Importing from Germany
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Discussion

johninspain

Original Poster:

201 posts

201 months

Tuesday 7th September 2010
quotequote all
Can anyone help me here ! I need to know if i have to pay the VAT in Germany if i buy a used car, also if i have to apy any when it comes to the uk ?

Also what is the process to regester the car in the UK ?

johninspain

Original Poster:

201 posts

201 months

Tuesday 7th September 2010
quotequote all
Anyone ?

flemke

23,493 posts

266 months

Tuesday 7th September 2010
quotequote all

I'm not trying to be funny, but you should start by looking at this:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/BuyingAndSell...

In Germany, you can get "Export" plates for any duration between 7 days and 1 yr. They're good for anywhere in EU. To get them, you need to take the physical car to a DVLA-equiv office (there are many). At that office, you can arrange to meet a private person who works for insurance companies, and through him get temporary, all-EU cover for the duration of the temp reg.
The vendor should make themselves available to assist in you getting the export plates and cover in Germany. You don't want to have to go through that bureaucracy on your own unless you're fluent in German.

Then do the stuff described on the UK gov't site. That will include changing around the fog and reversing lights, having a "mph" speedo (or stick-on label over kph version), changing headlamp orientation, maybe one or two other things.

If tax was paid on the car originally anywhere in the EU, no tax will be due in UK. I think that, in any case, no (value-added) tax is due on a car more than 6 mos old, but will stand to be corrected on the timing of that.

You can get cert of conformity from UK office of whatever company made the car.

HTH.