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

limnam

Looking at bringing in a 2019. The savings is about 5k and higher spec.

Taking about 1k and time / effort to bring in. The fact I'll "lose" 1yr of the manufacture warranty or have to bring it to NI. Would you consider it worth it?

aodomhnaill

Sterling - Euro Market in absolute turmoil at the moment. €20k car at 6am and at lunchtime you saved €300 if you transferred by then. Hard to know when to pull the trigger.

colm_mcm

limnam wrote: »

Looking at bringing in a 2019. The savings is about 5k and higher spec.

Taking about 1k and time / effort to bring in. The fact I'll "lose" 1yr of the manufacture warranty or have to bring it to NI. Would you consider it worth it?

What car is it that you’ll lose manufacturers warranty?

limnam

colm_mcm wrote: »

What car is it that you’ll lose manufacturers warranty?

Audi.

My understanding is the 3rd yr is given in country of origin. so if it's 3yr the 3rd would have to be from the uk

L-M

limnam wrote: »

Audi.

My understanding is the 3rd yr is given in country of origin. so if it's 3yr the 3rd would have to be from the uk

Same with Vw, Skoda and Audi. 2 year manufacturer third year is from the group in that country. Lots of people caught out with that.

CountingCrows

Limerick man wrote: »

Same with Vw, Skoda and Audi. 2 year manufacturer third year is from the group in that country. Lots of people caught out with that.

Just bring it up north for anything during the 3rd year?

L-M

CountingCrows wrote: »

Just bring it up north for anything during the 3rd year?

Honestly not sure how that would work with it being re registered. Probably would work to be fair

colm_mcm

Limerick man wrote: »

Honestly not sure how that would work with it being re registered. Probably would work to be fair

It worked for me about 11 years ago.

bazz26

Worked for me a few years back too with a VW but if the car is not driving and/or you live down the country getting it up North can be a challenge.

darragh o meara

Limerick man wrote: »

Honestly not sure how that would work with it being re registered. Probably would work to be fair

Last time I did this, I kept a copy of the V5 with the paperwork for the car. Once I could prove that the car did have that UK reg there was no problem as the dealer submitted the claim by the chassis number. But as said above, if the car is off the road then it gets harder to get the car to the north so you need to evaluate if its worth your time and money to get it there....

crazyman79

Can anyone give me the correct way of calculating that the car is 6 months old( New Car vs Old Car for VAT purposes). Say a car first registered 30/04. Is it deemed 6 months old on 29/10, 30/10, 31/10?Or if my limited research is correct, you apply the following - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/1971/1182/oj - (page 2 para (d)) in which case it is the 28/10. Can anyone advise?

Batesout

crazyman79 wrote: »

Can anyone give me the correct way of calculating that the car is 6 months old( New Car vs Old Car for VAT purposes). Say a car first registered 30/04. Is it deemed 6 months old on 29/10, 30/10, 31/10?Or if my limited research is correct, you apply the following - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/1971/1182/oj - (page 2 para (d)) in which case it is the 28/10. Can anyone advise?

It'll be either 31/10 or 1/11, I'd go 1/11 just to be safe and make sure its over 6,000kms as well. If its a new car under 6 months, you don't pay VAT in the UK. But if you do you can get it back by filling in a form that the garage fills out and you complete. cant think of form name just now. I filled it in last week just waiting my refund.

deezell

crazyman79 wrote: »

Can anyone give me the correct way of calculating that the car is 6 months old( New Car vs Old Car for VAT purposes). Say a car first registered 30/04. Is it deemed 6 months old on 29/10, 30/10, 31/10?Or if my limited research is correct, you apply the following - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/1971/1182/oj - (page 2 para (d)) in which case it is the 28/10. Can anyone advise?

Go back a bit here for a debate on this. The VRT staff Poster says it the date of UK reg to the day of VRT appointment, which makes it easy to add the extra days or weeks even. So if you import at 5 months old just drive around until it's 6 months old apparently. VAT liability used to occur at point of entry ,( and by inference, date), meaning it should uk reg date to import dare. but what would I know.

deezell

V

Batesout wrote: »

crazyman79 wrote: »

Can anyone give me the correct way of calculating that the car is 6 months old( New Car vs Old Car for VAT purposes). Say a car first registered 30/04. Is it deemed 6 months old on 29/10, 30/10, 31/10?Or if my limited research is correct, you apply the following - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/1971/1182/oj - (page 2 para (d)) in which case it is the 28/10. Can anyone advise?

