The BIG thread on how to import from Japan

j0ey2069

Question on importing a small commercial van from Japan. We're looking at a Suzuki Every van, 660cc. It's got two seats in front and two fold down seats in rear. Rear cargo compartment is not sealed off with bulkhead. Any issues importing this as a commercial vehicle with €200 VRT? It's a commercial van in Japan, passenger version is the Every Wagon.

We will have commercial van insurance on it too (have already checked that we can get cover), but will have to tax it privately (as we plan to drive it for personal errands too). I know there would be issues taxing as a commercial due to the seat count (over three) and no bulkhead, but taxing private should be okay. This ends up being based on pre-2008 engine size calculations from what I understand, so €199 annually.

I'm just making sure that when bringing it in there's no issue registering it as a commercial and getting it DOE'd, etc. I'm just not sure what the process is and if it's any different to a passenger car really?

Thanks.

sssssss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120164461#Comment_120164461

well I’m trying to vrt a 2008 fd2 was down at 1833 on the vrt calculator now there back to me with 12,400. An they’ve changed the website so the car isn’t on vrt calculator anymore since I raised this with them I’ve screenshots of the quote for 1833 but they want me to pay and appeal it. Any way around this. They literally just changed the website to suit themselves that can’t be right

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718616#Comment_120718616

They want 12 grand just for VRT? If so they are robbing scumbags.

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718707#Comment_120718707

Coming back to this. No wonder car prices are gone so dear and scarce. You cannot bring a car from UK in cheaply anymore and now they want 12 grand just for VRT for a car from Japan.

sssssss

that on top of 3600 I’ve already pay to customs it joke I’m going to fight it as far as I can they say the vrt is just an estimate but a big difference between 1800 and 12000. The way I see it they have to honor the price that was on the vrt calculator or close to it. They just keep fobing me off.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718757#Comment_120718757

How much is the car worth here when it will be registered on Irish plates?

sssssss

Well I don’t plan on paying 12,400 for vrt but going by all that it would be standing me €32,500. Sick🤮

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120719158#Comment_120719158

But how much is it worth tho? It seems like they are valuing the car at around €30,000?

I don’t know the market very well, but I see a dealer selling one for €23k. So thinking that you’d get it VRT’d for €1800 is a bit optimistic.

Do you know how VRT is calculated? For that particular car it’s about 40% of the OMSP, which is the value of the car on Irish plates.

Paying €1800 VRT would mean it has an OMSP of €4,500 on Irish plates. Which clearly isn’t right.

I’d expect a refund of a couple of thousand but not much more. As the car seems to be worth upwards of €20k.

murphthesmurf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718616#Comment_120718616

That's insane! Saying the website is just an estimate is no defense. It's reasonable to expect any "estimate" to be reasonably close, say +/- 10%. But for the actual price to be around 8x more is just ridiculous.

No other organisation outside of the government could charge 8x their estimate.

murphthesmurf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718774#Comment_120718774

This is also such a flawed way of doing it. I could advertise a car tomorrow for double what it's worth. The next day someone tries to VRT the same kind of car and gets charged based on my lunacy.

If said person then decides they're going to sell their car and make a few quid on top, so they advertise at even higher. Even though neither of them sell because they're too high.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120719268#Comment_120719268

Although I don’t agree with VRT. For 99% of cars the current method works fine.

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120719210#Comment_120719210

Those FD2's were always dear on Irish plates and this well before corona virus or the Ukraine war. I have always had an interest in Honda's on Donedeal and check up every so often. And back then ep3's were middle ground pricing and fn2's the cheapest but FD2's were always up around 12-18 grand and as I said this was always the case even before prices went crazy.

murphthesmurf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718717#Comment_120718717

Almost as if it's deliberate. How many ministers, or ministers friends and family own car dealerships? 🤔

We pay massively over the odds for pieces of junk. I see cars advertised as "low mileage" with 150k+ miles on the clock. That many dents they look like they've rolled down a mountain side. No NCT. Honestly wouldn't give 500 quid for them, yet they're advertised at over 3k, and they sell !!

I'm originally from the UK, here for over 10 years. I just can't get over what people pay for scrap here. As long as people keep paying, then sellers will keep asking the prices.

After my eldest son bought his last car and I seen the scrap that people are selling, I said no way. That's why I've imported the car I'm getting now. I'd never want to buy another car here. Just hope I don't get screwed.

Wasn't VRT ruled by EU to be against the spirit of the EU or something similar? A tax on a tax.

The governments solution to people being ripped off is to force them to be ripped off with VRT.

They sing from the green hym sheet, whilst we're forced to drive around in high mileage diesels. Unable to afford anything less worn out, while at the same time subsidising those who can afford a green electric car. Make it cheaper to import and people will be able to buy newer, cleaner, less worn out cars.

