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

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146159#Comment_122146159

Reg will be different though, it will get a NI reg if registered up north. And no, haven't had VRT appointment yet. Booked it in the day I brought it home, but had to postpone the appointment several times because of delays with the import procedure.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146164#Comment_122146164

You don’t actually have to put a NI reg on it, you can just register it to an address up there and that counts as being registered in NI. Anyway, if you haven’t had a VRT appointment you’ll be fine then. You’ll also save yourself the 23% VAT. It was a classic car wasn’t it? So its already exempt from the 10% customs duty.

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146173#Comment_122146173

Didn't know classics were exempt from duty! But it was exempt anyway as the car was originally manufactured in the UK

Also the car is on private UK plate worth a few hundred quid (so I'm told). Whoever registers it in NI on a NI reg, can sell that plate on

easy_beez

I have my eye on a used car in NI. It's a 2023 reg and I've been told by the Dealer that it was first registered in NI, so hasn't come through the UK, and has been owned privately for the past year. Based on the latest VAT related information, am I fair to assume that VAT wouldn't need to be paid on it if brought into the Republic? Don't want to go buying it and then be stung for VAT when I go to reregister it.

volkswagon1973

Looking at a mercedes 2012 slk £6950 petrol from ni what would the final costs be paying all charges vrt?customs?duty?vat?.

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122156382#Comment_122156382

Read the last few pages. If the car was in NI before brexit cut off, you only need to pay VRT. See the VRT calculator for how much that is:

https://www.ros.ie/evrt-enquiry/vrtenquiry.html?execution=e2s1

mcw92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122156382#Comment_122156382

The revenue website version is the best, but as a quick check, Usedcarsni.com has a calculator which is pretty good at times. Look towards the bottom where the price is.

Also one here if you have the reg, can be hit and miss though. https://www.motorcheck.ie/vrt-calculator/

https://www.usedcarsni.com/2012-Mercedes-SLK-Class-SLK-200-BlueEFFICIENCY-AMG-Sport-2dr-343006703?make=16&model=6160530&keywords=&fuel_type=1&trans_type=0&age_from=2011&age_to=2014&price_from=0&price_to=0&user_type=0&mileage_to=0&body_style=0&location%5B%5D=0&location%5B%5D=0&homepage_search_attr=1&tab_id=0&search_type=1

bobi-mori

I just imported a 2017 Swift Escape campervan from the UK which might be of interest to some. I had a specific model I wanted to buy and there were none for sale in Ireland or the north. I used the company UK Car Imports to help me import it. The van was bought for £46k. If I bought it myself I would have to pay Irish VAT 23%, Irish customs 10%, and VRT at whatever they told me it would be.

Because of various rules pre and post Brexit, UK Car Imports were able to reclaim the 20% UK VAT on the original purchase price, and because the vehicle was manufactured in the UK (Swift), they were able to reclaim most the 10% Irish customs (minus some handling fees with the agent).

The VRT for the van in Ireland came to €7,814.

Overall it would be a lot easier to just buy one in Ireland on Irish plates, or from the north where there is much less to do with importing it, but I was after a specific model and with stock so low in Ireland I said I would just go for it. Final price all in was a bit more than what I would have paid in Ireland or the north I reckon, but not by much.

UK Car Imports gave me a set fee for the whole deal (I found them very good to deal with), and then partial refunds on the VRT and customs when they came back lower than predicted. They charge a bit for their work, but their fees included having a mechanic inspect the vehicle first, the transport back to Ireland, and all of the paper work for customs and the VRT office. I just needed to collect the vehicle from them in Dublin with everything done. I had to organise the motor tax and CVRT test myself.

mcw92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122165040#Comment_122165040

Is their website search not working at the minute for anyone else ?

landlord

Importing a car from Northern Ireland… Change of legislation. Good news for a change. !!

I have recently successfully imported a car from Northern Ireland (VAT/customs free) benefitting from the very recent change of legislation. 

From this Revenue page the specific paragraphs I was interested in ….(first link below)

Vehicles purchased after 30 April 2024 can be registered in the State without being subject to these additional requirements. These vehicles will still require proof of Customs Declaration OR PROOF THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN PRIVATE OWNERSHIP IN NI FOR A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME. 

Proof of the vehicle’s status in NI prior to purchase will be required, for example:

• a copy of the V5C showing the last registered keeper in NI and a date of registration to that keeper.

The statement above “reasonable period of time” is very vague, so I went into the VRT inspection office at Northpoint2 Ballymun (next to the NCT office) for clarification. 

They use 3 months as (reasonable period of time) 

So in summary…

Choose your perspective car up the North. 

Ask the dealer or private owner to send you a photo of the logbook BEFORE you purchase the car. 

Take the photo of the logbook (Even a copy on your mobile phone is fine) to the VRT office. (No appointment was needed at this stage…..Appointment will be required once you import the car)

The VRT office are looking for 3 things on the logbook 

1. Car was registered to a private owner (cannot be in a company name). 
2. The car was registered in Northern Ireland at least 3 months ago. 
3. The address of the previous owner is a northern Irish address. 

If these items are satisfied they will confirm you can import the car without paying customs and VAT. 

You will only pay the VRT and NOX (nitrous oxide tax). (Nitrous oxide tax for most cars is only a few hundred euros. 

