Race car import costs

[trap125]

When buying a race car from another EU country is the car liable for any import duties or other costs?

Any info would be much appreciated.

[andrewcliffe]

No. Until end of October, free movement of goods and people within all member states of the EU.

Its a little bit more complicated than that if the vendor is a VAT registered trader and the buyer is also VAT registered as you pay the pre-tax price and declare the purchase on your next VAT return.

[anonymous-user]

Channel Islands aren’t considered part of UK or EU for VAT purposes, so import costs from Jersey etc would apply. I found this out having spotted a “bargain” hillclimb car that I later realised would be subject to VAT and thus 20% over my budget!

[trap125]

Thanks guys

[trap125]

andrewcliffe said:

No. Until end of October, free movement of goods and people within all member states of the EU.

Its a little bit more complicated than that if the vendor is a VAT registered trader and the buyer is also VAT registered as you pay the pre-tax price and declare the purchase on your next VAT return.

In theory, if I bought a car in, say Italy for talking sake, I could drive there, collect it and bring it back with nothing else to pay on top of the purchase price. Would that be correct?

[andrewcliffe]

If it’s a road registered car you will need to go through the deregistration process and get temporary transit plates and possibly getting the paperwork witnessed by a notary.

But no taxes...

Edited by andrewcliffe on Friday 30th August 15:41

[trap125]

Thanks Andrew.

Would be a race car so hopefully wouldn't need to deal with those issues.

[andrewcliffe]

If its not road-registered, then it should be straightforward - collect and drive home. However, avoid travelling through Switzerland on way back - keep to France.

[Krikkit]

andrewcliffe said:

However, avoid travelling through Switzerland on way back - keep to France.

Why, because they're so punitive with speeding, or just enjoy endless red tape?

[andrewcliffe]

Because you're going out of the EU and then back in again. This may have been a one off but this is based upon personal experience.

Years ago, I went to Switzerland to collect a Transit van load of classic car spare parts. We were let out by the Swiss customs, but the French customs insisted on sealing me in the van to prevent me selling these parts in France. Quite obviously that wasn't possible - if we were sealed inside the van we couldn't go to the loo, fill up with fuel... The French wouldn't let us in.

OK - turn around... But the Swiss wouldn't let us back in either, or without paying quite a lot of money which we didn't have with us...

Cue a phone call to a Swiss lawyer we know, who managed to talk some sense into people. We got back into Switzerland and waited until the evening and went out through a different, smaller border post, but we were in between countries in no-mans-land for about 4 hours.

[trap125]

Thanks for the tip!