It'll be either 31/10 or 1/11, I'd go 1/11 just to be safe and make sure its over 6,000kms as well. If its a new car under 6 months, you don't pay VAT in the UK. But if you do you can get it back by filling in a form that the garage fills out and you complete. cant think of form name just now. I filled it in last week just waiting my refund.

Why would you take back the UK 20% on the garage price to replace it with Irish 23% on price based on OMSP. If you were saving 2 grand on the overall deal, then youre going to be down 3% on what you paid in UK and 23% on the excess vat free value of the car here.
Just clock up 6k miles before appointment. You're not thinking you can get back UK VAT and not pay Irish?

relax carry on

So I've got to pay the reminder price for my new car on Saturday. It's 9500 sterling. I have a Revoult card and the garage suggested paying the lot by Debit card. I have a Revoult card with a standard account and don't really want to pay for a premium account. I've 5050 left at the free conversation rate, then it's 0.5% fee after. Can I just transfer in 5050 convert it to sterling, pay whatever that translates to and pay the rest on a normal bank card or is that going to be too costly?

gwalk

relax carry on wrote: »

So I've got to pay the reminder price for my new car on Saturday. It's 9500 sterling. I have a Revoult card and the garage suggested paying the lot by Debit card. I have a Revoult card with a standard account and don't really want to pay for a premium account. I've 5050 left at the free conversation rate, then it's 0.5% fee after. Can I just transfer in 5050 convert it to sterling, pay whatever that translates to and pay the rest on a normal bank card or is that going to be too costly?

youll end up paying more with your other card than what revolut will cost

why not sign up for the premium then cancel within 14 days?

michellie

moby2101 wrote: »

I VRT ‘d and paid the VRT due on my 6 month old car last year at the first appointment. I know several other people with cars that were under 2 years old and no issues with having to return for an another appointment?

When did this start?

Higher end vehicles like BMW, Audi, merc, range rover Porsche... you get the idea. Been like this 10 years.

moby2101

michellie wrote: »

Higher end vehicles like BMW, Audi, merc, range rover Porsche... you get the idea. Been like this 10 years.

Really

I paid my VRT on my 6 month old BMW 420 Coupe that has roughly 13K of extras there and then .

crazyman79

deezell wrote: »

V
Why would you take back the UK 20% on the garage price to replace it with Irish 23% on price based on OMSP. If you were saving 2 grand on the overall deal, then youre going to be down 3% on what you paid in UK and 23% on the excess vat free value of the car here.
Just clock up 6k miles before appointment. You're not thinking you can get back UK VAT and not pay Irish?

I won't be getting into VAT at all. I'm looking at the 6 month rule and 6000km to buy an "old' car and bring it back. I did see that it is 6 months and over 6000km at the time of purchase though and not at presentation for VRT.

https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/individuals/car-taxation/buying-selling-cars_en

deezell

relax carry on wrote: »

So I've got to pay the reminder price for my new car on Saturday. It's 9500 sterling. I have a Revoult card and the garage suggested paying the lot by Debit card. I have a Revoult card with a standard account and don't really want to pay for a premium account. I've 5050 left at the free conversation rate, then it's 0.5% fee after. Can I just transfer in 5050 convert it to sterling, pay whatever that translates to and pay the rest on a normal bank card or is that going to be too costly?

It would be, you'll get £9.5K for a little under €10,488, including about €22.50 fee for amount over €5050. Your ordinary debit card will be a lot more expensive. AIB visa card about €220 more for this transaction based on 1.75% card fee and their exchage rate, currently €10708

copeyhagen

bought a car for herself yesterday and drove it back. had bought my last car in NI so this was the first time I travelled over.

car was a 2017 Honda civic, 1 litre petrol, auto, SR spec. couldn't find one here in auto with similar spec for even CLOSE to the money in the UK, even factoring in VRT and travel etc.

found the car on autotrader, was located in Glasgow in one of the ford evins halshaw garages. paid a 200euro refundable deposit using their 'move me closer' option.
got the car moved for free to one of their garages in Wrexham, which was their clsoest garage to Holyhead. that took about 3 working days (they drive the car down rather than using a transporter). the 200 goes towards the cost of the car, if your not happy when you view, its full refundable.

