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

colm_mcm

donnachag wrote: »

Looking to buy an 11-14 Ford focus and import from the UK. Been looking at flippingcars.co.uk the past while and a lot of the cars have good mechanical reports from the bca. Prices on the site seem to have increased by about 20-30% in the past month. Is there any other sites like this (not ukcarimports) that offer a similar or better service or even a crowd in Ireland that will import for you cheaply?

Familiarize yourself with the new nox charge,

On top of VRT, a 2011 Edge 1.6 TDCI 95ps will have a nox charge of €1375
2013 2.0 TDCI 140ps, nox charge of €2100

Whereas a 2015 1.5 TDCI 120ps has a nox charge of €525
A 2915 2.0 TDCI 150ps has a charge of €435

Generally the newer engines will have less nox, and the value of the car is irrelevant, it goes purely on the nox value.

deezell

colm_mcm wrote: »

Familiarize yourself with the new nox ....
......Generally the newer engines will have less nox, and the value of the car is irrelevant, it goes purely on the nox value.

I'm surprised at the number of recent posts looking at sub 2014-15 cars. This is precisely the category of cars the government want to take out of the import market, to bolster sales of new cars, following pressure from the SIMI lobby. It has f all to do with the environment. The idea is to make it uneconomical to import these cars, pushing up the prices of the same age used cars here which have not been hit for Nox. Many of these cars are not euro6, and though have relatively reasonable emissions, are being hammered by extra charges. Only 80 nox will cost you €600 on top of VRT, 96 will cost a grand. These cars are hardly the smoking bangers that SIMI made them out to be. Its the ordinary guy at the lower middle end who has been screwed again, and will have to settle for the overpriced poorly spec'd well abused 6-7 year old indigenous stock thats populates the middle market.
The worst effect of this distortion of the free market is that used cars will have inflated prices, leading to higher OMSP on the VRT calculator, further discouraging imports. Wtf, we'll have to give up our oil burners in ten years time anyway, and spend several hours per week queuing at charger stations.

The_Fitz

Hi folks,

About to buy a 2013 Astra from the north. Costing me around £3,600.

VRT calculator shows VRT of 1100e. Mot tax will be 270e as it is 129 g/km. Insurance is 670e with the aa (my first time driving properly in the south)

Wife heading up tomorrow for a test drive. It will be MOT'd this week, which I believe we can use for 1 years NCT.

If we buy it, I'll make an appointment at an NCT centre and bring the following:

Completed VRTVPD2 form.
Dated invoice from purchase.
PPS card.
Passport.
Print out of Bord Gais statement for proof of address.
Printout from VRT calculator to prove CO2 emissions.

Do I need to provide proof of shipping? As it's from the north that obviously doesn't apply.

How does all that sound?

What do folk do about insurance from the car sales place back down the road?

Isambard

The_Fitz wrote: »

Hi folks,

About to buy a 2013 Astra from the north. Costing me around £3,600.

VRT calculator shows VRT of 1100e. Mot tax will be 270e as it is 129 g/km. Insurance is 670e with the aa (my first time driving properly in the south)

Wife heading up tomorrow for a test drive. It will be MOT'd this week, which I believe we can use for 1 years NCT.

If we buy it, I'll make an appointment at an NCT centre and bring the following:

Completed VRTVPD2 form.
Dated invoice from purchase.
PPS card.
Passport.
Print out of Bord Gais statement for proof of address.
Printout from VRT calculator to prove CO2 emissions.

Do I need to provide proof of shipping? As it's from the north that obviously doesn't apply.

How does all that sound?

What do folk do about insurance from the car sales place back down the road?

you forgot the V5C. You absolutely need to get this

toby2111

The_Fitz wrote: »

VRT calculator shows VRT of 1100e.

Did you find out the cost of the new NOx tax?

Isambard

toby2111 wrote: »

Did you find out the cost of the new NOx tax?

i assumed that's what the mot tax shown was.

The_Fitz

Isambard wrote: »

you forgot the V5C. You absolutely need to get this

Is this the log book from the dealer? Good point, I'll make sure he has that.

The_Fitz

toby2111 wrote: »

Did you find out the cost of the new NOx tax?

Isambard wrote: »

i assumed that's what the mot tax shown was.

No I didn't find that out. I meant motor tax. I used this to calculate it https://www.carzone.ie/news/motoringadvice/Motor-and-Road-Tax-Prices-Ireland-2019-1437.html

as it's 129, and it says 129 on the Revenue calculator I thought that would be it.

