Calling all UK Import Experts!

cormie

Hi,
I have my eye on a commercial van or two on ebay ending soon which I'd be hoping to buy for my vat registered (in Ireland, not in UK) business.

I've a few questions before I commit to any sale and if anyone could confirm I'd greatly appreciate it as I don't have much time left

If a van has UK VAT added, I can just give them my irish vat number and they can subtract VAT off price I pay. Please correct me if I'm wrong

As far as I know, VRT on a commercial is 50 euro, but I've been told if I buy any vehicle and bring it into Ireland, I'll have to also pay the IRISH vat rate on the revenues value of the vehicle. So say revenue value a van I buy for 5K sterling, at 10K euro, I'll have to pay my £5,000, plus 21.5% of €10,000 (€2,150) plus €50 VRT. If £5,000 = about €5,500, it will end up costing me about €7,700 total. Is this true?

How do I know the van I'm buying belongs to the seller? I was on to one guy and he said he doesn't have the log book, but he has some other form to say it's his. What should I be looking for and what is essential when buying a vehicle in the UK?

Is it possible for somebody else to pick up the van for me with my money? What would they need in order to do so?

How do I get an Irish reg on it once it's back here? Must it pass DOE before doing so and getting taxed?

If there's anything else I should know, please share

Any feedback appreciated

drunkmonkey

can you not put off paying the vat on the van untill you sell it and then pay the vat on the sale?

Drummerboy08

For the few hundred euro you might save, and for the piece of mind, just buy a van over here.

Saab Ed

+1

What type of van are you after ? ( how much do you think you're saving OP ?)

cormie

Looking for a Ford Transit 14 foot floor to floor luton box body van 3.5tn GVW either for about €2,500 or about €5,000.

Comparing UK to Irish, I'd get a lot more for my money there buying from ebay or the likes. But if the VAT thing is true, that makes it a whole different story.

fm

but if your vat registered cant you just claim back any vat charged like you would if you bought from an irish dealer?

Stephen

Surely VAT should only be payable on the UK side if you're buying a new van? Since its on ebay I imagine its used and the first owner paid any relevant VAT.

Saab Ed

cormie wrote: »

Looking for a Ford Transit 14 foot floor to floor luton box body van 3.5tn GVW either for about €2,500 or about €5,000.

Comparing UK to Irish, I'd get a lot more for my money there buying from ebay or the likes. But if the VAT thing is true, that makes it a whole different story.

I can see why a 2500 quid van on ebay looks so attractive but an english 2500 qud van wont be pretty. Be very carfull with rust on chassis rails and corrosion on any steering / suspension arms etc because they salt their roads. Every nut and bolt will be ceased up and you can be sure you're gonna have to replace all the brakelines and what not to get it through and Irish DOE. And you can almost be sure that there's no VAT on a €2500 van anyway. As I've said here before dont forget your time + airfare + ferry + comeback + work to be carried out when you bring it back. Vans are cheap everywhere here at the moment , just look around.

cormie

I read that about the salting and rust before but I thought the claim was dismissed? Or that it's not much different to here or something?

True that it's definitely a lot of hassle to get to the UK to get one, but that's why I was asking if it is possible for somebody to pay and collect for me I wonder?

al2009

i imported a van 2 years ago, gave my vat number and my understanding is as i bought it vat exempt it's to be sold vat exempt?

al

cormie

I'm not sure what the situation is really.

One of the vans I had my eye on ends in 2 hours, it's at a price I would jump at if it was in Dublin, if somebody could just confirm how much I should expect to pay on a £5,000 purchase if revenue value it at €10,000 after reg application, vrt, vat and everything. I know the ferry will add a chunk and that, but you have to remember that the sooner I get it sorted, the less work I'll end up doing with research, phone calls and all that.

al2009

the only fee i paid was the 50vrt, they didn't even check the van, so long as the paper work is ok, you should be fine?

al

cormie

What paperwork should I be looking for when I buy it? did you buy it private or off a dealer? Do I need a log book do you know?

al2009

i bought it off a dealer in london, flew over friday morning and looked at 3 vans, took the cleanest!! can't remember the document but it's a change of ownership form and you keep the relevent parts for registering here, if you don't then you can be waiting a week or two for the department in Swansea to send you the document.

al

cormie

And there was definitely nothing about having to pay the vat when you brought it over here? I wonder would it be different if it's a private sale and I buy it with no UK vat added on to it?

al2009

vat wasn't mentioned but i'm not an expert, gave my vat number to the dealer and he checked it as valid, as far as i know it's 50e flat for medium to large panel van, smaller vans are 13.5%. I'm looking at new trafics at 11500 incl vrt, maybe later this year:D

al

cormie

Is there anywhere I can check the value revenue have for the van I'm interested in do you know?

If anyone else could clear up the VAT issue and whether or not I'll end up paying €7,700 I'd really appreciate it

lifer_sean

Buy van as VAT exempt in UK (bring proof of VAT number). Pay 50 euro VRT. Get it weighed at an approved weighbridge (typ 20 euro). Bring for DOE (87 euro ?) and fail, fix the problems, bring back to pass DOE (no charge for re-test). Finally tax it.

