Advertisement
Please note that it is not permitted to have referral links posted in your signature. Keep these links contained in the appropriate forum. Thank you.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055940817/signature-rules
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
If we do not hit our goal we will be forced to close the site.

Current status: https://keepboardsalive.com/

Annual subs are best for most impact. If you are still undecided on going Ad Free - you can also donate using the Paypal Donate option. All contribution helps. Thank you.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.

Importing an NI EV, but from England

  • 20-09-2025 10:30AM
    #1
    Colinforeal4321
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5 ✭


    Hi Everyone,


    Have a bit of a unique situation around importing an EV. Hoping someone might have gone through a similar situation and can share their experience. 


    Im currently looking at an NI reg car that is based in England. It is a 3 year old EV which has the paperwork to show it was first registered in NI (and has NI number plate on it rather than an English plate) and based in Belfast for 3 years. But a dealer in England bought the car, so if I now buy it from that dealer it will show on my receipt that I bought the car in England. Will this car still avoid customs and VAT as it is originally a NI car, or will Revenue treat this as a car being bought directly from England and therefore need to pay customs?


    Thanks in advance

    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,242 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058425133/importing-an-ni-ev-but-from-england

    Has to be active in NI on paper. So if you have the Ni registration, the V5 that’s registered to an NI address and some paperwork to back up that it would be great (although not required but you don’t want any questions).

    Is the address on the V5 an NI address?

    Will you be going to UK to buy it or meeting in NI?



  • #3
    Colinforeal4321
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5 ✭Colinforeal4321


    Ill be flying to England to buy the car. The car history and paperwork does show that the car was in Belfast and private owned there (first registered there and driven there for 3 years), but then the most recent paperwork (i.e. the VAT reciept from the garage in England) will show it was bought in and brought in from England. So Im just afraid Revenue will treat this as an English imported car.

    Its a pity the car is so new and has never had any MOTs up north. At least if it had one or two MOTs you could then stake a claim to Revenue that it had been driven around the north.



  • #4
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,242 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123833300#Comment_123833300

    I’m not sure on that. I wouldn’t without 100% clarifying either revenue first.



  • #5
    slave1
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 18,403 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    Write out your own receipt, whether you bought it private or off a garage is irrelevant, just type up a private sale reciept with a squiggle then the England paperwork disappears from the equation

    My stuff on Adverts, mostly Tesla Pre Highland Model 3

    Public Profile active ads for slave1



  • #6
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,222 ✭✭✭✭User1998


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123835181#Comment_123835181

    Without incriminating myself too much for tax evasion or VAT fraud… I can confirm this method works 100%



  • Advertisement
  • #7
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,222 ✭✭✭✭User1998


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123833320#Comment_123833320

    Regardless of where the car is registered, OP is importing goods from outside the EU, so VAT & customs are due on entry to Ireland. If they were to enter through NI and the UK invoice was to dissappear it would solve their problem



  • #8
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,242 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123835501#Comment_123835501

    Excellent

    image.png


  • #9
    ...Ghost...
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 4,962 ✭✭✭...Ghost...


    My Brother is looking at a newish Leaf up North. What happens if the car is an original UK car, and is in NI private ownership for a year, but the seller can't locate the V5?

    Would a new V5 issue date trump the date the vehicle was brought into NI if the seller had no proof the car was purchased before the new V5 issue date? The car has no MOT due to age and no service history in NI. Only the original invoice from a Nissan dealership and the date ownership changed to NI owner is available.

    Stay Free



  • #10
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,242 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123835631#Comment_123835631

    The new V5 will have the date of printing on it. You will need the 3 months from this date. Or some paperwork confirming its in the North for a substantial amount of time (3 months( should over ride the print issue.



  • #11
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,222 ✭✭✭✭User1998


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123835664#Comment_123835664

    This is right. 3 month issue date on the V5 only applies if you have no other evidence of use in NI. Such as tax, MOT, insurance etc.



  • Advertisement
  • #12
    ...Ghost...
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 4,962 ✭✭✭...Ghost...


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123835664#Comment_123835664
    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123835688#Comment_123835688

    Ah. I'm sure the chap wouldn't mind sharing his insurance cert 😁. I'll pass that on…thanks.

    Stay Free



  • #13
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,222 ✭✭✭✭User1998


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123835723#Comment_123835723

    Personally I'd want all 3.. not just the insurance.



  • #14
    Soarer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,110 ✭✭✭Soarer


    I can't put my hand on the ither importing thread, so I'll just throw it here if the OP doesn't mind.

    Can you claim the vat back off any car exported from the UK? Or does it have to be from a vat registered business?
    If it's the former, is it the vat on the original purchase price of the car, or the current value?

    Must admit, bring a car through NI and issues disappearing is appealing.



  • #15
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,222 ✭✭✭✭User1998


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123839365#Comment_123839365

    You need to contact an export company who can purchase VAT qualifying vehicles on your behalf and sell you the car ex VAT.

    To be honest, as a private individual you should just forget about importing from mainland UK. I do it regularly and get VAT refunds, but I am VAT registered here



  • #16
    Colinforeal4321
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5 ✭Colinforeal4321


    All the replys are really helpful, thanks.

    Has anyone imported an EV from up north, and the car was registered to an auto leasing company? Some of the VRT and Revenue paperwork states the car must be in "private ownership", so just wondering if this auto leasing compnay piece could affect things? Thanks



  • #17
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,222 ✭✭✭✭User1998


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123839568#Comment_123839568

    Private ownership is only applicable to vehicles that were first registered in the UK and subsequently moved to NI



  • #18
    Colinforeal4321
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5 ✭Colinforeal4321


    @User1998 appreciate your insights as it seems you have a bit of experience in this space. As far as I see it this could be quite straight forward if I follow @slave1 advice above. It is an origional NI car, number plate XXX XXXX format. With the current V5C showing acompany owning it with a Belfast address. So if I buy it out of this garage in England, lose the tax reciept accidentally and then when submitting to NCT centre give them a privte sale piece of paper I created, I think it should sail through. What do you think? I have V5C showing Belfast address, the reg plate is a nordie reg, and then private sale paperwork. My main concern now is the company and not individuals name on the V5c.



  • #19
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,222 ✭✭✭✭User1998


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123839994#Comment_123839994

    Like I said above, “Private ownership is only applicable to vehicles that were first registered in the UK and subsequently moved to NI”

    You are ‘supposedly’ purchasing a car in NI that has always been in NI, therefore a company name on the V5 is completely fine.

    Out of curiosity, can I ask what leasing company the car is registered to?



  • #20
    Colinforeal4321
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5 ✭Colinforeal4321


    @User1998 Lex Auto Leasing, looks like they are part of Lloyds Bank



  • #21
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,242 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123839568#Comment_123839568

    Yea. Done it last week. NI car from new and registered to a fleet company.



  • Advertisement
  • #22
    User1998
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,222 ✭✭✭✭User1998


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123840310#Comment_123840310

    I‘ve seen a few Lex Autolease NI reg cars go through mainland UK auctions but was always afraid to bid on them because Lex Autolease are based in mainland UK. Have you been sent a copy of the V5 which clearly shows a NI address?



Advertisement