VAT Qualifying car from uk

ando

Hi, has anyone imported a VAT qualifying car from the uk as a private purchaser? Have you any tips? Do I just ask the seller in the UK to declare the vehicle as an export and then just show them proof of it being exported from the UK? Does the seller in the UK sell the vehicle for the retail price minus the UK VAT? Is that the amount I pay them when in the UK or do I claim the VAT back at a later date?

mcw92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058362733/vat-qualifying-car-from-uk

Depending on the dealer, they will charge you full price, then refund you vat after you prove it was exported. So you will have paid full UK price + VRT + Irish Vat + Customs first.

Then some may charge no Vat up front at all.

All depends on the dealer.

Also, some dealers might not bother with the hassle/extra work.

ando

thanks for that. Have you actually done it or know someone that’s done it? I was in the customs office on Friday asking questions but they couldn’t give any advise on the vat qualifying. Ideally, I don’t want to pay the full amount up front and let the dealer jus declare the car as an export.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122463913#Comment_122463913

You won’t find a dealer willing to do that. Way too risky for them as they would have to cover the VAT bill themselves if you don’t export the car. I have bought several VAT qualifying cars through BCA and they only refund the VAT once you provide proof its been exported and Irish VAT paid. They are not open to the public tho, trade only.

ando

ah ok it’s starting to become clear. Very few private purchases have happened this way I presume, that’s why there is not really any info about it. Most likely, IF the dealer will do it for me, I will need the extra cash to account for paying UK VAT initially. Once Irish VAT is provided, they do the UK VAT return. A lot of trust there in the dealer to honour the agreement after the sale has gone through. Might be too risky.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122465381#Comment_122465381

The question has been asked a lot on here and I only ever recall one person actually buying a VAT qualifying car successfully

fm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122465381#Comment_122465381

I did it last year from beckevans,paid full price inc vat and received 2 invoices,one for revenue excluding uk vat so to calculate Irish vat and the other inc UK vat just as proof of actual price paid upfront,once I proved I exported by showing ferry receipts and the new Irish VLC they refunded me the UK vat in a week.

Casati

I bought a Volvo from Holcroft and they had no issue selling it to me Vat free. Other dealers I talked to over the phone had no issues either. I’ve heard of other dealers, especially supermarket type places sending the vat once you have proven export

goochy

Beck Evans specialise in vat q vehicles

ando

@Casati So when you bought the Volvo from them, did they look for any proof that you were exporting?

Casati

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122468860#Comment_122468860

No but it was obvious that I was exporting it as I had been calling from Ireland in advance and told them me plan etc. I might have emailed my ferry ticket just so they could work to the departure timings. Great to deal with too

I’d avoid any of the supermarket type places, but it has to be said some UK dealers wouldn’t entertain me at all - two Mercedes dealers said they wouldn’t sell me a used car period!

goochy

yes Mercedes have done that for years , can see point - they wont get lucrative aftersales business so would rather sell locally

ando

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122469328#Comment_122469328

thanks for sharing your experiences. It’s so hard to get any info on this.

Casati

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122472577#Comment_122472577

No harm reading the UK Gov Tax guidance on this and indeed to reference this to any dealer not Silat with the process. They have a legal responsibility to zero vat rate the goods being exported. The tax guidance does state they need to be satisfied that the goods are leaving for export

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-exports-dispatches-and-supplying-goods-abroad#:~:text=VAT%20on%20exports,-VAT%20is%20a&text=You%20can%20zero%20rate%20the,from%20the%20time%20of%20sale.

ando

thanks, a good reference if needed! One last question, you bought from Holcroft? Can you send on a link? Or is it a typo, Holdcroft?

sumo12

Yes I did it in December. You can't do it as a private individual, basically. I used a car "broker" based here who also has a UK registered company in order to reclaim the UK VAT. He sourced the car I wanted, brought it in and did all the paperwork. Handed it to me on Irish plates with 3 months tax on it.

It's unlikely you'll find a UK dealer that will be willing to play ball on this unless he's got a lemon on his forecourt that he can't shift. Too much hassle for them.

goochy

beck evans

ando

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122474670#Comment_122474670

hi Sumo, would you have any contact details for the broker you used? Thanks

GSBellew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122469499#Comment_122469499

It is actually a licensing thing, MSL have the Mercedes Franchise here, UK Mercedes dealers are not allowed to sell directly into the Irish Market, they could sell to someone in the north who could sell it to someone in the south, but they are not supposed to do so directly, when buying from an MB "dealer" in the UK you are actually buying directly from MB UK not the dealer, they are just an agent who get a handover fee, even on used cars, MB pull the strings.

We import plenty but have to buy them all though our NI company or MB UK will not play ball.

goochy

Thats only recent - the agent thing - but heard years ago of dealers refusing to sell to ireland. if you are a used car dealer selling out f your localarea is a good thing but not when you are a main dealer

trellheim

Surely this only applies to new cars ? The vat on a uk used car would already be baked into the price

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122478379#Comment_122478379

On Margin Cars yes. The title is VAT qualifying cars.

sumo12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122477220#Comment_122477220

No worries, DM'd you there

holmyster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122464017#Comment_122464017

Hi User1998,

You hardly provide a service to buy from bca?

Or provide a service sourcing a car in the uk?