Seeking Clarification on buying in the UK - 6 month rule

cayenne

I have a friend who is currently living in the UK. They have been there since September and will be working over there until the end of July next year. As the car prices over in the UK are so much better than here, he is thinking of buying a car but is unsure of the rules regarding bringing the car back home. I'm just looking for some advice and information on it and answers to

- Do you have to be living there for 6 months or is it now 9?
- Does the 6 months only begin after you buy the car?

peasant

cayenne wrote: »

- Does the 6 months only begin after you buy the car?

yes.

Seth Brundle

http://www.revenue.ie/index.htm?/leaflets/vrt3.htm
http://www.revenue.ie/faqs/faq_cat8.htm

mack1

You have to be living there for 2 yrs before you are allowed to bring a car over here without paying VRT. A friend of mine did it and they wanted bank statements for the last 2 yrs with proof of resident activity (direct debit bill payments, salary etc) they also wanted his P45 showing that he (a) had a job there and (b) had left it and they wanted a letter from his Irish employer showing he now had a job here!

His girlfriend had been living in the UK for 4 months less than 2 yrs - they were having none of it, she would have had to pay full VRT!

Seriously, of all the crap work the civil servants do, this they have water-tight!

ashleey

I got married in NZ, bought a car on return to UK a month later, moved to Ireland a year later with my Irish resident wife, having to leave job etc.. They got me for VRT as my Irish family ties started when I got married. They are very strict on this.

I recently bought a 6 month old car for my wife and to avoid the new car VAT rule, I needed proof of delivery to my UK address of at least 6 months after first reg. of car. I nearly got hit for VAT and VRT on a used car.

Get all your paperwork in order.

These are the same people that cant run schools (leave it to the Church), hospitals (it's all the HSE's fault), planning enforcement etc., but VRT is watertight.

craichoe

mack1 wrote: »

You have to be living there for 2 yrs before you are allowed to bring a car over here without paying VRT. A friend of mine did it and they wanted bank statements for the last 2 yrs with proof of resident activity (direct debit bill payments, salary etc) they also wanted his P45 showing that he (a) had a job there and (b) had left it and they wanted a letter from his Irish employer showing he now had a job here!

His girlfriend had been living in the UK for 4 months less than 2 yrs - they were having none of it, she would have had to pay full VRT!

Seriously, of all the crap work the civil servants do, this they have water-tight!

You have to own it abroad for six months
You have to prove you were resident and working there for those six months
When you come back you cannot sell it for a year after you register it.

Period ..

Its not 2 years .. read revenue.ie

Esel

mack1 wrote: »

You have to be living there for 2 yrs before you are allowed to bring a car over here without paying VRT.

craichoe wrote: »

You have to prove you were resident and working there for those six months

It's one year, folks. (AFAIK!)

Seth Brundle

Had people read the first link I provided earlier then you would know that:

For VRT purposes you must have had your normal residence as defined below, outside the State at the time of transfer. In the case of a transfer from outside the EU, you must have had your normal residence outside the EU for a continuous period of at least 12 months prior to transfer.
Normal Residence means:

* the place where you usually lived, for at least 185 days in the year ending on the date of transfer, because of occupational and personal ties
* if you had no occupational ties, the place where you usually lived for at least 185 days in the year ending on the date of transfer, because of personal ties
* if your occupational ties were in a different country from your personal ties then the country of your personal ties is taken as your normal residence if you returned there regularly (i.e. for most of your non-working days).

You do not qualify for relief from VRT

* if you went to live abroad primarily for the purpose of pursuing a course of studies
* if you were working abroad on a task of duration of less than one year and your personal ties remained in the State
* if you were working abroad on a task of duration of more than one year and you have been granted tax relief in respect of another vehicle in the previous 5 years.

and

You are required to prove that you had possession of and actually used the vehicle abroad for at least 6 months before transfer and that the appropriate local taxes have been paid and not refunded. This proof will usually consist of:

* the vehicle registration document
* the certificate of insurance
* the sales invoice, receipt of purchase or other similar document
* evidence of the date on which the vehicle was brought into the State (e.g. sailing ticket)

You may also be requested to produce other evidence (e.g. evidence of maintenance and use of the vehicle).

and

You do not qualify for relief from VRT

* if you went to live abroad primarily for the purpose of pursuing a course of studies
* if you were working abroad on a task of duration of less than one year and your personal ties remained in the State
* if you were working abroad on a task of duration of more than one year and you have been granted tax relief in respect of another vehicle in the previous 5 years.