Classic Car Import. EU into UK.
Discussion
Morning All.
Anyone know the latest on this?
Talking about a classic car over 30 years old (in case you didn't know 30 years plus means no import duty on importing from outside the EU, only VAT to be paid). In this case, EU VAT would have originally been paid in the 90s in Germany.
Does anybody have any idea what's the score now post BREXIT?
PS. I've searched these forums for an answer but was only able to find speculation posted prior to BREXIT.
Anyone know the latest on this?
Talking about a classic car over 30 years old (in case you didn't know 30 years plus means no import duty on importing from outside the EU, only VAT to be paid). In this case, EU VAT would have originally been paid in the 90s in Germany.
Does anybody have any idea what's the score now post BREXIT?
PS. I've searched these forums for an answer but was only able to find speculation posted prior to BREXIT.
Thanks Guys. I imported a car last year from Japan and if my memory serves me correctly there was 5% VAT and that was it. So maybe it's the same with the EU.
Yes, DVLA, as someone suggested, took AGES.
If anyone has first hand experience of this (post BREXIT EU IMPORT), I'd like to hear.
Thanks!
Yes, DVLA, as someone suggested, took AGES.
If anyone has first hand experience of this (post BREXIT EU IMPORT), I'd like to hear.
Thanks!
The Nova process is the same. Once that is complete and any (unlikely on a 30yp car) duties are paid it's the age old process with DVLA.
My Trabant came into the UK from Czech Republic ten years ago. Never officially arrived at all. I completed a Nova when I got it last September. DVLA took a month to query the Nova. HMR+C took 10 minutes on the phone to confirm they had no interest and the Nova was complete. It took DVLA another month to write back querying the Nova again....
My Trabant came into the UK from Czech Republic ten years ago. Never officially arrived at all. I completed a Nova when I got it last September. DVLA took a month to query the Nova. HMR+C took 10 minutes on the phone to confirm they had no interest and the Nova was complete. It took DVLA another month to write back querying the Nova again....
In my case, this is a 1970s USA car that was imported to Germany in the early 1990s (so presumably EU VAT was paid then) and I'd want to know if I'd need to pay any taxes when bringing it into the UK.
Some have suggested that it will now be treated as any other foreign import and therefore 5% VAT would be payable, but since EU VAT was paid back in the 90s I wonder if this is not the case. It's not too important, since 5% doesnt' amount to too much so I'll factor it in accordingly.
For vehicles of less than 30 years old there is also import duty to be paid. I forget the amount exactly but it's somewhere in the 25 to 30% region. This is normal, every country does this.
When I imported a car from Japan last year I'd assumed, incorrectly, that the cut off point was 25 years. My personal import was 29 years and 6 months old, so imagine my surpise when I learnt that in addition to the VAT I would also have to pay duty of nearly $10,000 USD that I hadn't budgeted for. In the end, I found HMRC to be totally flexible and understanding of the situation. They waived the duty on account of the car being old and I think they would've done the same if the car was 28 or even 27 years old. This rule is to protect the domestic new car market, not to prevent enthusiasts importing a classic. I found HMRC to be really helpful.
DVLA on the other hand, OMG, how difficult is it to deal with these people, and soooooo slow. Once HMRC have confirmed that all taxes have been paid (a process that took about 48 hours) you send their confirmation of this to the DVLA, along with a few other docs and they will register the car and send you the V5. That takes forever, about 6 weeks in my case. 6 weeks where you're new pride and joy is sat on your driveway, tempting you to put some fake plates on it
Some have suggested that it will now be treated as any other foreign import and therefore 5% VAT would be payable, but since EU VAT was paid back in the 90s I wonder if this is not the case. It's not too important, since 5% doesnt' amount to too much so I'll factor it in accordingly.
For vehicles of less than 30 years old there is also import duty to be paid. I forget the amount exactly but it's somewhere in the 25 to 30% region. This is normal, every country does this.
When I imported a car from Japan last year I'd assumed, incorrectly, that the cut off point was 25 years. My personal import was 29 years and 6 months old, so imagine my surpise when I learnt that in addition to the VAT I would also have to pay duty of nearly $10,000 USD that I hadn't budgeted for. In the end, I found HMRC to be totally flexible and understanding of the situation. They waived the duty on account of the car being old and I think they would've done the same if the car was 28 or even 27 years old. This rule is to protect the domestic new car market, not to prevent enthusiasts importing a classic. I found HMRC to be really helpful.
DVLA on the other hand, OMG, how difficult is it to deal with these people, and soooooo slow. Once HMRC have confirmed that all taxes have been paid (a process that took about 48 hours) you send their confirmation of this to the DVLA, along with a few other docs and they will register the car and send you the V5. That takes forever, about 6 weeks in my case. 6 weeks where you're new pride and joy is sat on your driveway, tempting you to put some fake plates on it
I agree. HMR+C are extremely helpful. DVLA on the other hand...
If DVLA can, they will reject the application. It's like dealing with a third world country and bureaucracy. If they need clarification, they could email you or even phone, but no. Send all the paperwork back with a letter not exactly telling you why. In my case because they put an extra digit in the chassis number when interrogating HMRC about the Nova. So they sent everything back and told me I needed to contact HMRC, but not why. They seem incapable of reading a covering letter either. Because if they had, they would have been able to process my application.
If DVLA can, they will reject the application. It's like dealing with a third world country and bureaucracy. If they need clarification, they could email you or even phone, but no. Send all the paperwork back with a letter not exactly telling you why. In my case because they put an extra digit in the chassis number when interrogating HMRC about the Nova. So they sent everything back and told me I needed to contact HMRC, but not why. They seem incapable of reading a covering letter either. Because if they had, they would have been able to process my application.
Tyre Smoke said:
I agree. HMR+C are extremely helpful. DVLA on the other hand...
If DVLA can, they will reject the application. It's like dealing with a third world country and bureaucracy.
Because that's exactly what they are.If DVLA can, they will reject the application. It's like dealing with a third world country and bureaucracy.
They are not an accountable Govt department anymore, they are now an unaccountable, privatised for profit making entity.......and pretty much seem to now be a law unto themselves....
And likely the situation will only be getting worse, with longer delays soon, given the recent news about staff strikes soon, as a result of DVLA forcing their workings into their offices with poorly applied or non-existant Covid protocols in place.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56647149
TISPKJ said:
OP - I paid 5% from USA end of Jan 2021 if that helps you.
Sorry, it kind've doesn't...hahahaha. In that it was an import from the USA. I was asking about within the EU because, in my particular case EU VAT has already been paid, back in 1990 something, when the car was exported from the USA into the EU. So maybe it doesn't need to be paid again. But now the UK is not part of the EU, who knows.mundo-kombi.com said:
TISPKJ said:
OP - I paid 5% from USA end of Jan 2021 if that helps you.
Sorry, it kind've doesn't...hahahaha. In that it was an import from the USA. I was asking about within the EU because, in my particular case EU VAT has already been paid, back in 1990 something, when the car was exported from the USA into the EU. So maybe it doesn't need to be paid again. But now the UK is not part of the EU, who knows.mundo-kombi.com said:
TISPKJ said:
OP - I paid 5% from USA end of Jan 2021 if that helps you.
Sorry, it kind've doesn't...hahahaha. In that it was an import from the USA. I was asking about within the EU because, in my particular case EU VAT has already been paid, back in 1990 something, when the car was exported from the USA into the EU. So maybe it doesn't need to be paid again. But now the UK is not part of the EU, who knows.Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff