Importing car from South Africa

SilverCoin2100 · 10-01-2019 1:20pm #1

Hi

Could anyone give me some pointers on importing a car from South Africa? I travel there fairly regularly so have a realistic idea of what's out there (ie this isn't just a dreamer post! :-)

Does the 30 year vrt rule for classics also apply to cars imported from outside the EU?

Cars I'm thinking of are all in or around the 30 year old mark. Long term plan would be to have a 30+ year old classic to enjoy in Ireland and avail of the €56 annual road tax.

Thanks in advance.

dar_cool · 10-01-2019 1:25pm

30 year rule applies to non eu cars but you will have to pay vat and customs fees. 56 euro tax is great, I really hope they leave it alone in future budgets as I have a few cars who will hit 30 in next few years

Dades · 10-01-2019 3:41pm

Note the VAT payable is on the invoiced price of the car PLUS the transport costs, which might be big from SA.

Whatcha thinking of bringing back?

unkel · 11-01-2019 1:00am

Dades wrote: »

Note the VAT payable is on the invoiced price of the car PLUS the transport costs

PLUS the insurance costs

mikeecho · 20-01-2019 1:40am

Dades wrote: »

Note the VAT payable is on the invoiced price of the car PLUS the transport costs, which might be big from SA.

Whatcha thinking of bringing back?

What if someone was dishonest, and had the car shipped to the UK, and then drove it onto a ferry to Ireland to drive it all the way back from SA.
(Edit...) From a TAX point of view

because some ppl can't read strike thru text

Victor · 20-01-2019 1:48am

mikeecho wrote: »

What if someone was dishonest, and had the car shipped to the UK, and then drove it onto a ferry to Ireland to drive it all the way back from SA.

Assuming you aren't robbed or worse on the way, you've just added 14,000km to the clock.

mikeecho · 20-01-2019 1:50am

Victor wrote: »

Assuming you aren't robbed or worse on the way, you've just added 14,000km to the clock.

But what's the situation from a tax point of view..

I think you missed what I'm getting at.. it's not a 14k journey from the UK

BuzzMcdonnell · 20-01-2019 1:51am

Victor wrote: »

Assuming you aren't robbed or worse on the way, you've just added 14,000km to the clock.

I heard those militant groups in central Africa are great for giving directions.

macplaxton · 20-01-2019 11:58am

mikeecho wrote: »

But what's the situation from a tax point of view..

Might depend on when it arrives in Ireland.

Esel · 20-01-2019 4:20pm

Would it work out cheaper to first import it to the UK and then import to Ireland from there?

falcof8l · 21-01-2019 1:54am

VAT is payable on entry to the EU.....if you choose the UK, Brexit aside....it will be the UK VAT chargeable.

italodisco · 21-01-2019 1:57am

Okay but please tell us what car you have in mind!!

macplaxton · 21-01-2019 2:49am

falcof8l wrote: »

VAT is payable on entry to the EU.....if you choose the UK, Brexit aside....it will be the UK VAT chargeable.

If a vehicle is being imported from a third country (non-EU), then it will also attract import duty as well as VAT.

How much the import duty and VAT is depends on the tariff classification. If any doubt about the classification code, get a BTI (Binding Tariff Information) from HMRC.

For the UK (at present), it depends on the classification. It'll either be 10% duty, 20% VAT or 0%, 5% effective VAT. For the lower rate to apply, it needs to be meet certain criteria. Classification / Duty rate should be the same for RoI, only the VAT rate will differ.

https://www.gdlaw.co.uk/site/news/all-news/VAT_ruling.html

I say "should" because I'm not sure the Revenue appreciates the finer points of a 9705 classification (apologies if they do).

For Ireland it'll be either 10% duty / 23% VAT (or 0% duty / 13.5% VAT for a "collectors' item" - this might need some court testing here though)

https://www.revenue.ie/en/vat/vat-rates/search-vat-rates/V/vintage-cars-motor-vehicles-.aspx
https://www.revenue.ie/en/vat/vat-rates/search-vat-rates/C/collectors-items-collectors-items-.aspx

Disclaimer: I am not a tax advisor. You may wish to engage the services of one that knows one end of a historic vehicle from another.

endacl · 21-01-2019 3:37am

italodisco wrote: »

Okay but please tell us what car you have in mind!!

