Importing a car from Guernsey?

[SimonTheSailor]

If a car (that was bought new in the UK) was taken to Guernsey amd has lived their since, was to be purchased and taken back to the UK, i think i'm right in saying that VAT must be paid at 20% ?

Also i think they've only recently introduced MOTs over there - any way to check the MOT ?

I'm concerned that the car is 12 years old and has 55,000 miles, can't have been done jyst around Guernsey ?! But if they've only recently introduced the MOT what happened before regarding checking for safety ?

I know a lot of this can only be checked upon inspection of the vehicle but has anybody bought a vehicle from the Channel Islands ?

[TooMany2cvs]

SimonTheSailor said:

If a car (that was bought new in the UK) was taken to Guernsey amd has lived their since, was to be purchased and taken back to the UK, i think i'm right in saying that VAT must be paid at 20% ?

Unless it's previously been EU registered, yes. Import duty, too.

SimonTheSailor said:

I'm concerned that the car is 12 years old and has 55,000 miles, can't have been done jyst around Guernsey ?!

4.5k/year? 380/month? Why on earth not?

SimonTheSailor said:

But if they've only recently introduced the MOT what happened before regarding checking for safety ?

Nothing.

Edited by TooMany2cvs on Thursday 18th January 14:35

[bartesque]

Simon

As others VAT and import duties unless you can prove VAT was originally paid then I am not sure ifyou would have to pay again

you will have to MOT under Guernsey reg before you can transfer over to a UK plate

There is no MOT in Guernsey so your only history would be service records

55k over 12 years is only approx 12miles a day so feasible that mileage was all on island but there are ferries to France and UK

What car is it

[SimonTheSailor]

Thats the other thing i was thinking about - lots (thousands) of small'ish journeys - not ideal.

Its a Monaro.

[j4ck100]

Rust could be a concern from the sea air if it's been there a long time

[j4ck100]

Out of interest and not advising you do it, but would you be stopped and checked if you just drove it onto a ferry to England and drove off again?

[Trevor555]

SimonTheSailor said:

Thats the other thing i was thinking about - lots (thousands) of small'ish journeys - not ideal.

Its a Monaro.

A couple of years ago I spotted what looked like a beautiful Z3 with only 25,000 miles in Jersey, on a dealer forecourt.

I thought I'm having that, so flew there to buy, knowing about the import charges.

It was the worst car I've ever seen with such low mileage, short journeys?

Not sure, may have been some sort of hire car?

Maybe just a one off bad experience, and a lying dealer who said it was lovely, but was a complete waste of time.

[TooMany2cvs]

j4ck100 said:

Out of interest and not advising you do it, but would you be stopped and checked if you just drove it onto a ferry to England and drove off again?

That's the easy bit.

You need to get NOVA certification from HMRC before you can register it with DVLA. HMRC check to see if VAT and duty are due and - if so - paid. And you need to get that underway within 14 days of bringing it in...

[996TT02]

Bought new in UK, and REGISTERED in the UK means VAT, Duty paid already.

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/...

[bartesque]

996TT02 said:

Bought new in UK, and REGISTERED in the UK means VAT, Duty paid already.

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/...

Unless the VAT was recovered when exported

[darreni]

Last I checked, if the car was VAT paid & then imported to Guernsey (& no VAT reclaimed) & has been in Guernsey longer than 3 years, then VAT is due again when reimported to the UK.

That was the guidance from HMRC in Dover (who handled this stuff at the time), though it was a few years ago so could have changed since.

[Arcticfoxman]

SimonTheSailor said:

If a car (that was bought new in the UK) was taken to Guernsey amd has lived their since, was to be purchased and taken back to the UK, i think i'm right in saying that VAT must be paid at 20% ?

Also i think they've only recently introduced MOTs over there - any way to check the MOT ?

I'm concerned that the car is 12 years old and has 55,000 miles, can't have been done jyst around Guernsey ?! But if they've only recently introduced the MOT what happened before regarding checking for safety ?

I know a lot of this can only be checked upon inspection of the vehicle but has anybody bought a vehicle from the Channel Islands ?

If you have proof it was originally a UK car then no vat to pay.
Mileage is average for a CI car. Service wise you need to see the receipts. Proper history.
No MoT's there so get an RAC or AA check on it before buying - they are way more strict than an MoT. Out of interest what car is it?

[Arcticfoxman]

j4ck100 said:

Out of interest and not advising you do it, but would you be stopped and checked if you just drove it onto a ferry to England and drove off again?

No of course you wouldn't. In fact I think legally you can drive it on G plates for up to 6 months... insure it registered in G but driven on mainland. I know someone who brought his G car to England when off to University...6 years ago 🤣

[Arcticfoxman]

bartesque said:

Unless the VAT was recovered when exported

Don't think there's ever been a reclaim scheme for vat on cars. It's either supplied vat free or "oops too late". The reclaim scheme is only applicable to items bought by retailers who are members of the scheme (in my experience only big stores) and is for items "carried in your personal bagfage". As for cars..
"2.4 If VAT is shown on the customer’s invoice
A vehicle purchased at a price including VAT won’t be eligible for a refund even if the customer later exports it to a destination outside the EU."