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

reubenreuben

TTS wrote: »

Cheers for replies, I am insured via Elephant at the minute but just amazed that these clowns enforce that the car must display it's plates within 3 days yet they haven't got the structure in place so as to have the car on a database immediately.

I'm from NI and so is the car but because I'm here longer I have to pay the robbery charge. You'd at least expect a smooth service given you're taking it up the posterior for the privilege! They've some neck pulling a grand off me out of a car that's only worth 6K never mind road tax/insurance being x3 what I paid in the north. Absolutely pathetic piss take of a country this is.

Just for anyone else in the same process BTW, you cannot get insurance from any ROI company unless the new reg is officially recorded and cannot get tax unless insurance is in place.

Rang the AA and all I got was 150e put on top of the online quote I'd received 2hrs earlier (guaranteed for 7 days) and practically begged at to go through him (be wanting his commission), feel like reporting the clown.

NCT office were a lot of help, 'Maybe the problem is with Northern Ireland sir' imbecile....

Try not let it get you down as you may have to try the health service.
Now that's a rip off

mickdw

TTS wrote: »

Cheers for replies, I am insured via Elephant at the minute but just amazed that these clowns enforce that the car must display it's plates within 3 days yet they haven't got the structure in place so as to have the car on a database immediately.

I'm from NI and so is the car but because I'm here longer I have to pay the robbery charge. You'd at least expect a smooth service given you're taking it up the posterior for the privilege! They've some neck pulling a grand off me out of a car that's only worth 6K never mind road tax/insurance being x3 what I paid in the north. Absolutely pathetic piss take of a country this is.

Just for anyone else in the same process BTW, you cannot get insurance from any ROI company unless the new reg is officially recorded and cannot get tax unless insurance is in place.

Rang the AA and all I got was 150e put on top of the online quote I'd received 2hrs earlier (guaranteed for 7 days) and practically begged at to go through him (be wanting his commission), feel like reporting the clown.

NCT office were a lot of help, 'Maybe the problem is with Northern Ireland sir' imbecile....

If things are so much better in the north, i cant imagine why you want anything to do with this country.

User1998

TTS wrote: »

Cheers for replies, I am insured via Elephant at the minute but just amazed that these clowns enforce that the car must display it's plates within 3 days yet they haven't got the structure in place so as to have the car on a database immediately.

I'm from NI and so is the car but because I'm here longer I have to pay the robbery charge. You'd at least expect a smooth service given you're taking it up the posterior for the privilege! They've some neck pulling a grand off me out of a car that's only worth 6K never mind road tax/insurance being x3 what I paid in the north. Absolutely pathetic piss take of a country this is.

Just for anyone else in the same process BTW, you cannot get insurance from any ROI company unless the new reg is officially recorded and cannot get tax unless insurance is in place.

You can get insurance for 30 days on a NI reg

Yes by law you have to change the plates within 3 days, 3 days from when you pay VRT, not from when your appointment was, so at present your not required to display Irish plates

You can tax the car without insurance, just enter 12345 as your policy number

Dante

How long does it take for your registration to come up on the Motor Tax website? Its been almost 24 hours now and I still can't log in using my registration and pin.

dickdasr1234

DaaaaaaaaaaN wrote: »

How long does it take for your registration to come up on the Motor Tax website? Its been almost 24 hours now and I still can't log in using my registration and pin.

Mine came up at 18:00 same day, as advised, some 4 hours after the transaction.

Dante

dickdasr1234 wrote: »

Mine came up at 18:00 same day, as advised, some 4 hours after the transaction.

Hmm I'm over 24 hours now and still no joy. Any idea who I should contact?

Car99

DaaaaaaaaaaN wrote: »

Hmm I'm over 24 hours now and still no joy. Any idea who I should contact?

Give it a couple of days.

Dante

Car99 wrote: »

Give it a couple of days.

Whats the story if the guards pull me over in the meantime? I'm already on the Irish reg plates.

Car99

You have your document receipt from the VRT office and if the Gardai want to check your story out all they have to do is check online. What more can you do? How long do you have to NCT the car ? Are UK MOT's accepted here in between clearing the car and NCT ?

User1998

No they aren’t but there’s obviously discretion given for a newly registered vehicle

wassie

deezell wrote: »

.
...ROI insurers will insure a car with a UK/NI reg for about 30 days, after which they expect you to have registered it with a ROI reg number...

Can anyone confirm if this is still the case or if any insurers may have changed their position since brexit. Just curious given how many things have changed since UK are no longer subject to EU rules.

Isambard

wassie wrote: »

Can anyone confirm if this is still the case or if any insurers may have changed their position since brexit. Just curious given how many things have changed since UK are no longer subject to EU rules.

I don't think it's an issue driven by the Insurance Co or the EU, it's the requirement that the Ins Co report anyone with a foreign reg car insured for more than 30days, a requirement of Revenue I presume.

LasersGoPewPew

Does it still make sense to import a car from the UK? I want to import a 2018-2019 Volvo S90 D4 Inscription or XC60. Am I correct in saying that I have to pay VAT on the invoiced price + shipping at the port, followed by VRT + NOX when I register it. How is customs duty calculated for cars?

Isambard

LasersGoPewPew wrote: »

Does it still make sense to import a car from the UK? I want to import a 2018-2019 Volvo S90 D4 Inscription or XC60. Am I correct in saying that I have to pay VAT on the invoiced price + shipping at the port, followed by VRT + NOX when I register it. How is customs duty calculated for cars?

plus 10% Duty on a non GB built car

Can you find a NI registered one? would save a fortune

younggalway

LasersGoPewPew wrote: »

Does it still make sense to import a car from the UK? I want to import a 2018-2019 Volvo S90 D4 Inscription or XC60. Am I correct in saying that I have to pay VAT on the invoiced price + shipping at the port, followed by VRT + NOX when I register it. How is customs duty calculated for cars?

Also wondering about the last part. Trying to work out figures for someone buying through the disabled passengers scheme. Might just be easier to buy from the north directly and use the VAT notice 707. My only question is how to calculate the import duty? Is it 10% of the purchase price in GBP excluding VAT? Or 10% of the revenue's OMSP on their site? Anyone know for sure?

funnyname

I spoke to the campervan dealer today to get the Customs Declaration Number (MRN) so I could check for myself re the vat and import duty situation.

I was fobbed off, they told me a 3rd party looked after all of that for them and that they have done 2 similar post Brexit sales to mine and no issues re VAT, etc.

He said that given the VRT process is billed to a company in NI rather than a company or individual in ROI that VAT or Import Duty didn't come into play. However I'm still very sceptical about that given it'll be VRT'd by them however with my details.

I'm a bit of a doubting Thomas given the definitive info online and my main worry is that if it did go through the VRT process with no additional changes that I might at some stage in the future get a letter in the post from the Revenue saying oh by the way, you owe us 23% VAT and 10% Import duty.

You can be sure about one thing the Revenue will always get their man!

mickdw

funnyname wrote: »

I spoke to the campervan dealer today to get the Customs Declaration Number (MRN) so I could check for myself re the vat and import duty situation.

I was fobbed off, they told me a 3rd party looked after all of that for them and that they have done 2 similar post Brexit sales to mine and no issues re VAT, etc.

He said that given the VRT process is billed to a company in NI rather than a company or individual in ROI that VAT or Import Duty didn't come into play. However I'm still very sceptical about that given it'll be VRT'd by them however with my details.

I'm a bit of a doubting Thomas given the definitive info online and my main worry is that if it did go through the VRT process with no additional changes that I might at some stage in the future get a letter in the post from the Revenue saying oh by the way, you owe us 23% VAT and 10% Import duty.

You can be sure about one thing the Revenue will always get their man!

Ya id be very wary of that.
Too much bullsh1t there to be satisfied.
I see a dealer adverting cars in Ni too who also have a dublin presence and I see them now advertising on uk plate and promising its only the vrt and nox due but not offering to sell it on the irish plate.

Isambard

Agree, I don't suppose the Dealer knows anything definite about the process same as the rest of us!

deezell

Isambard wrote: »

Agree, I don't suppose the Dealer knows anything definite about the process same as the rest of us!

They are probably working furiously with their insider revenues contacts to devise a bodge for dealers to avoid the double VAT and offset the duty, but in such a way that the private importer is excluded.
Pre Brexit they banged the drum endlessly that we were all bringing in smoky unroadworthy clocked fixed up writeoffs, and only they could be trusted to supply used cars. Turns out they were importing the dross, we were bringing in the cream.
I smell a rat from the campervan dealers response.

LillySV

ok just going slightly off topic for sec...has anyone ever had situation where their car reg isnt showing up on Insurance computer database for some reason?

amcg_

bazz26 wrote: »

So the burning question is has anyone tried bringing one in yet? Everyone is waiting for a guinea pig including Revenue probably.

