euro gives a price of approx 18,000 EUR. Add VAT @21% to that gives 21780 EUR and finally add the VRT of 7645 EUR to give a grand total (without travelling expenses etc.) of 29425 EUR. List price for the same car here is 34,480 EUR.

    Is it that easy? or am I missing something ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,765 ✭✭✭ds20prefecture


    why not pay VAT at 17.5%?


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,171 ✭✭✭PaulieC


    Because the VAT rate is 21% in this country. It's 17.5% in the UK


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,907 ✭✭✭jayok


    Is it that easy? or am I missing something ?

    Unless you're registered for VAT, I think you'll find it doesn't seem to work like that.

    Basically in the UK the seller will have to charge you VAT if you are not VAT registered. So you'll have 17.5% on the UK price. On top of this because it's a car that's less than six months the Revenue here will charge you the VRT (as expected) and the VAT @ 21% on the price again!! :mad:

    I know you've already paid VAT in an EU state and legally shouldn't have to pay it again. However, this legal requirement seems to bypass the Revenue here. Either way you'll have to pay the 21% VAT here if it's new. Dealers who import don't have to worry about this as they are VAT registered.

    (BTW registering for VAT is not a trivial matter and I wouldn't suggest you do it just for this transaction).


    <edit> From the Revenue's website - Document on VRT

    13. When is VAT chargeable and payable?

    In the case of a new means of transport i.e. land vehicles (excluding agricultural tractors) that were supplied six months or less after the date of first entry into service or have travelled 6,000 Kilometres or less, VAT is chargeable and normally payable at the time of registration in the State, even where there is evidence, e.g. an invoice, that VAT was paid in the country of purchase.

    VAT is also chargeable and normally payable at the time of registration in the State of vehicles (both new and used) that are imported from outside the fiscal territory of the EU.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,171 ✭✭✭PaulieC


    thx Jayok. I have the number for the UK Customs and Excise office to check on the VAT payment.
    Obviously, it wouldn't be a viable transaction if I couldn't get the UK VAT back. I don't know if you have to be VAT registered though - as far as I can ascertain, once the car is unregistered and you can prove it's for export, you can either a) not pay it or b) claim it back.
    Will report back when I know more


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,846 ✭✭✭✭eth0_


    Quick question - i've not owned a car before and i'm not on anyones insurance, but i'm planning on buying a car up the north next month.
    When I buy it, can I just ring up Quinn etc and explain that I need cover on a UK reg for the month or do you need to be an existing customer for them to do this?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,336 ✭✭✭Bluehair


    eth0_ wrote:
    When I buy it, can I just ring up Quinn etc and explain that I need cover on a UK reg for the month or do you need to be an existing customer for them to do this?

    I did the same thing a few weeks ago with FBD, no probs with the car being on the UK reg for a while just give them a call once you have your new plates and youre sorted.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,846 ✭✭✭✭eth0_


    Bluehair wrote:
    I did the same thing a few weeks ago with FBD, no probs with the car being on the UK reg for a while just give them a call once you have your new plates and youre sorted.

    Nice one!

    Did you have to fax the a copy of your driving licence beforehand though?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,336 ✭✭✭Bluehair


    eth0_ wrote:
    Nice one!

    Did you have to fax the a copy of your driving licence beforehand though?

    Nope, just the ncb from previous insurer. To be honest I've been nothing but impressed by FBD especially on the phone to them, to my amazement a human being answers every time by the second ring and they always seem to know their stuff (plus they were the cheapest by far at least for me).

    Just rang them a few days ago as well with the new reg, I did fax through the RF100 to them just to show it and they posted out a new disc straight away.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,078 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    Robert,
    You seem to go for UK imports rather than from the North. As you have experience with importing, perhaps you have good reasons for this?

    Stop trying to confuse us 'goofball', the North is already in the UK so importing a car into the Republic from that part of the UK is the same as importing from 'Britain' the only difference being that if you import from 'Britain' you will incur the (Extra Freight charges).....!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2 shamrock12345


    Well here one that i need some info on, have an english car in ireland which i havent re registerd although i have now been instructed to do so and the VRT is huge so i said well i dont have it so i will just get rid of the car. He then said u cant do that as its been here too long (12 months on and off). The way in which he said this instantly made me think hes lying as he didnt say that much when i told him i would get rid of it then suddenly changed his line and said his boss want the vrt paid on it even though bare in mind this was over the phone and he didnt tell me to hang on while he asked his boss, so they must be telepathically linked or somthing. soall of a sudden he says i cant do it. To me it sounded like someone who got flusterd and didnt want to c a large amount of vrt go out the window.

    So can i just take the car back to england and get rid of it.?

    As i cant c how they can stop me as im a british citizen so hes saying im not allowed to leave the country with the car? and if the car is no longer in the country then how can they make me pay vrt on it? Any info or advice would be much appreciated especially seeing as its the weekend and i cant get hold of the accountant or the lawyer.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,907 ✭✭✭jayok


    Interesting one shamrock12345. I suppose it boils down to whether or not you are a resident in Ireland. If you are a resident then you will be forced to pay the VRT. If not then there's not a whole lot they can do other than threaten you. I would imagine that if it was that much of a problem for the inspector he just would have impounded it straight away.

    Either way, if you are resident in Ireland, you need to register it for VRT or sell it. British citizenship has nothing to do with it, you are resident here and as such required to obey Irish laws.

