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

Esel

canon5571 wrote: »

Hello.
Why is it that when I try do a search on autotrader.co.uk that it asks for a postcode?? Am i totally missing the point here or do actually you need the postcode of the dealers??

The postcode is used as the 'centre' of your search; you can then search within various distances of that spot. A good one for the north is BT35 7NB (Newry); with distance of 100 miles you should hit just about all cars there.

FreudianSlippers

I know this has been touched before, but I just want to be clear before I go on.

Say the car is advertised in the UK at 17,000gbp from a dealer.
Do I then subtract 15% for VAT from that price?
so 17 000 / 1.15 = 14 783
or €16,013
then I add on the €6500 VRT bringing the total price of the car to €22513

TJJP

No, you've paid UK vat so are exempt here. If you don't pay UK vat (in EU) then your liable here at a higher rate so ignore the calculation you suggest.

In your case 17,000 + VRT (€€ via revenue site) + road tax (1 year) = on the road here.

FreudianSlippers

TJJP wrote: »

No, you've paid UK vat so are exempt here. If you don't pay UK vat (in EU) then your liable here at a higher rate so ignore the calculation you suggest.

In your case 17,000 + VRT (€€ via revenue site) + road tax (1 year) = on the road here.

I thought that was probably the case! thanks!

Esel

Private sellers don't charge VAT.....

@OisinT: What age car are you thinking of?

TJJP

esel wrote: »

Private sellers don't charge VAT.....

@OisinT: What age car are you thinking of?

Not an '86 Carina I'd reckon...

FreudianSlippers

esel wrote: »

Private sellers don't charge VAT.....

@OisinT: What age car are you thinking of?

either a 2006 or 2007.

boardswalker

Ok, I'm nearly set to go to NI to buy an 08 Passat Diesel.
It seems to good to be true.
In NI I get get basic Passat from several VW dealers for around 11K sterling (€12.5K), add VRT € 3.6K, couple of hundred for expenses so car costs €16.3-16.5K on the road.
From a northern dealer I get the balance of the 3 year warranty (last year bring the car back to NI), from RoI I get balance of 2 year warranty.
I look at carzone and see similar cars from 19K to 23K.
What am I missing?
I am not putting a cost on my own time but a dealer/trader would have to be paid for his/her time say 200-300 extra.
I think the answer is that Sterling is weaker than it has been for a while and that maybe the RoI dealers brought in at more expensive exchange rate. Up until Nov it was about €1 was GBP0.8 and in January it was near parity. Now its around €1= GBP 0.91. Thats almost € 1600,a 9.5% reduction for us. This, exchange plus "overhead", brings the NI car cost to 18.5K and that closes the gap to the lower carzone figure.
Other than that, I cannot see an explanation for the difference. I understand dealers/traders have to make a margin and I would pay a reasonable margin but that gap is too big. I must be missing some tax or other. Can anyone enlighten me?

lifer_sean

On a new car you have to pay the Irish VAT, but can claim back the UK VAT. Difference would be about 700 euro on an 11k stg car.

Still doesn't account for the gap !

I would say that the Irish dealers are not making a huge margin on a new Passat. High Irish pricing is coming from the distributors. If the Irish dealers could afford to, at least some would have dropped the prices to promote sales. Their buy-in cost is probably higher than your NI purchase price.

boardswalker

Just to clarify, i am looking at an 08 car - not a new car.
So I don't believe the VAT is an issue. I suppose it is a source of difference on a new car which still affects the second-hand price.
I just think the main dealers have not got the message. I looked at an 07 with a main dealer 17.5K, and an 08 for 20K. And they made no effort to hold on to me or negotiate. I cannot justify paying 20K for an 08 when I can get a similar specced car for 17.5K up north.

bmw 320d

going over to buy an 05/06 320 coupe m sport anyone know of any websites for garages that sell mostly msports being looking on autotrader the last while

Gumbo

bmw 320d wrote: »

going over to buy an 05/06 320 coupe m sport anyone know of any websites for garages that sell mostly msports being looking on autotrader the last while

www.pistonheads.co.uk

Psygnosis

Hi,
I am thinking of purchasing the car below
http://www.carsite.co.uk/used/FORD/MONDEO/2.0TDCi-115-LX-5dr-Euro-4/2006/BK06CFO?src=carsite
VRT is around 2300 on the car which bring the price in euros to 7500. Say 500 expenses also so 8k
I cannot for the life of me find an equivelant in Ireland what to you guys think
I am looking for a reliable family diesel and the modeo seems to fit bill

dodzy

Just looking for confirmation from you guys. July 08 commercial ( Opel vivaro ) - with 19K on the clock, going to import it over to Dublin. Opels price here is €22,150 for new vehicle before negociation. UK price is £7,999 for the '08. Will I have to pay UK VAT on this vehicle to the UK dealer( 15% of the 8K ) or not? Over 6mths old and with more that 6000miles is exempt or not ? Input greatly appreciated

Do-more

dodzy wrote: »

Just looking for confirmation from you guys. July 08 commercial ( Opel vivaro ) - with 19K on the clock, going to import it over to Dublin. Opels price here is €22,150 for new vehicle before negociation. UK price is £7,999 for the '08. Will I have to pay UK VAT on this vehicle to the UK dealer( 15% of the 8K ) or not? Over 6mths old and with more that 6000miles is exempt or not ? Input greatly appreciated

Are you registered for VAT here?

Have you checked with Merlin Car Auctions or your Bank, loads of these repo'd lately...

dodzy

Do-more wrote: »

Are you registered for VAT here?

No, but surely that's irrelevant ? I either have to pay or I don't, no ?

Do-more wrote: »

Have you checked with Merlin Car Auctions or your Bank, loads of these repo'd lately?