When selling it charge Irish rate VAT on selling price and pay VAT to Revenue. Put the rest in your pocket.

BTW, Merlin is full of repo'ed vans these days, probably cheaper than UK.

lifer_sean

cormie wrote: »

Is there anywhere I can check the value revenue have for the van I'm interested in do you know?

If anyone else could clear up the VAT issue and whether or not I'll end up paying €7,700 I'd really appreciate it

Just missed your last post.

Revenue will not value the van ... it's value doesn't matter to them. VRT is 50 euro either way.

On a 5000+VAT van you will pay (5000stg/0.9) = 5550 approx, plus 50 VRT, plus expenses. No VAT liability until you sell it, and then only VAT on the sellng price.

fj1200

cormie wrote: »

Is there anywhere I can check the value revenue have for the van I'm interested in do you know?

If anyone else could clear up the VAT issue and whether or not I'll end up paying €7,700 I'd really appreciate it

The value of the van is whatever value you give it in your books as an asset.
If you've a valid vat number you don't pay vat in UK, but as I found out when audited by revenue they expect you to pay normal Irish vat rate (21.5%) on imports and then claim it back. For statistical purposes I was told.

cormie

Dang, so I would have to pay the VAT now and hope to claim it back later Think that's the dealbreaker!

cormie

Ends in less than 10 mins :eek:

cormie

It got away

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ford-Transit-Luton-Van-350LWB-53Reg-2003_W0QQitemZ220388030754QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Commercial_Trucks?hash=item220388030754&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318

fj1200

Thats a pity. On the vat issue, I wouldn't bother paying it. Just play dumb. If you do get one, pay vrt €50, get it registered, doe'd, taxed and you're away. Put it in your books at whatever value you want( talk to your accountant if your not sure). And that's it.

al2009

doesn't have to appear on books if you buy for yourself! Check with your accountant on vat,they should know,if not find one who does.

al

cormie

Thanks for all the advice folks. I've a Ford mechanic on the look out for me and I'll give the auctions a look too, would be a lot better to buy here if the price was right!

cormie

So does anyone know for definite whether I'm suppose to pay VAT on top and what rate is the vat calculated from? I've the money ready to buy one and there's nothing really available here compared to the UK

al2009

from VRT office today, with regard to importing a new commercial vehicle, ie less than 6 months old and less than 6k on the clock.

Yes the VAT is due on the vehicle and will have to be paid when paying the VRT but if it is a company vehicle then you can pay the VAT thru your VAT 3 returns.

important thing to note is that if you pay vat through the company you can also claim it back through the company.
this in regard to a new primastar from the north at 11k.

al

lifer_sean

cormie wrote: »

So does anyone know for definite whether I'm suppose to pay VAT on top and what rate is the vat calculated from? I've the money ready to buy one and there's nothing really available here compared to the UK

You shouldn't have to pay the VAT, but since VAT is a total headache I'd check with your accountant for the definitive answer. That's the opinion that matters, not the one you get on Boards !

Ferris

From the ebay ad:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I paid over £1,200 VAT when i purchased this vehicle, but no VAT will be added onto the final auction price![/FONT]

Was the vat not already paid? In which case you would not have had to pay the vat here as it was paid in the UK over 6mths ago.

Ferris

Wilsons auctions there is a box body 3.5T:

http://www.wilsonsauctions.com/dublinvantastic.asp

and scroll down.



Looks to have a tail lift too.

al2009

the vat is calculated on the invoice price of the van using revenue exchange rate which is currently: 0.8821, again this is from cork vrt office, easiest thing is the email them with year and price of van?

al

cormie

Thanks again for all the help.

I'm just back today with a van I bought, transit luton, it's 13ft as opposed to 14, but it's 7ft high which makes up for it.

Just wondering could anyone tell me what I've to do now and in what steps?

Things I know I need to do are:

Pass the DOE
Pay VRT
Get it registered
Get reg plates
Pay Tax

Now I don't know where to do any of this (I'm in Wicklow) or if the VRT place is also the register place, and if the register place provide plates with the 50 euro VRT or if you need to get plates at a motor factor or what and do I need to get do all this before getting it DOE'd or should I DOE it first, then get the repairs needed on it, and then get it registered and then pay the tax?

If someone could clear it up I'd greatly appreciate. I'll want to DOE before bringing to mechanic so I know what to tell mechanic to do even though my guy would know anyway, but it's a long drive to him :P

al2009

vrt first, they'll issue reg number etc then, you'll need this for doe test and then tax. i think you need the form v5 from the seller?

good luck with the new drive!

al

cormie

Have V5 from the seller alright, but section 10 is missing and I'm not sure what that part is?

So I don't need to bring the actual van anywhere but the DOE test I suppose?

How do I find out the co2 emissions for the van I got? I see the form said something about having to know that? Or does it not matter for commercials?

al2009

speaking only from personal experience, i just gave the v5 and the e50, that was pretty much it, doe then for the tax and away ye go!!

al

cormie

co2 didn't matter for it because it's commercial, got it registered today and got plates anyway so now I just have to pass the doe and get it taxed. Did you have to get yours weighed aswell before taxing it?

al2009

i never bothered and tax office didn't request it.

al