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

Dezzy23

Hi , I'm going to buy a used 2011 bmw coupe in uk this weekend. Can anyone tell me what I need to do to take it home in terms of the tax in the uk etc , any tips helpful first time car buyer here thanks

savagethegoat

Salmon wrote: »

Cheers for that! I wasn't sure if I could tax it if I'm not a uk resident! Also when I do it online I won't have a physical disc, is this an issue?
Finally, do I need to take the whole v5c, can the dealer have the export section (not sure what it's called)

he can keep the export bit if it makes him happy, just make sure you get the main part of it (The export section is actually for the registered owner when exporting the car themselves)

b.gud

bazz26 wrote: »

All used hand imports first registered from 1st Jan 2008 automatically go on the Co2 tax system when they are registered here.

This is incorrect.

Any car registered outside Ireland between the 1st of Jan and the end of June will be taxed at whichever rate is lower, emissions or engine size

http://www.housing.gov.ie/local-government/motor-tax/motor-tax

A private car first registered abroad between 1 January 2008 and 30 June 2008 inclusive and subsequently registered in Ireland will be taxed on whichever is the lesser of the motor tax rates based on engine size (c.c.) or CO2 emissions. The comparison is based on the motor tax rates as of 1 December 2011.

A private car first registered abroad after 1 July 2008 and subsequently registered in Ireland will be taxed on CO2 emissions

bazz26

b.gud wrote: »

This is incorrect.

Any car registered outside Ireland between the 1st of Jan and the end of June will be taxed at whichever rate is lower, emissions or engine size

http://www.housing.gov.ie/local-government/motor-tax/motor-tax

Yes and as I said in my later post, very few people if any are importing cars with high emissions so it's all relative.

PukkaStukka

bazz26 wrote: »

No they were automatically put on the co2 system for them.

The only case where I could see them putting it on the older cc based tax system is where you imported a car that had a crazy high co2 rating where it was cheaper to tax it on the older cc system but people generally don't import those sort of cars.

That's the position I'm looking at a 1.4 car that was registered May 2008 and which has an emissions of 156g/km. Old system road tax €390 versus €570 on emissions. You can see why I'd want to go with the old system on this.

Anyway, I've emailed the motor tax people to get the official position as the uncertainty here show one thing, and it's that this isn't a clear cut issue.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

PukkaStukka wrote: »

That's the position I'm looking at a 1.4 car that was registered May 2008 and which has an emissions of 156g/km. Old system road tax €390 versus €570 on emissions. You can see why I'd want to go with the old system on this.

Anyway, I've emailed the motor tax people to get the official position as the uncertainty here show one thing, and it's that this isn't a clear cut issue.

Range rovers and discoverys are in the same position

1080 a year on engine based tax

or

over 2K a year based on emissions.

am looking at getting a 2008 discovery HSE for myself and this came up for me also.

masit

I have imported a few cars over the years but looking at bringing in an VW Amarok or something like that. I have a small business and could register the jeep to it but the jeep will be the main family car too. Will the vrt be €200 on this like a van or will it be on the Co2 like a car. Also, what road tax would I have to pay, commercial or private??

darragh o meara

Dezzy23 wrote: »

Hi , I'm going to buy a used 2011 bmw coupe in uk this weekend. Can anyone tell me what I need to do to take it home in terms of the tax in the uk etc , any tips helpful first time car buyer here thanks

My advice is unless your forced to tax it before you leave the garage, drive on and don't attract attention to yourself. Unless the car isn't taxed it won't show up on the register the police use as the tax isn't refunded to previous owner until he submits the change of ownership. If your unlucky enough to be stopped let the cops know you've just bought it for export and your heading for the ferry, it'd want to be a real slow day before any if them would do ya.

Just make sure they give you the full V5 document. There is a part they need to send off bit the rest (main part) goes with the car otherwise you won't be able to clear the car until you get it. It says on the document that if the car is being exported the V5 goes with the car.. As for the applicable tax rate here all that info is on the V5 and the VRT crowd will look after that.

Hulk Hands

Will my driving license with the accurate address on it be sufficient as proof of address? Have my VRT check on Monday and struggling to get a non printed copy of a bill before then.

aujopimur

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Will my driving license with the accurate address on it be sufficient as proof of address? Have my VRT check on Monday and struggling to get a non printed copy of a bill before then.

You will need a utility bill, bank statement, letter from revenue or something similar, it needs to be less than 6 mths old.

Sam Russell

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Will my driving license with the accurate address on it be sufficient as proof of address? Have my VRT check on Monday and struggling to get a non printed copy of a bill before then.

Print out a bank statement on your computer and get your local branch to stamp it as a true copy. You can blank out account values if you want.

darragh o meara

Sam Russell wrote: »

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Will my driving license with the accurate address on it be sufficient as proof of address? Have my VRT check on Monday and struggling to get a non printed copy of a bill before then.

Print out a bank statement on your computer and get your local branch to stamp it as a true copy. You can blank out account values if you want.