Good point, must check that out.

Daibheid

Do-more wrote: »

Are you registered for VAT here?

Have you checked with Merlin Car Auctions or your Bank, loads of these repo'd lately...

Check the fine print before buying from Merlin. There are bargains to be had but their fees can really dent the benefits.

Do-more

dodzy wrote: »

No, but surely that's irrelevant ? I either have to pay or I don't, no ?

If you were registered for VAT you would just give the UK dealer your VAT number, they would check it out as being genuine with Interstat or whatever they call it and no VAT would be payable on a commercial vehicle for export. As you’re not registered you will have to pay the UK VAT.

On a different topic altogether!

If anyone wants a Glass's Guide valuation for UK cars you can get a basic valuation free on the Vauxhall website here

dodzy

Do-more wrote: »

As you’re not registered you will have to pay the UK VAT.

Cheers Do-more. Much appreciated.

Psygnosis

Psygnosis wrote: »

Hi,
I am thinking of purchasing the car below
http://www.carsite.co.uk/used/FORD/MONDEO/2.0TDCi-115-LX-5dr-Euro-4/2006/BK06CFO?src=carsite
VRT is around 2300 on the car which bring the price in euros to 7500. Say 500 expenses also so 8k
I cannot for the life of me find an equivelant in Ireland what to you guys think
I am looking for a reliable family diesel and the modeo seems to fit bill

Do you think its worth it?

cooper38

Hey olewy,
if you want to lock in rates now and keep the sterling on hold why dont you just do the conversion with currency.ie and simply hold off on telling them where to transfer until you're ready to do it. That way you dont need a sterling account

Daibheid

Given the sales of new cars here are a fraction of recent years and the rate of importation is higher than ever - even the dealers are importing used cars now- IMHO increasing VRT rates seems like a strong possibility.

Unless you can close a deal and get the car ashore and down to the VRT office there may not be much to be done about it but anyone with a car sitting in a shed or skulking around on yellow plates might be sorry they held off clearing it.

BTW an acquaintance had their yellow plated car impounded recently and had to pay VRT and an €800 fine to get it back.

stiofanD

Morning all. I've just imported a second hand car from the UK (came in on the ferry last night). Since its a UK car, it doesn't have one of those tax/insurance disc holders that we normally have on our windscreens.

Can anyone tell me where is a good place to get one of these?

Thanks!

The_Conductor

stiofanD wrote: »

Morning all. I've just imported a second hand car from the UK (came in on the ferry last night). Since its a UK car, it doesn't have one of those tax/insurance disc holders that we normally have on our windscreens.

Can anyone tell me where is a good place to get one of these?

Thanks!

Halfords or any motor factor shop. Even Woodies and Atlantic Homecare have them.

copacetic

I actually found it very hard to get a double one, everywhere has the triple ones now and is usually sold out of the doubles. I ended up having to buy a triple and cut one end off (in halfords).

stiofanD

copacetic wrote: »

I actually found it very hard to get a double one, everywhere has the triple ones now and is usually sold out of the doubles. I ended up having to buy a triple and cut one end off (in halfords).

Great, thanks!

Of course, I can't actually proceed with getting the car taxed because Revenue couldn't 'find it in their system' so I need to wait for an assessment from their head office....

ronocco

I am collecting a second hand car from the UK on Friday from a main dealer. They have offered to tax the car for me so I can drive to the ferry in Holyhead at a cost of £60. I would be happy to pay this amount to avoid problems on the road in the UK but the dealer also pointed out that the V5 form would have to be sent to the motor tax office in the UK to tax the car and I would be waiting a few weeks to receive the paperwork. Without the V5 from I wouldn't be able to pay the VRT on arrival back in Ireland.
Another possibility would be to drive the car to the ferry without the UK road tax disc. Does anyone know if this would cause major problems if stopped in the UK?

jabaroon

I have had dealers insist on road tax aswell....but it just doesnt make sense....to buy a years tax to drive the car for a day? I always protested and told them I would take any risk. Never got stopped or had any trouble....cant imagine that you would either if you had a ferry ticket etc..etc..

Be curious to know what the official DVLA policy is for cars being exported tho!

copacetic

they should be able to tax the car for you in the local post office, not send anything away anywhere. The dealer did it for me, the police in the UK can take the car off you straight away for no tax, it isn't like here where they have to stop you, it comes up on their ANPR systems. There are a few examples of it happening to people on the various forums, at least one on here I think. It would cost you a nights storage charge, an extra night in a hotel, extra ferry ticket etc etc, transport from the side of the road where they leave you, plus the fine and the tax. Just tax the bloody car.

Esel

ronocco wrote: »

I am collecting a second hand car from the UK on Friday from a main dealer. They have offered to tax the car for me so I can drive to the ferry in Holyhead at a cost of £60. I would be happy to pay this amount to avoid problems on the road in the UK but the dealer also pointed out that the V5 form would have to be sent to the motor tax office in the UK to tax the car and I would be waiting a few weeks to receive the paperwork. Without the V5 from I wouldn't be able to pay the VRT on arrival back in Ireland.
Another possibility would be to drive the car to the ferry without the UK road tax disc. Does anyone know if this would cause major problems if stopped in the UK?

Insist on the dealer giving you the V5, minus the permanent export section which he should complete and send to Swansea. Not having the V5 will only cause you much unnecessary grief when you try to register the car here.

Regarding the tax, you can arrange to return the disc to the dealer once you arrive home, and they can then get a refund - which they should forward to you.

@StiofanD: you can get disc holders free from any insurance company. Personally, I hate them, and use clear plastic adhesive (the kind you covered your schoolbooks with! ) to attach the discs to the screen - a single square for each disc. Just fold one corner under so you can remove it easily when the time comes to put up a new disc.