Swiss Import- a taxing question

[epoch911]

Hi All
I'm currently looking to buy and import a car from Switzerland. I'm trying to understand the VAT and import duty rules but the car doesn't seem to fit the examples that are covered in their documentation and after what feels like hours of frustration with DVLA and HMRC, I'm hoping that PH may well be able to help.

The car was built and registered in the UK in 1970. I am chasing the paper work for this (I have the original UK registration number so far) but I presume that VAT (at the prevailing rate) was paid. It resided here until 1987 when it was exported to France where it was re-registered on French plates. In 2001 it left the EU and went to Switzerland, existing on French plates for 5 years until it was re-registered with Swiss Veteran papers in 2006.

And now I want to re-import it and I'm trying to understand if I will have to pay VAT and import duty. I'm hoping that if VAT was originally paid on the car when first supplied it may not have to be paid again and that the car is re-importing a car that was formerly exported.

I'm also wondering if the dealer will have to pay Swiss VAT on the sale if the car is exported rather than staying in Switzerland.

Sorry it's a bit long winded

Thanks in advance

Ant

[TooMany2cvs]

epoch911 said:

I'm hoping that if VAT was originally paid on the car when first supplied

It was. The very fact it's had EU plates in the past demonstrates that.

[quote]and that the car is re-importing a car that was formerly exported.

Again, so long as you can prove it's the same car, you're sorted.