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

What's the procedure for someone living in UK, returning home to live here

They'll be bring their car with them that they have 6 or 7 months

What are they liable for and how do they go about customs etc

Hi I’m wondering can anyone provide info on this for me…. looking at a Genuine untouched 2003 VW Golf GTI it’s in serious condition 82k miles full 18 stamped VW history so it’s a little expensive but my question is regardless what I pay for the car on the invoice say £4500 which is roughly €5300. When I bring this car in do I pay VAT and Customs on the OMSP on the revenue site which is €2000 or do I pay the VAT and Customs on sale price from UK. VRT and Nox coming in at €890 based on the OMSP of €2000. Is it VAT and Customs on €2000 then and not what I paid for it..? Thanks in advance….

Thanks @bazz26 And if I bought private how does that work if there’s no invoice??

I'm looking to import a 2017 BMW 320d from the U.K. in February, I think I've figured out all of the charges etc but it would be greatly appreciated if somebody could just look over it for me.

Purchase Price = £9,650 / €11,291 (From a dealership, excluding currency exchange fees)

VRT+NOx = €3545 (According to Revenue calculator)

Cost of transport = €500 (Just a round number for this calculation)

Import Duty = €1,179 (10% of transport+purchase price)

Total cost so far = €16,515

What I can't seem to wrap my head around is the VAT element. A PDF from the revenue website says the there is no VAT element to be paid in Ireland for private buyers purchasing a "used means of transport" (aka more than 6 months old and travelled more than either 6 or 8 thousand km, can't remember which).

Thanks

Here's my calculation:

(((Purchase price + transport+customs clearance)*1.10))*1.23+vrt/nox

(((11,291+500+1)*1.10)*1.23)+3545 =19,500

Add for Customs clearance (1 in above calc)

VRT/nox will be different when you import it.

Considering purchasing an MB E400d for around £40k next year.

Just seeing if sourcing from UK might make financial sense based scarcity of them in Ireland and NI.

Would need to be ex Vat to make viable I think.

Is it difficult to find main dealers that will take care of the vat back for you? I.e they will sell to me minus the vat and claim the 20% back themselves from UK revenue?

If so, it is difficult to claim back myself? And what would I check/ask to be 100% sure I’ll be able to claim it back?

Also, is it true that you can avoid the 10% import duty if the car is less than three years old?

Using this to search for cars. Mentions owners as “ex-private owner”, “ex mbuk employee”, “ex-lease” and think may have seen “ex-demo” too.

Would ex-lease, ex-mbuk and ex-demo all be possible to claim vat back on?

Thanks

If the value is the same then I'd assume the VRT would be the same. If not, you can check the percentage of the value and then use that to calculate the VRT for the coupe.

Also, you said on your previous post "Would need to be ex Vat to make viable I think." What did you mean by this? Can U.K. dealers sell cars to Irish businesses without the Irish business having to pay the VAT? I know Irish businesses can't reclaim UK vat

Is there VRT to be paid on Hybrid or Electric cars?

Surely theres no vrt on nissan leafs or import duty either..

Post 2013 Leafs were built in Sunderland, UK, so the 10% Customs Duty might not apply. VAT would be chargeable unless in NI before 31.12.2020.

Does anyone have experience of bringing a civic, leaf , mini , etc in paying the vrt, vat but not the import duty ? Would it be beyond the expectations that revenue might have a list of cars exempt from import duty because they are UK made .....is it over 50 per cent UK parts needed in manufacture?

Unless they are Japanese/ korean etc

Ya. I had German cars in my head mostly together with their associated brands which appear to be built in varying countries around the Eu but of course you are correct.

Yes. Basically. Need decent proof the car was on NI per Jan 1, 2021