UK Import Question....

martind10

Hi All,

I am considering importing from the UK with a view to sell.
I plan on getting all the checks, and registering and paying VRT straight away. Then put on the market and hope to make a profit.
Something along the lines of Honda Accord, BMW 320D etc.

My question is, where is the line between private seller and dealer in this situation?
Lets say I imported 2 cars to sell, or 3 or 4??
Am I legally obliged to report any profits?
Are profits taxable after VRT??

Any views are welcome.

jank

Use the search button or look up the Mega Import thread.
All these questions answered before

Don't think you are going to turn much of a profit on English cars TBH.

Not enough to make it worth the hassle any way.

Now Jap cars, most of the Dell boyesque jap traders are making well over 100% margin on those.

martind10

Jap imports sound like a whole lotta hassle.

UK is quick easy and at least you can go and see the car first....

bazz26

martind10 wrote:

UK is quick easy and at least you can go and see the car first....

Which is why alot of people will go over themselves and pick out their own car rather than buy one over here.

martind10

a lot will, but even more I'd imagine would not be bothered with the hassle involved...

It still takes a bit of doing, but compared to Jap importing its relatively straightforward

Mc-BigE

If your paying the VRT before selling here, your name is going on every car you bring in and the revenue will want their slice if you bring in too many a year.

Plus have a look at carzone for 320d's for example, look at the amount of UK imports already on the market here and more importantly how long it takes the overrpriced ones to sell.

Honestly imo its not worth the hassle you'll have when trying to sell over here. afterall most people will be looking on the web at the UK price + vrt and if your asking for over the odds i.e. too much profit. they wont buy.

But its up to you.

martind10

I see your point alright, and 320D is a bad example.

most of them on carzone do not have the vrt paid, which seems illegal to me!

I see for most high end cars on carzone though, that a uk import + vrt + expenses is still 2 - 5k cheaper than whats available.

but selling could still be a problem.:mad:

would need the right car i suppose - its a tough call.

thanks for the feedback!

Mc-BigE

martind10 wrote:

most of them on carzone do not have the vrt paid, which seems illegal to me!

Whats crazy to me is a Dealer can have a car over here and not pay VRT on it untill he sells it, he can even drive around in one over here with no problems.

Another example of one sidedness in the Irish Motor Industry

Anan1

Mc-BigE wrote:

Whats crazy to me is a Dealer can have a car over here and not pay VRT on it untill he sells it, he can even drive around in one over here with no problems.

Another example of one sidedness in the Irish Motor Industry

AFAIK, it's the same as with brand new cars - the taxes are only paid when the car is registered.

fdisk

From 1st June ( I registered a car last Friday) you are now required to provide your PPS number. Register more than two cars in a year and you are automatically reported to the revenue for tax assesment.

tred

Anan1 wrote:

AFAIK, it's the same as with brand new cars - the taxes are only paid when the car is registered.

Correct. I spoke toa guy last year who imports a lot of rep cars and sells them on. he got a dispensation from revenue which allowed him to bring in the cars and not clear them until he sells them. They dont mind. They are laughing as there getting extra VRT and the coffers are swelling!

sjg1234

Hi,

I have bought a car off my friend in the UK. Do I have to have the registration document when i bring it over on the ferry? This document is on its way from the DVLA with my name on it but a UK address (DVLA can't put irish addresses on the documents). I want to pay the VRT on it but really need the car so juts wondering if i could get it over here and then when the correct docs turn up from DVLA i can then go and pay VRT etc.

OKenora

You have buggered up the system by sending the V5 in your name to a UK address. You should have simply filled in the export section of the V5 and kept the whole rest of the V5 with no name change on it. Now you will appear as 2 dfferent owners on the car even though you are the same person

blastman

You may be asked for it when boarding the ferry, or a receipt to show you bought the car. You should really have taken the V5C form with you, as you need to hand it in to the VRT office here when you're paying VRT. There's a slip on the second page of the form that your mate sends to the DVLA to let them know it has been permanently exported.

Get the form sent on to you when it arrives at the address you gave in the UK. You can't pay the VRT until you have this form. You'll also have to post the slip back to the DVLA in Swansea to say the car was permanently exported.

OKenora

You may be asked for it when boarding the ferry, or a receipt to show you bought the car

I would doubt this at all. I have transferred numerous cars from the UK and never been asked for a V5 or receipt/invoice at the port either boarding or leaving the ferry.

I am originally from Dublin and have a Dublin accent, all the cars were UK registered. Having said that they were all destined for the North but the customs could never have known that, I could just as easily been heading for Kerry off the boat as Fermanagh.

If memory serves me correctly the only time I was ever stopped while collecting a car was at Pembroke where the Policeman asked me for ID (I used an Irish drivers licence as I had lost my Northern one at the time) and Insurance (UK Insurance), once he saw those he let me go on.

The only point you could/would be stopped is either by police at the UK end checking the legality of the car to be on the road (MOT/TAX/insurance and drivers licence) or by Irish customs which is a rarity I would have to say. Why would they stop you anyway ? You are just another UK car on a ferry, there's thousands a day.