    Seeing as you cannot register it here as the VRT is too high) which makes me think you ARE resident here) you will need to sell it in the UK. The only thing is that I don't know if the Revenue can come to you after the fact and try to clawback VRT! :eek: TBH unless there's a huge amount involved, I would just sell it and keep a low profile.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2 shamrock12345


    Well thats what i was thinking and i imagine it would be pretty difficult for them to claw back something on a vehicle that is no longer in the country, as they would have to prove exactly how long the car was in the country for but this guy isnt just going to go away. but like i said he changed his story mid conversation and started putting pressure on me to pay the VRT so it sounded to me like he just didnt want to lose the VRt as he proaberly didnt expect me to just turn round and say fair enough i will sell it.But i shall get the accountant or the lawyers advice on monday. But once again another classic example of people mainly me in this case not knowing their rights and legal options and once again another irish department trying to steam roll you and get what they want and not presenting the facts and options.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 398 ✭✭wanwarlock


    hi guys...

    my wife just moved to ireland from the uk (in august to be exact) & brought her 95 fiat punto 55s here. it is now our family car. the car is taxed and insured until the end of the month. she's used the car 3 years in the uk previously.

    should i change the plates or should i just continue using the uk reg (and somehow get it insured with the uk reg + yearly MOTs up north)?

    seeing the car is like 10 years old, i felt it's not worth it to get it reg here.

    any advice???

    thanks


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,991 ✭✭✭ambro25


    wanwarlock wrote:
    hi guys...

    (etc.)

    any advice???

    thanks

    Aside from
    _ IE Road Tax (depends on engine size),
    _ IE insurance (not that much of a difference if you're not a young driver + you've got good NCB + you go for TPFT instead of fully-comp)
    _ and NCT/MOT (€50-odd),

    it shouldn't cost you anything (but time) to put it on IE plates. No VRT applicable as you've owned car more than 6 months before importing + considering car & value, if you do your maths right, I don't think you'd save that much compared to (i) a yearly trip up North + (ii) risk of impounding.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,793 ✭✭✭✭Hagar


    Some advice please.

    I'm an Irishman legally resident in France.
    I'm thinking of importing a second-hand car from the UK into France.
    Second-hand cars are surprisingly expensive in France.

    I have a good idea of the registration end of things here in France. So that is not really a concern for me.

    I really want to know what are the technicalities of buying a second-hand car in the UK without a UK address?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,907 ✭✭✭jayok


    really want to know what are the technicalities of buying a second-hand car in the UK without a UK address?

    Well apart from the need to have ensured that the car is mechanically sound and the fact it is a RHD model there are no difficulties really.

    Whether in Ireland or France the sale of a car to a non-resident is viewed the same by the UK DVLA. You simply pay your money and you have your V5 certificate. You can modify your address for France on this and submit it to the DVLA. Within a month you will then get a certificate of export this is all the legal requirements from the UK's perspective.

    The only thing is I don't know about the French reg system.... :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,793 ✭✭✭✭Hagar


    Thanks for that Jayok. I'm specifically looking for LHD cars in the UK as they are worth less there ;). They are scarce enough to find but I'm not in a big hurry so I can wait until something suitable turns up.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 398 ✭✭wanwarlock


    ambro25 wrote:
    Aside from
    _ IE Road Tax (depends on engine size),
    _ IE insurance (not that much of a difference if you're not a young driver + you've got good NCB + you go for TPFT instead of fully-comp)
    _ and NCT/MOT (€50-odd),

    it shouldn't cost you anything (but time) to put it on IE plates. No VRT applicable as you've owned car more than 6 months before importing + considering car & value, if you do your maths right, I don't think you'd save that much compared to (i) a yearly trip up North + (ii) risk of impounding.


    thanks ambro25. hope i can get a few hours off work to sort this out.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 741 ✭✭✭michaelanthony


    Regarding the first post, it says that you pay the VRT, the get a certificate in the post a few days after. Woth this you go the the motor tax office and tax the car for the first time. I paid my VRT and didn't get anything in the post .I rang the VRT office and was told that I should take the car to the tax office, tax it and then I should receive the registration docs in the post. I'm getting it taxed today. Can anyone verify this?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,907 ✭✭✭jayok


    paid my VRT and didn't get anything in the post .I rang the VRT office and was told that I should take the car to the tax office, tax it and then I should receive the registration docs in the post. I'm getting it taxed today. Can anyone verify this?

    You won't get your reg documents after the VRT as they changed the system a short while ago (about 1.5 years). Bascially you should have got an RF-100A form from them that is stamped - use this to tax the car. Once the car is taxed you will receive the reg docs in the post 2 weeks later.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 741 ✭✭✭michaelanthony


    Cheers. Just got it taxed and they said they'd post the cert out.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 334 ✭✭brophy


    Ok then here is what i am thinking of doing with a m8 of mine!

    I want to get a car so i will go and source one(i live in dublin) either up the north or over in england.

    When i decided on what i am goin to get, probally a 318ci i am goin to get him to purchase it. So the car will be in his name.

    He has a house down here in the Republic so can he bring that car into the south under the VRT exemption. Does he get the southern plates put on then?

    If he does can i just go as a named driver on the car so in theory i will be driving the car i bought but it's in his name. So in 12 months time insurance is up and the car can be sold on and he can just change the ownership into my name.

    So i have saved on the VRT?

    Is it possible for me to do this?????


This discussion has been closed.
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