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Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:02 am
by Sundayjumper
It's a complete flight of fancy right now, but humour me. Is it fairly painless to import a used car from Europe (while we're still in the EU) ? No VAT / import duty, you just get it MOT'd & registered ?

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:08 am
by drcarlos
As far as I'm aware you only have to pay the VAT on stuff newer than a certain age.

Fairly standard for squaddies to buy cars in Germany/Belgium/Holland and bring them back to the UK at the end of a posting. It's well trodden path. If you know anyone in the forces they'll know or know someone that has done it and knows the process well (probably via the cheapest method too)

Carl.

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 11:17 am
by integrale_evo
No vat as long as vat was payed in the country it was originally purchased, its more than 6 months old and has done more than 6,000km.

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 11:22 am
by JonMad
I think there's a special sub-clause that you might fall foul of.
Rule 4f (part 13.2) wrote:No vehicles in any shade of silver are permitted to be personally imported into the United Kingdom.

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 11:33 am
by Jimmy Choo
Sundayjumper wrote: Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:02 am It's a complete flight of fancy right now, but humour me. Is it fairly painless to import a used car from Europe (while we're still in the EU) ? No VAT / import duty, you just get it MOT'd & registered ?
What silver BMW are you planning to import?

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 12:41 pm
by Sundayjumper
Jimmy Choo wrote: Wed Dec 19, 2018 11:33 am What silver BMW are you planning to import?
ALL OF THEM.

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 2:13 pm
by Jimmy Choo
Sundayjumper wrote: Wed Dec 19, 2018 12:41 pm
Jimmy Choo wrote: Wed Dec 19, 2018 11:33 am What silver BMW are you planning to import?
ALL OF THEM.
Your wife might get a touch upset at that many cars on your drive. :lol:

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 4:52 pm
by mr_jon
Might have to move quickly before GBP < EUR.

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:13 pm
by Sundayjumper
Jimmy Choo wrote: Wed Dec 19, 2018 2:13 pm Your wife might get a touch upset at that many cars on your drive. :lol:
I dunno. We have seven cars at the moment and she doesn’t seem too bothered. It’s like it’s some kind of staring match, to see who breaks first. Her patience or my ability to maintain that many cars. My money is actually on the latter unfortunately :(

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:32 pm
by NotoriousREV
By the time you’ve got to 7 silver cars, surely she won’t even notice an 8th or a 9th?

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2018 11:48 am
by Sundayjumper
Funny you should say that, the neighbours didn't notice the second Compact until my wife told them !

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2018 11:51 am
by Rich B
I think the rules are pretty easy. For any more than 1 car each you can have as many cars as you can physically park on your property. If you have room Steve, get more!

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2018 3:00 pm
by integrale_evo
Rich B wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 11:51 am I think the rules are pretty easy. For any more than 1 car each you can have as many cars as you can physically park on your property. If you have room Steve, get more!
Harry likes this rule 👍🏻

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2018 2:26 pm
by Sundayjumper
integrale_evo wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 3:00 pm Harry likes this rule 👍🏻
Harry is, IIRC, three cars ahead of me !

I need to get a proper workshop. Out of sight, out of mind !

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2018 2:36 pm
by ste
integrale_evo wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 3:00 pm
Rich B wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 11:51 am I think the rules are pretty easy. For any more than 1 car each you can have as many cars as you can physically park on your property. If you have room Steve, get more!
Harry likes this rule 👍🏻
:lol:

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 11:01 pm
by unzippy
Sundayjumper wrote: Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:02 am It's a complete flight of fancy right now, but humour me. Is it fairly painless to import a used car from Europe (while we're still in the EU) ? No VAT / import duty, you just get it MOT'd & registered ?
So long as it really is Europe. I imported a Golf from Switzerland, it was only when I got it home that I realised it wasn't really Europe :lol:

Re: Importing a used car from Europe

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 11:36 am
by IanF
https://vavato.com/en/#!/auctions/5bfc0ddfdcf2e

I’m currently obsessing about an E30 M3 and 635csi plus others..

There’s a couple of M5 Tourings for RichB (E34 or 61) aswell!