Is there another tax I have to take into consideration? Seperate to the VRT import tax?

Isambard

yes as of Jan first, there's a new NOx tax. Missed the boat I'm afraid....

It's not enough to make sure the Dealer has the V5C, YOU must get it off him as you won't be able to re-register the car without it. Don't let him post it off.

The_Fitz

Isambard wrote: »

yes as of Jan first, there's a new NOx tax. Missed the boat I'm afraid....

It's not enough to make sure the Dealer has the V5C, YOU must get it off him as you won't be able to re-register the car without it. Don't let him post it off.

Where in the process do you pay the NOx tax? At the NCT centre?

ELM327

The_Fitz wrote: »

Where in the process do you pay the NOx tax? At the NCT centre?

Yes it's part of the total VRT due.
You have emissions based figure + nox based figure to pay together, before you can register the car

The_Fitz

Isambard wrote: »

yes as of Jan first, there's a new NOx tax. Missed the boat I'm afraid....

It's not enough to make sure the Dealer has the V5C, YOU must get it off him as you won't be able to re-register the car without it. Don't let him post it off.

Thank god I came on here

So if the Astra is 129 the nox fee will be

first 60 @ 5 = 300e
next 20 @ 15 = 300e
remaining 49 @ 25 = 1225e

So another tax of 1825e

https://www.revenue.ie/en/importing-vehicles-duty-free-allowances/guide-to-vrt/calculating-vrt/calculating-the-nox-charge.aspx

Although, are non diesels capped at 600?

The_Fitz

ELM327 wrote: »

Yes it's part of the total VRT due.
You have emissions based figure + nox based figure to pay together, before you can register the car

Wish revenue's VRT calculator had of included it

The_Fitz

The_Fitz wrote: »

Thank god I came on here

So if the Astra is 129 the nox fee will be

first 60 @ 5 = 300e
next 20 @ 15 = 300e
remaining 49 @ 25 = 1225e

So another tax of 1825e

https://www.revenue.ie/en/importing-vehicles-duty-free-allowances/guide-to-vrt/calculating-vrt/calculating-the-nox-charge.aspx

Although, are non diesels capped at 600?

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/budget-2020-new-emissions-tax-on-new-cars-and-used-imports-1.4043840

So I'm looking at an extra 600?

toby2111

The_Fitz wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/budget-2020-new-emissions-tax-on-new-cars-and-used-imports-1.4043840

So I'm looking at an extra 600?

Looks like it if it's petrol.

Leeroy!

ovalu wrote: »

I don't know if anyone can help me here, I brought in a 2011 Mercedes vito passanger from uk in December, I had a VRT booking for 20 Dec, I thought it was straightforward and I had all the paperwork but when my wife brought it in to the appointment the guy said there was no stat code for that model so he wouldnt do the VRT. I presume now that there mustn't be an exact similar vehicle registered in the state, There seems to have been some confusion in how to proceed from there.
Now I accept I've missed the 1 Jan deadline and I will be caught for higher VRT, but i need to get it sorted, how do I get a stat code does anyone know?

Sorry for pulling up this post a few pages back but I feel this will be a recurring question/situation in the coming weeks.

I imported a car 2nd week in Dec, booked the appointment the next day on NCT website, the only slot I could find was on 4th January so I booked. I figured because of the date of import being in Dec and the date of booking the appointment being in December along with the fact that 'the system' couldn't get me in before January, this NOX charge shouldn't be charged.
I believe previously VRT was charged from the date of import hence Revenue asking for proof of importation date?
As it turns out, legislation was in effect from Jan 1st so I have to pay NOX. I'm being stung for quite a bit extra on top of VRT. It's working out at an additional 60% of the VRT charge. Diesel cars are getting hit the hardest.
I will lodge an appeal and state the specific circumstances in hope that if enough people lodge similar complaints an action/decision to grant a specific circumstance as an exception will be decided on. likelihood of this happening, who knows.
I'll live and learn and I'll hope and pray for revenue to have a heart :P

Hopefully not too many people have been stung with the same unfortunate outcome.

The excel file which was shared previously is really helpful btw, Thanks.
I will lodge an appeal

michellie

Leeroy! wrote: »

Sorry for pulling up this post a few pages back but I feel this will be a recurring question/situation in the coming weeks.

