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

wanwarlock

thanks ambro25. can u give me an example of such shops that make the plates? sorry... as i said... a total n00b... ;-)

now need to get some time off work to get this sorted....

Ronan Raver77

Guys just about to head out the door and dont have time to read previous threads.
Iv put a deposit on a 06 toyota landcruiser commercial swb 7 weeks ago from Carroll + Kinsella.
He said i should be waiting 8-10 weeks at the moment he doesnt know anything.Had conversations with people(in the trade) earlier and they said i could be waiting another 2 months.
So im thinking of getting one in from the North.
1.Will they commercialise and sell one to the south???
2.Im registered for vat and what will be the deal with that????
3.Vrt what will that be????

Thanks Ronan

trurl

v. good info, just 1 question.

if the VRT is based on the Irish market price, that means that it already includes VRT (paid on the new car by the dealer). So am I right, when I say that - in theory - I should pay vrt on the market price MINUS the vrt? since if I pay vrt on the market price I pay vrt on the vrt.

while I'm at it there is another question: which cars are undervalued by the vrt people? what about an Alfa Romeo GT?

thanks

Seth Brundle

trurl wrote:

v. good info, just 1 question.

if the VRT is based on the Irish market price, that means that it already includes VRT (paid on the new car by the dealer). So am I right, when I say that - in theory - I should pay vrt on the market price MINUS the vrt? since if I pay vrt on the market price I pay vrt on the vrt.

VRT (on any car) is based on the OMSP which includes VRT - it is a recursive tax, so yes anyone buying a car pays effectively VRT on their VRT

trurl

kbannon wrote:

VRT (on any car) is based on the OMSP which includes VRT - it is a recursive tax, so yes anyone buying a car pays effectively VRT on their VRT

and nobody challenged it at the court so far? seems to me a lot of money "ripped off" from the motorists again...

Seth Brundle

I don't think it is possible to challenge a tax. Maybe it is!
If it was possible then every tax would be appealed

trurl

kbannon wrote:

I don't think it is possible to challenge a tax. Maybe it is!
If it was possible then every tax would be appealed

not the tax, but the double taxing...

the tax is a different matter, this tax is simply a shame...

Seth Brundle

I don't think there is anything that can be done legally as I believe the EU has been looking at it for years but since each member is entitled to set their own taxes the EU can't do anything.
If you want to make a difference [sic!] contact your politicial representative

Great thread.

Stuck up a thread here about changing the Audi - have a 10 year old A4 and would like to get something newer in the A4/A6 range for about 23k. A few here suggested checking out NI because of the specs. You're right about the initial thrill at seeing the low prices and then the disappointment after the VRT calculation. Will have to get on a faster computer and start making some calculations and real comparisons. I fancy a weekend in Belfast or Derry anyway...

Moanin

Would recommend to go across the water.At the end of the day most of these cars (Audis) are fleet cars and do mostly motorway driving, but in Northern Ireland the roads are fairly similar to here.I purchased a 2004 A4 2 months ago and its like a new car!Well worth the visist

daveg

What car would you recommend bringing in, from the UK, with a budget of about 20K Euro (cleared and including expenses). This would be done with a view to selling over here to make a few bob. Would you recommend Audi? BMW? Mondeo diesel? Passat? 4*4?

isolde

this is a really interesting thread, fair play.

hypothetically speaking, could i bring my car into ireland, while still living in the UK (having owned it for more than 6 months, etc.), and leave it there indefinitely? (well for a year at least)

i.e. keep it insured and registered in the uk and just drive it when i am in ireland (about one weekend a month or so)

any thoughts very welcome!

Mc-BigE

as long as your not a resistant of ireland, however every non irish car which is in the state for longer than 6 months must be registered

see http://www.oasis.gov.ie/ for more details (click on motoring & moving to ireland)

spockety

Whoever said to load up on extras cos they don't seem to care in the VRT office is not correct.

They took my chassis number, and from that were able to tell it had leather, sports seats, electric folding mirrors, and metallic paint, to the tune of 4.2k worth of extras, and added another 250 euro on top of the VRT quote I got from the web site.

joebhoy1916

Can anyone here tell me if this would
work, think goes something like you
go up north get a VAT number off
a receipt buy a new van only cost 50euro
to change the plates and you dont pay
the VAT. Its fruad but can it be done?

bbability

Looking at a car in the north east of england at the mo. Just wondering if anyone has returned to the country via Stranrear- Belfast route? Its a lot closer to get to Stranrear than drive to Holyhead. Over 120 miles in the difference

Alun

bbability wrote:

Looking at a car in the north east of england at the mo. Just wondering if anyone has returned to the country via Stranrear- Belfast route? Its a lot closer to get to Stranrear than drive to Holyhead. Over 120 miles in the difference

True, but it's single carriageway A-roads practically all the way from Stranraer to Newcastle, whereas it's mostly M-way or dual carriageway from Holyhead.

