Anyone done this lately? Looks like you can save about £1,500 on a new MTS if you buy it in France. Does anyone have any idea of the costs and time scales involved?
I know about going the other way - UK to France and it is quite easy. It should not be any more difficult going the other way. Be aware that French market bikes are restricted to 106 bhp at the moment.
I bought my new DVT here in France, got a good deal and I've just received the letter from Ducati telling me to take the bike in to be derestriced as its the first bike to be homologated to full power. Next January all bikes with be sold here with the same power as the rest of Europe. As I've just finished running the bike in its perfect timing, I had already spoken to the dealer and they were ok about de restricting the bike with my race license. With the euro being weak at the moment it might be worth looking at importing.
The restriction is as Reg says going in January, so those of us with full power bikes will be legal. The restriction is a French road law, and it matters not what licence you hold, it is illegal at the moment to have a French registered full power bike on the road. Having said that there are many French bikers who are willing to risk the up to €30,000 fine to have more than 106 bhp, me being one of them.
Most of the guys I known, most of them French all ride full power, it seems a difficult law to enforce............. I bought my Tuono from a French guy who didn't try and hide the fact that the bike was full power, I fact he thought it was normal that all big bikes were in full. The MTS is the first new bike I've purchased here and I wouldn't have done it without being able to use all 160 hp...
So if I buy in France and import to he UK immediately I would have to pay to derestrict it I suppose. Presumably just an EMU adjustment. Either that or wait until January. Does anyone know the story of the 106BHP legislation in France? Just out of interest ...
I don't know the reason for the 106 hp law but I think it accounts for the small number of sports bikes and the large number of big trialled and supermotos (in standard trim they are under 106) I'll find out when mine gets done if the new ones are coming with 160 hp before the change in January.
Probably not even an electronic restriction! My 848 was just a bracket that stopped the throttle opening fully - very crude! The history comes from the '80s and '90s when Europe as a whole was going to restrict bikes to 100 bhp. In 1992 BMW replaced the 100bhp K100RS 16v with the 100bhp 1100 version which had more potential as an engine, the reason was the expected power limit. France was quick to legislate but the idea was dropped by Europe. The 106 seems to be a bit of wiggle room, but it could also be that power is now measured in Kw so has been rounded up!
I believe if you import the bike back to the UK and it's under 6 months old or has less than 6,000km on the odometer, you will be liable for to pay UK VAT. If you buy 2nd hand and both of these criteria have been met, you'll be OK. VAT Notice 728 : New means of transport
The EU VAT laws are confusing - why should you pay VAT in France and then have to pay again :Rage::Rage::Rage::Rage::Rage:
Another advantage of the "single market" we keep hearing about then? Anyway, I think the EU is great. It only took, what, 20 years to make progress on endiing roaming charges for mobile phones. Think how long it would take for it to achieve something truly important, like deal with a refugee crisis!
You don't. Same if you buy a bike new in the UK and bring it here. You buy new tax free in the country of purchase and pay the VAT in the country of registration. That is standard across the EU. No need to be confused it is very simple. Thousands of people do it every year.
Seems like it's set up to stop you doing exactly this kind of thing. Your bargain suddenly becomes very expensive. You may pick up a 2nd hand bargain.
I don't know about that Bob, you may be right if it's not registered in France and you don't pay VAT. I have no experience of this so can't comment. If you register it in France, then VAT will have to be paid in France. You'll then pay again in the UK when filling in the NOVA form. It all seems like a right chew on for £1,500 tbh For that kind of saving I'd rather walk into my local dealer and know where I'm going to if anything goes wrong in the future. He's not going to pull out all the stops to help with any problems if I've bought from abroad to save £1,500 in my opinion.
Like I said you do not pay tax in two places. Because someone has mentioned that without checking the facts, it will be all over the web now as the "truth".
Most manufacturers have an export department - mostly in London in the UK. If you pay French tax and then UK VAT you are able to claim the French tax back after export, this is EU tax law. You can claim UK VAT back in the same way. French TVA is either 19.6 or 20%, I cannot remember if they put it up to 20%.
Calm down Bob. It's on the HMRC website. There are plenty of storeis on the web of people getting caught out with it by not doing homework. If the bike isn't registered and exported directly after being bought, you are probably right. I think the key here is if it's been registered abroad.