booked a flight to Manchester (was cheapest) - 45euro for myself and the wife.
anytime train tickets to cover going from Manchester to Wrexham - 50 euro for myself and the wife.
got two trains down, google told us exactly what platforms and times etc, was seamless. arrived at Wrexham train station, lad from garage picked us up, went to garage, looked car over, took it for a spin etc, thing was like a brand new car.
done the paperwork, hit the road, was about 1.50 mins to Holyhead, got the 8.15 ferry home, arrived in Dublin at 11.20ish. the V5 document hadn't arrived at the garage yet, they were fed exing it today from Glasgow to Wrexham, then sending onto myself. I was happy with that.

plane cost - 45
train cost - 50
ferry - 160
food - 30

that's what the cost all in was, well worth the trip over, was a long day but grand.

deezell

copeyhagen wrote: »

......that's what the cost all in was, well worth the trip over, was a long day but grand.

Or several grand when you add it up!

copeyhagen

yup.

forgot to say, I paid by revolut. hadn't used it before really.

transferred the full amount for the car over a few dyas, yesterday morning transferred it to sterling, you get on the second rates, its pretty cool.

was nervous in the garage it wouldn't work, but the full amount for the car came out perfectly in one go.

had to tax the car also before driving away, that was 2.90 for the month :P

Amouar

copeyhagen wrote: »

bought a car for herself yesterday and drove it back. had bought my last car in NI so this was the first time I travelled over.

car was a 2017 Honda civic, 1 litre petrol, auto, SR spec. couldn't find one here in auto with similar spec for even CLOSE to the money in the UK, even factoring in VRT and travel etc.

found the car on autotrader, was located in Glasgow in one of the ford evins halshaw garages. paid a 200euro refundable deposit using their 'move me closer' option.
got the car moved for free to one of their garages in Wrexham, which was their clsoest garage to Holyhead. that took about 3 working days (they drive the car down rather than using a transporter). the 200 goes towards the cost of the car, if your not happy when you view, its full refundable.

booked a flight to Manchester (was cheapest) - 45euro for myself and the wife.
anytime train tickets to cover going from Manchester to Wrexham - 50 euro for myself and the wife.
got two trains down, google told us exactly what platforms and times etc, was seamless. arrived at Wrexham train station, lad from garage picked us up, went to garage, looked car over, took it for a spin etc, thing was like a brand new car.
done the paperwork, hit the road, was about 1.50 mins to Holyhead, got the 8.15 ferry home, arrived in Dublin at 11.20ish. the V5 document hadn't arrived at the garage yet, they were fed exing it today from Glasgow to Wrexham, then sending onto myself. I was happy with that.

plane cost - 45
train cost - 50
ferry - 160
food - 30

that's what the cost all in was, well worth the trip over, was a long day but grand.

It's only me but I wouldn't even bother seeing the car until the V5C is present and I can take it with me.

copeyhagen

I seen a copy of it by email, just never the actual paper copy (it was in Glasgow yesterday)

evins halshaw is a ford main dealer in the UK with like 150 garages or something, I was happy enough to drive away yesterday.

Isambard

i think what he means is, if the Dealer doesn't understand the system, you could end up with the export slip.

Amouar

Isambard wrote: »

i think what he means is, if the Dealer doesn't understand the system, you could end up with the export slip.

Also, it could get lost in the mail etc

krissovo

Folks, what is the story if you are unable to book the VRT inspection at your local center within 7 days? There are no times available at my center and I am on some wait list. 7 days is up on Friday.

Debub

krissovo wrote: »

Folks, what is the story if you are unable to book the VRT inspection at your local center within 7 days? There are no times available at my center and I am on some wait list. 7 days is up on Friday.

my 7 days are up tomm and I was not getting any appointment online, so I rang them today. They said that I am on a waiting list and sent an auto generated email and confirmed on the phone that I should be getting in touch with them within 7 days - which I have done by ringing them up, so I should be ok (nothing in writing - so am also a bit worried)

Shlippery

My understanding is you have to make a booking (within the first 7 days) I don't think the booking has to be necessarily be within that window.

Open to correction.