I might end up being that person....
I’m from NI and live in ROI. Seen a used car in NI but was brought to NI from England mid Jan so English address on logbook meaning I’ll have to pay VAT.
But if my dad who lives in NI bought it then sold it to me, I don’t have to pay it??
I’ve asked it as a question on a thread.

reubenreuben

deezell wrote: »

They are probably working furiously with their insider revenues contacts to devise a bodge for dealers to avoid the double VAT and offset the duty, but in such a way that the private importer is excluded.
Pre Brexit they banged the drum endlessly that we were all bringing in smoky unroadworthy clocked fixed up writeoffs, and only they could be trusted to supply used cars. Turns out they were importing the dross, we were bringing in the cream.
I smell a rat from the campervan dealers response.

Thats true in my experience, all the cars I have imported from ni over the years were much higher spec and lower mileage than anything to be found in irelands dealers.

Thomasirl123

funnyname wrote: »

I spoke to the campervan dealer today to get the Customs Declaration Number (MRN) so I could check for myself re the vat and import duty situation.

I was fobbed off, they told me a 3rd party looked after all of that for them and that they have done 2 similar post Brexit sales to mine and no issues re VAT, etc.

He said that given the VRT process is billed to a company in NI rather than a company or individual in ROI that VAT or Import Duty didn't come into play. However I'm still very sceptical about that given it'll be VRT'd by them however with my details.

I'm a bit of a doubting Thomas given the definitive info online and my main worry is that if it did go through the VRT process with no additional changes that I might at some stage in the future get a letter in the post from the Revenue saying oh by the way, you owe us 23% VAT and 10% Import duty.

You can be sure about one thing the Revenue will always get their man!

It can't be vrted without any tax/duties been paid so you should go for it. Mainly because we need a guinea pig 😂

Luckylow10

LillySV wrote: »

ok just going slightly off topic for sec...has anyone ever had situation where their car reg isnt showing up on Insurance computer database for some reason?

Yes, when a car was new or newly registered, They just took my reg number and make and model and manually entered it.

User1998

amcg_ wrote: »

I might end up being that person....
I’m from NI and live in ROI. Seen a used car in NI but was brought to NI from England mid Jan so English address on logbook meaning I’ll have to pay VAT.
But if my dad who lives in NI bought it then sold it to me, I don’t have to pay it??
I’ve asked it as a question on a thread.

Your dad would have bought it after Brexit so you’ll probably still have to pay VAT

LillySV

Luckylow10 wrote: »

Yes, when a car was new or newly registered, They just took my reg number and make and model and manually entered it.

i think this is in ireland for over a year...and it does appear on motorcheck and micksgarage...just not on allianz

deezell

reubenreuben wrote: »

Thats true in my experience, all the cars I have imported from ni over the years were much higher spec and lower mileage than anything to be found in irelands dealers.

...And the first Imported car I ever bought was from a dealer here, who clocked it by 30k miles. We caught him out though, when I copped the vin on the service record didn't match the car. One car check later, followed by a comlaint to consumer agency, he denied everything, ended up in court in the midlands, gulity as charged, had to pay us 2 grand. Result.

LillySV

deezell wrote: »

...And the first Imported car I ever bought was from a dealer here, who clocked it by 30k miles. We caught him out though, when I copped the vin on the service record didn't match the car. One car check later, followed by a comlaint to consumer agency, he denied everything, ended up in court in the midlands, gulity as charged, had to pay us 2 grand. Result.

Id say our dealers have brought a lot of ****e in. I went looking for car afew years ago and came across two dealers near enough to each other in Clare who had imported cars for sale but had to change the clocks on the cars ..as they were faulty....yea right

newmember2

amcg_ wrote: »

I might end up being that person....
I’m from NI and live in ROI. Seen a used car in NI but was brought to NI from England mid Jan so English address on logbook meaning I’ll have to pay VAT.
But if my dad who lives in NI bought it then sold it to me, I don’t have to pay it??
I’ve asked it as a question on a thread.

So you're saying, regardless when the vehicle is brought into NI, once I can get it registered there I won't be liable for VAT when I bring it down South? Surely if that was the case we'd have agents registering vehicles in NI to beat the band and charging a small fee to anyone needing to import from the UK?

User1998

No, the poster is wrong in their conclusion