On the other hand the Holyhead - Newcastle route is a bit of PITA to navigate on your own when you're confonted with the M-way network around NW England, so the shorter (and much prettier!) Stranraer route might be the better option after all.

bbability

Thanks Alun. By the way I'm looking at an Audi A6 Tdi 130bhp. I reckon I'm saving at least €3000-€4000 by purcahsing across the water. Only trouble is trying to get rid of my own here! Finding it hard to shift. No one seems to want a 2nd hand car anymore..

Mc-BigE

spockety wrote:

Whoever said to load up on extras cos they don't seem to care in the VRT office is not correct.

They took my chassis number, and from that were able to tell it had leather, sports seats, electric folding mirrors, and metallic paint, to the tune of 4.2k worth of extras, and added another 250 euro on top of the VRT quote I got from the web site.

Imagine going into a dealer with your second hand car and demanding 250 on top of the trade-in price because its got extras!!:) thats what the goverment are doing to all of us who import a car.

I once saw in a Dealers car price guide book that the price of extra's are ignored after 5 years when trading in.

so why doesn't the goverment do the same???? $$$$$$$$$$$$$

Mc-BigE

Slinky> wrote:

Has anyone ever had any hastle getting on the ferry with a car with no Uk road tax, The car im interested has its road tax expired and I dont want to pay £93 for a spin up the motorway and onto the ferry and the dealer pointed out that I may have hastle getting onto the ferry with no road tax although I cant understand why when im exporting the car,

Great Thread Btw!

It is illegal for a UK dealer to sell a car without road tax! are you sure he's a dealer or a dealer pretending to be private seller?

The ferrie companies don't care about road tax but the police sometime check cars queing up at the ferry , they will care! but probably no worse than a 60 pounds "failure to display" fine.

NordicDiver

Mc-BigE wrote:

It is illegal for a UK dealer to sell a car without road tax! are you sure he's a dealer or a dealer pretending to be private seller?

Bought a car from www.cargiant.co.uk without road tax, when they knew the car was going to ire there was no mention of paying road tax. They just ticked the box, export.

Mc-BigE

NordicDiver wrote:

Bought a car from www.cargiant.co.uk without road tax, when they knew the car was going to ire there was no mention of paying road tax. They just ticked the box, export.

hmm.. maybe its only applies to UK residants, but thats what i was told by a friend in the know.

FX Meister

Just a quick question to see if anyone here has done anything similar. I spoke to a dude last year who bought a Golf in the North and when he brought it down south registered it to his dads company and got the Vat refunded. Is it possible for me to do the same thing, i.e. buy a second hand car from the U.K., register is to my company and then claim the VAt back on it? Has anyone else done this?

kluivert

FX Meister wrote:

Just a quick question to see if anyone here has done anything similar. I spoke to a dude last year who bought a Golf in the North and when he brought it down south registered it to his dads company and got the Vat refunded. Is it possible for me to do the same thing, i.e. buy a second hand car from the U.K., register is to my company and then claim the VAt back on it? Has anyone else done this?

Golf must have been a commercial car ie no back sits other wise this wouldnt be allowed. Secondly, if the car was to be registered with an Irish Company then there should have no UK Vat charged and thirdly if the car if registered in an Irish company then the person using it will pay to pay PRSI on the BIK for the use of the car.

Mc-BigE

there no vat charged on a second hand car or van in the UK, so none to claim back.

FX Meister

The car he bought wasn't the commercial version. He said he claimed back the vat that was originally paid on it. Seemed a bit too good to be true to me.

Moanin

You can't claim vat back on cars.

I purchased in the UK and drove the car to the ferry with no road tax.I purchased from a main dealer.Wouldn't worrry about it to be honest

FX Meister

Doesn't seem like I'd be saving anything by hetting a car from the UK in that case. Looking for a golf gti but it seems most of the ones here are the non turbo version.

Mc-BigE

FX Meister wrote:

Looking for a golf gti but it seems most of the ones here are the non turbo version.

i thought the gti (new ones) are all turbos?

FX Meister

It's a 2003 I'm looking at. They were offered in tow versions here, 150bhp and 180bhp with the turbo. Most I've seen have been the 150bhp ones. I've only driven the turbo one and having liked that one I want to get one of those.