IM pretty sure you need something else. Have a look at https://www.ncts.ie/1155 it has all the answers you need.

masit

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Will my driving license with the accurate address on it be sufficient as proof of address? Have my VRT check on Monday and struggling to get a non printed copy of a bill before then.

Last time I brought in a car I used my P60. It was in April so it was last than 6 months so not sure if a P60 would work after June??

irelandspurs

I'm going to the UK tomorrow to look for a car, my mother is taking me round a few garages to look at a few. If I buy one, what are axa like for transferring my insurance onto English plates so I can drive it home, anyone have any experience doing this with them?

Esel

irelandspurs wrote: »

I'm going to the UK tomorrow to look for a car, my mother is taking round a few garages to look at a few. If I buy one, what are axa like for transferring my insurance onto English plates so I can drive it home?

I don't know. Ring them and post back.

The_Conductor

irelandspurs wrote: »

I'm going to the UK tomorrow to look for a car, my mother is taking me round a few garages to look at a few. If I buy one, what are axa like for transferring my insurance onto English plates so I can drive it home, anyone have any experience doing this with them?

Takes less than 10 mins over the phone with Axa- I'm with them- brought an A6 over in Feb. You need your policy no., the make and model of the car you're transferring the policy to, the current UK plate and the VID. I was charged a 15 Euro admin fee (and the policy actually came it at less than the o/s amount I had on my annual policy- so it didn't cost me anything).

All the usual stuff applies- anything not factory installed- will delay things- as will larger engine sizes or unusual valuations- and/or whether your policy is clean or not etc etc

slave1

My CR-V was picked up by the missus today, just arrived on the driveway and delighted with it, spotless, I'll throw up the route of my experience when the tax disc lands and all done and dusted

Tomjim

is there a service available to bring a newly purchased second hand car from the forecourt to the ferry. i intend buying the car myself but looking for someone to bring it to the ferry for me

drunkmonkey

Tomjim wrote: »

is there a service available to bring a newly purchased second hand car from the forecourt to the ferry. i intend buying the car myself but looking for someone to bring it to the ferry for me

You can put your Irish insurance on the car and drive it yourself. Failing that the garage should drop it for free. Make sure and get it checked out first.

Tomjim

i don't want the hassle of driving it to the ferry to be honest. i was interested in a car a few weeks ago and when i asked the garage in question would they deliver it to the ferry they said they didn't provide that service. is there anybody in the uk that provides this service

Esel

I have seen ads where they will drive it to the ferry for a fee per mile. Maybe ask the dealer about that?

Otherwise, there are transporters based here who will bring it over and deliver to your door. Last time I saw it mentioned here the cost was €350-400 ish.

savagethegoat

drunkmonkey wrote: »

You can put your Irish insurance on the car and drive it yourself. Failing that the garage should drop it for free. Make sure and get it checked out first.

you can do that but you'd need to have a cert showing the reg no to satisfy the Police over there if they stopped you

b.gud

What do people reckon is the best service to use to do a background check on a car

slave1

I used the RAC, £199 for checking a 1.6l car with goof phone call and follow on report emailed straight after, details on RAC website, I went for the comprehensive check

ba_barabus

Anyone know why when I type in some reg numbers to the motorcheck vrt calculator that they come back with no vrt owing even though they were never registered in Ireland

The_Conductor

ba_barabus wrote: »

Anyone know why when I type in some reg numbers to the motorcheck vrt calculator that they come back with no vrt owing even though they were never registered in Ireland

Technically its accurate.
A more correct response would be to tell you there is no record of the vehicle on Irish systems- however, the VRT check only queries the VRT table, its not cross referenced with the registration database.

Its shoddy programming (well, if you consider a query to be programming)- most probably by a newbie who didn't have the DED in front of them (or if they did- they couldn't have been arsed to actually cross check it- which is poor form).

Hulk Hands

Sam Russell wrote: »

Print out a bank statement on your computer and get your local branch to stamp it as a true copy. You can blank out account values if you want.

This worked for me, cheers

dubgirl15

slave1 wrote: »

I used the RAC, £199 for checking a 1.6l car with goof phone call and follow on report emailed straight after, details on RAC website, I went for the comprehensive check

Hi thinking of using this service myself, did you find it good?

slave1

dubgirl15 wrote: »

Hi thinking of using this service myself, did you find it good?

Yes, I had a good chat directly with the lad who did the inspection, it's his full time job so he knows his stuff, he spent 1.5hrs going over the car and was bang on on everything he said, plus it's great to have independent documentation to add to the resale value when that times come given stats you hear on clocked cars etc

b.gud

slave1 wrote: »

Yes, I had a good chat directly with the lad who did the inspection, it's his full time job so he knows his stuff, he spent 1.5hrs going over the car and was bang on on everything he said, plus it's great to have independent documentation to add to the resale value when that times come given stats you hear on clocked cars etc

Did you have to wait long to get an appointment? I'm waiting to hear back from a dealer up north about a few questions I asked. If I'm happy with the answers I'd be hoping to put a deposit on it and arrange the inspection. Would love if I can get everything sorted by the weekend