I imported a car 2nd week in Dec, booked the appointment the next day on NCT website, the only slot I could find was on 4th January so I booked. I figured because of the date of import being in Dec and the date of booking the appointment being in December along with the fact that 'the system' couldn't get me in before January, this NOX charge shouldn't be charged.
I believe previously VRT was charged from the date of import hence Revenue asking for proof of importation date?
As it turns out, legislation was in effect from Jan 1st so I have to pay NOX. I'm being stung for quite a bit extra on top of VRT. It's working out at an additional 60% of the VRT charge. Diesel cars are getting hit the hardest.
I will lodge an appeal and state the specific circumstances in hope that if enough people lodge similar complaints an action/decision to grant a specific circumstance as an exception will be decided on. likelihood of this happening, who knows.
I'll live and learn and I'll hope and pray for revenue to have a heart :P

Hopefully not too many people have been stung with the same unfortunate outcome.

The excel file which was shared previously is really helpful btw, Thanks.
I will lodge an appeal

A Lot of people have, you should be refunded NOx due to the circumstances

User1998

The_Fitz wrote: »

Completed VRTVPD2 form.
Dated invoice from purchase.
PPS card.
Passport.
Print out of Bord Gais statement for proof of address.
Printout from VRT calculator to prove CO2 emissions.

Do I need to provide proof of shipping? As it's from the north that obviously doesn't apply.

You don’t need the printout to prove CO2 emissions.

You don’t need shipping details either.

Your figure for nox seems very high for a petrol?

Leeroy!

michellie wrote: »

A Lot of people have, you should be refunded NOx due to the circumstances

I really hope so... but the only thing I can do right now is pay and submit an appeal. I can't help but help feel powerless in this. Genuinely had I known it would be that much and not be able to get an appointment I wouldn't have brought the car in. I don't think by law they are obliged to refund me which is why I'm not so positive.

AndyBoBandy

It’s looking increasingly likely I’ll be importing something in the next few weeks.

Looking at a 2016 A6 2.0TDI Auto. I got a fright when looking over the last few pages and saw this Nox tax, but according to the excel sheet from revenue the Nox on the model I’m looking at is only around €275, so negligible at best!!

L-M

I don’t understand why you think you’d be entitled to a refund of the NOX when you bought a car after the tax was announced and didn’t check before importing it that there would be an available slot.

I’d be very surprised if a refund was issued.

Higgins5473

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

It’s looking increasingly likely I’ll be importing something in the next few weeks.

Looking at a 2016 A6 2.0TDI Auto. I got a fright when looking over the last few pages and saw this Nox tax, but according to the excel sheet from revenue the Nox on the model I’m looking at is only around €275, so negligible at best!!

It's an additional €275 on an already ludicrously high charge tax for nothing in the first place. I wouldn't take any positive from it, its a tax on a tax.

colm_mcm

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

It’s looking increasingly likely I’ll be importing something in the next few weeks.

Looking at a 2016 A6 2.0TDI Auto. I got a fright when looking over the last few pages and saw this Nox tax, but according to the excel sheet from revenue the Nox on the model I’m looking at is only around €275, so negligible at best!!

Check it using the reg for free on www.cartell.ie

The revenue one was wrong about my car for example and is too general.

AndyBoBandy

Higgins5473 wrote: »

It's an additional €275 on an already ludicrously high charge tax for nothing in the first place. I wouldn't take any positive from it, its a tax on a tax.

Yeah but I’m still saving around €6,000 compared to buying similar (but with less spec) in Ireland, so they can happily have their extra €275 tax...

Higgins5473

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Yeah but I’m still saving around €6,000 compared to buying similar (but with less spec) in Ireland, so they can happily have their extra €275 tax...

Or you were saving €6,275.

But you will with this extra €275 be helping to save a polar ice cap from melting a little bit faster, apparently.

AndyBoBandy

Higgins5473 wrote: »

Or you were saving €6,275.

But you will with this extra €275 be helping to save a polar ice cap from melting a little bit faster, apparently.

Greta will be so proud of me

AndyBoBandy

colm_mcm wrote: »

Check it using the reg for free on www.cartell.ie

The revenue one was wrong about my car for example and is too general.

Yep, checks out, €275

L-M

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Yeah but I’m still saving around €6,000 compared to buying similar (but with less spec) in Ireland, so they can happily have their extra €275 tax...

Where’s the 6000 saving from?

Higgins5473

L-M wrote: »

Where’s the 6000 saving from?

Inches, off the polar Ice cap. But since January it will be 6,275 inches.

AndyBoBandy

L-M wrote: »

Where’s the 6000 saving from?

Similar spec car in Ireland is working out about €6,000 more expensive than buying in the U.K.

It’s the reason this thread exists...