Link below is for the current VRT rates depending on the cars CO2 emissions…….(second link below)

Link below is for revenues VRT NOX calculator…..(third link below)

Link below for the VRT form that must be filled out when you attend the VRT inspection……(forth link below)

Link below to Book you VRT inspection… book this within 7 days of importing the car…..(5th link below)

https://www.revenue.ie/en/vrt/registration-of-imported-used-vehicles/registering-vehicles-from-ni.aspx https://www.revenue.ie/en/vrt/calculating-vrt/applying-tax.aspx https://www.ros.ie/evrt-enquiry/vrtenquiry.html%3Bjsessionid_evrt-enquiry-web%3D42FF62AFD41088981CB8262A677610D6?execution=e1s2 https://www.revenue.ie/en/vrt/documents/vrt/form-vrtvpd1.pdf https://www.ncts.ie/vrt-home/vrt-inspection/

cavan4sam

Great post thank you

jasper1422

Great Post.

What about a car that is sitting in a garage for over 3 months? More than likely it would be registered to them. Or does this just work for a car that has been sold from private? Or that has been traded in and previously owned up north.

Thanks

landlord

good point. I should have been more clear.
As long as you purchase the car after April 2024, it doesn’t matter if you buy it from a dealership. Either the previous logbook or the logbook before that must show it was owned by a private individual with an address in Northern Ireland.
For example, I bought a secondhand car last week from the Mercedes dealership, probably a trade-in secondhand car. The logbook was still in a private individuals name and the logbook showed the previous private individual had owned the car for more than three months.
Even if the Mercedes garage at some point did change the logbook into their name. You are still able to show the VRT office, the previous logbook as long as that one was in a private individuals name dated more than three months ago.

jasper1422

Thanks for clearing it up.

I was thinking if the dealership buys a car from the UK and have it on their forecourt for over 3 months and the previous owner was in the UK. I wonder would it work then ?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122175601#Comment_122175601

No. Because it hasn’t been in private use. The rules are outlined on Revenue website.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122172419#Comment_122172419

This post should be highlighted somehow so there aren’t a million of the same questions again like when Brexit kicked in.

landlord

jasper1422Registered UsersPosts: 95 ✭✭23-05-2024 8:40pm

Thanks for clearing it up.

I was thinking if the dealership buys a car from the UK and have it on their forecourt for over 3 months and the previous owner was in the UK. I wonder would it work then ?


no it doesn’t satisfy the following requirements

1. Owned by a private individual
2. Their address was in the northern Island
3. Registered in Northern Ireland at least three months ago.

reubenreuben

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122172419#Comment_122172419

If it is in indeed 3 months of ni personal use then why is that not stated on the revenue site? Will some nct centres class it as 4 months for example?

jamesbil

Any one have definite answer on commercial vehicles? Looking at one in an auction.

15 reg on UK plates. Current owner had it in NI from Jan 2023.

Will this be 20% UK vat at the auction house plus standard rate of VRT for commercials? €200 I think.

Thanks

mun1

Thanks for all the info on here over the last few weeks.

looking at a 2021 EV car with NI dealer. Car looks to have originated in Brighton , UK .

Chatting away with dealer on WhatsApp and he stated that only 7% VRT is due and they only did a similar one last week. I asked to see copy of V5C logbook so that i could go to VRT office to check is VAT/Duty is due.

Asked on Thursday and still no answer.

landlord

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122179127#Comment_122179127

this was my concern too.
I specifically mentioned in my post ….

“Ask the dealer or private owner to send you a photo of the logbook BEFORE you purchase the car. Take the photo of the logbook (Even a copy on your mobile phone is fine) to the VRT office. (No appointment was needed at this stage…”

So you can get confirmation of the “3 months” from you local VRT office in advance and confirmation that everything else has been satisfied.

RCSATELLITES

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122180970#Comment_122180970

If you are buying an electric vehicle then usually vrt is €0 as you get a €5000 relief grant if OMSP is less that €40k and if between €40k and €50k then a reduced rate.

Example:

Open Market Selling Price: €40,000

VRT calculated at 7%: €2,800

Less relief (up to a max of €5,000): €2,800

VRT Payable: €0

mun1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122184830#Comment_122184830

no VRT relief if OMSP is over €50k, which it is

chalky_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122172419#Comment_122172419

Am I then right in saying that essentially any car in NI that has been in use for more than 3 months there, with proof, is now importable with just VRT owed? Sounds quite like we're close to the original pre-Brexit UK import situation for NI cars? Or have I misunderstood?

Luna84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122189363#Comment_122189363

That's correct but as some have said cars are more expensive up north than in mainland UK.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122189363#Comment_122189363

No, were absolutely no where near pre brexit import situation. NI is a tiny market and the recent change makes very little difference.

Gerrymandering reborn

Just wondering, how are we not near the  pre brexit import situation?

If a car is imported from England to NI, does it have to be registered by a trader or private individual before it can be imported into ROI Vat and duty free?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122190063#Comment_122190063

How are we even close to pre brexit? We used to be able to buy any car we wanted from the UK and register it here with no VAT or customs. NI is a tiny market, minuscule compared to the UK or even the Rep of Ireland. And even at that not every car in NI can be imported here free of VAT or customs.

The only difference now compared to last month is that instead of a UK origin car needing to be registered in the North since Brexit it now only needs to be registered up there for 3+ months. A welcome change but not a groundbreaking one by any means.

chalky_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122189629#Comment_122189629

Not sure you read my post properly, I asked if we were near pre-Brexit import situation for NI. I'm trying to get an understanding of the situation with that specific route, not suggest anything else. You can't say the changes make little difference when before the changes there was no possible way of getting a mainland UK car in through NI that hadn't been there since before Brexit.

Gerrymandering reborn

Can it be registered to a business address in NI when it is being imported from England?