Rant over. Hope I don't have the same problem next week with my car. 😨

pah

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120719314#Comment_120719314

I think there was something on the VRT from the EU but our kunts wouldn't pay attention anyway. I think?? the basis of the challenge was that the assessment of the OMSP of the car was inclusive of VRT 🙄 so you were essentially paying twice.

sssssss

Ya I know the craic with the way they calculate the vrt but long and short of it they had it up on there website for 1800 not me. The cars only get assessed when it’s not listed on the site. What’s the point in having cars listed on the site if they just bypass that price because it doesn’t suit them. It probably was just a loophole but I got in before it was closed I think I have a case. They value the car at about 25,500. Proper Value is around 20,000 I suppose

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120719403#Comment_120719403

Yeah so your probably only owed around €2k which is what I suggested. And you have to pay the VRT before you can appeal it.

sssssss

Well if it wasn’t listed it should be about 8200 but it was listed 1800 estimate, so tops it should be is 3k. They had it listed, the vrt calculator is pointless if thats the case

5500

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120719889#Comment_120719889

Was in the same position as yourself with an s15 silvia before they disappeared off the calculator (used to be €680 on the calc, they came back at 7800) They don't only assess either if the car isn't online, I've had cars pulled eg Honda fit, golf's ect and sent to be assessed even though they are on it.

Only option is pay and then make your case, but what I will say is I've had a couple of appeals over the past year and they are a lot tighter than they used to be and you really do need a good case. I know your going at the angle that it said online it was 1800, but it does state that a different amount may be payable depending on various factors, eg omsp, unless you can show them that the value of one is less than they are saying you'll struggle, like user1998 said I'd be expecting about 2k/3k back if they drop value to €20k

sssssss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120720527#Comment_120720527

**** sake, so they just go off the value of what there on done deal or whatever other websites. Very easy put an ad up like 🤔🤔. Most cars are over priced

Salvadoor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120719314#Comment_120719314

It's always the Governments fault cos they're so corrupt isn't it?

🙄

kanuseeme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120720896#Comment_120720896

Would it be a good plan to put up a few adds on donedeal for the same car with really low prices, for instance my car has gone to revenue for valuation since Tuesday, there are only 9 of them on done deal all aged 2017 to 2023, if I spend some money and put up a few more adds with newer cars and cars of the same age with a lower price, would it have any effect on revenue's valuation?

murphthesmurf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721110#Comment_120721110

Well mostly incompetent. But corruption happens too. Also lobbying by big car dealerships and manufacturers.

The current car market and VRT system favours everyone but the consumer. Dealers can charge big premiums for basic cars. Government cashes in the VRT, consumers are then forced to buy these cars as the ridiculous VRT cuts off the alternatives.

Greens then complain about the old high position cars on our road and tax them higher. Allow people to import newer, cleaner cars. Polution goes down, forces down prices in the Irish market, the consumer wins.

pah

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721110#Comment_120721110

Really? You don't think that VRT is a tax that is rotten to the core and adds a big markup to the price of a similar vehicle in the UK or Europe which benefits ONLY the Government coffers 🙄

Interesting comments here https://www.motorcheck.ie/blog/is-vrt-a-legal-tax/ 13 years ago now

5500

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120720896#Comment_120720896

They are well wide to a heap of ads popping up on donedeal with a particular car for a low value, people are forever at it with the likes of Toyota chasers, putting them up for €10k, revenue know full well the real costs from the paperwork, and i havent heard it working for anyone, even lads buying gx100 na's are getting bent over.

It's not just donedeal that's used though, eg say the price of your car landed cost €20k ex VRT, they are going to assume the value is similar or more here otherwise people wouldn't be importing (granted fd2's are few and far between for sale) but let's be honest, there's no such thing as a cheap Japanese performance car these days, prices are still only going one way with them and unfortunately we're getting rightly screwed now for wanting to own one

murphthesmurf

To highlight the inconsistency of VRT, I've previously seen BMW Active Hybrid 5 cars for sale on Done deal for around 20k. Basic models, road tax advertised at around €400.

There is currently an M Sport one of these for sale on Donedeal with a tax disc showing €120 the lowest possible rate. VRT being based on CO2 and OMSP implies that people are paying completely different rates for the same car. As far as I'm aware none were ever sold in Ireland, so any car for sale here is an import having gone through the VRT process. Less than 100 were ever sold in UK I believe, any I've seen so far I believe were Japanese imports like mine rather than UK.

I've messaged the guy through Donedeal asking how they got on with VRT and how they managed to get the lowest road tax rate. Hopefully he doesn't think me too cheeky and replies so I can use some of the info for mine.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120729272#Comment_120729272

They got the lowest tax rate by submitting a Co2 certificate showing a lower amount of Co2 than the person who pays €400 tax. VRT and road tax was then based on this lower Co2 amount. No other reason.

murphthesmurf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120729357#Comment_120729357

He replied back, said CO2 is 149g. Should be €390 road tax, they wanted €790. After very lengthy back and forth it eventually came back as €120. He imported it July last year.

I've taken screenshots of the ad and showing his tax disc. Maybe I can use these when doing the VRT on mine. To show that they did one before for this price etc 🤔

Alkers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120700809#Comment_120700809

There's something similar on Donedeal if it's of interetst: https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/honda-street/34449887

LIGHTNING

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120768823#Comment_120768823

Thats a very good price for what appears to be a very clean street.

j0ey2069

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120768823#Comment_120768823

Thanks. I saw that alright. After doing more research and thinking on it more we're looking for a much newer year van. The additional safety features in the case of an accident would be worth it.

Thank for thinking of me though 👍.