Please be this!!!

corglass · 21-01-2019 6:38pm

mikeecho wrote: »

What if someone was dishonest, and had the car shipped to the UK, and then drove it onto a ferry to Ireland to drive it all the way back from SA.
(Edit...) From a TAX point of view

because some ppl can't read strike thru text

Plus there's no road from South Africa to the northern tip

falcof8l · 22-01-2019 1:48am

macplaxton wrote: »

If a vehicle is being imported from a third country (non-EU), then it will also attract import duty as well as VAT.

How much the import duty and VAT is depends on the tariff classification. If any doubt about the classification code, get a BTI (Binding Tariff Information) from HMRC.

For the UK (at present), it depends on the classification. It'll either be 10% duty, 20% VAT or 0%, 5% effective VAT. For the lower rate to apply, it needs to be meet certain criteria. Classification / Duty rate should be the same for RoI, only the VAT rate will differ.

https://www.gdlaw.co.uk/site/news/all-news/VAT_ruling.html

I say "should" because I'm not sure the Revenue appreciates the finer points of a 9705 classification (apologies if they do).

For Ireland it'll be either 10% duty / 23% VAT (or 0% duty / 13.5% VAT for a "collectors' item" - this might need some court testing here though)

https://www.revenue.ie/en/vat/vat-rates/search-vat-rates/V/vintage-cars-motor-vehicles-.aspx
https://www.revenue.ie/en/vat/vat-rates/search-vat-rates/C/collectors-items-collectors-items-.aspx

Disclaimer: I am not a tax advisor. You may wish to engage the services of one that knows one end of a historic vehicle from another.

Excellent info, Thank you.

hi5 · 22-01-2019 7:15pm

Here is the website for EU duty rates...

http://madb.europa.eu/madb/euTariffs.htm

kwagga_beans · 23-07-2020 9:47pm

falcof8l wrote: »

Excellent info, Thank you.

Hi - Did you ever come right with this? I am looking at doing something similar. Also from SA.

falcof8l · 23-07-2020 10:05pm

No !

KevRossi · 23-07-2020 10:12pm

corglass wrote: »

Plus there's no road from South Africa to the northern tip

There is.

The last gap was bridged 15 years ago when the Chinese built a road from Nuakchott to Nouadhibou in Mauritania.

OK, there's a 3 Km section of a minefield in the no mans land in desert on the border between Mauritania and Morocco to traverse, but apart from that, it's all tarred and there's plenty of corrupt cops and customs lads to keep you busy.

This is the minefield in no-mans land in 2009. There's a path visible, but you don't leave it.

Doctors room ghost · 23-07-2020 10:18pm

Rumour has it there is still a good few 2 door mark 11 escorts out there that aged well in the dry climate.
Any truth In that I wonder

daithi7 · 19-12-2021 7:09pm

How much would it be to import one of these beauties say

vat? Rate?

Vrt? Duties??

other???

thanks for any advice

https://www.autotrader.co.za/car-for-sale/mercedes-benz/sl/500sl/26237987

https://www.autotrader.co.za/car-for-sale/mercedes-benz/sl/500sl/26010402

Thinkingaboutit · 15-01-2022 1:28am

One possible issue is that for at least older vehicles rust protection might have been neglected compared to a European version.

Esel · 15-01-2022 1:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118478252#Comment_118478252

I never heard of rust being a problem with SA imports.

Grab All Association · 15-01-2022 1:41am

2009 MK1 Golf would be a cool car to import.

washman3 · 15-01-2022 2:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/114118647#Comment_114118647

Saw a Cortina that was imported from SA. Absolute mint.

Neilw · 17-01-2022 11:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118478285#Comment_118478285

Please don’t, they are awful things.

Nick84 · 25-03-2022 12:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118488144#Comment_118488144

Why? It's appealing from many perspectives...

hoodie6029 · 11-04-2022 4:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118833535#Comment_118833535

Except crash safety....

banjokid · 18-09-2022 2:12pm

What about bringing the car from SA into Amsterdam and clearing it there. Has anyone done this. Its cleared in the EU then. The taxes are supposed to be cheaper.

w124man · 18-09-2022 8:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119633955#Comment_119633955

They are cheaper but to clear costs a lot more to do that and ship to Ireland costs as you can't drive it unless you have trade plates. Friend of mine tried that route with a few cars from Japan and reported that it was quicker, a lot more hassle with no real worthwhile savings

Importing car from South Africa

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