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%.
If you want the facts for a UK import then I suggest you start with the DVLA website and then look at the EU website for their rules. The UK tax peoples website will also help. I know what happens in this direction and I know what I have read, but I don't have the time to start re reading all the bumf that I researched a few years back.
Exige, I'm currently in the process of importing a 2nd hand bike, so have done my research on that side of things. What Bob is refering to; with an unregistered new bike, is something I have no experience of, but would make sense. And....................relax.
A secondhand bike would have covered 6000 kms and be over 6 months old (EU definition) so there should be no VAT to pay on it when importing into any EU country from elsewhere in the EU.
If you want to look at second hand bikes in France, not sure that they are cheaper than the UK, but try www.leboncoin.fr. Open it in Google Chrome and hit the translate button on the top right.
its currently 20% in France as well. If you import a uk bike into France for example, you apply for a Quitus fiscal at your local centre finances which with the correct paperwork shows the tax has already been paid in the country where the bike was purchased.
Yeah, that's where the problem lies Bob. If the bike hasn't covered 6,000km, you get clobbered by HMRC. I almost bought a bike with <6,000km showing and almost got hit. Over 6 month old AND >6,000km, you are OK. The bike I was looking at was 7 years old, but had only done 5,100km. So rather strangely falls into the 'New means of transport' in the eyes of HMRC. It wasn't France by the way.
As an Individual,I bought a brand new still in the the crate XR400 in to the UK a few years back.No VAT paid to the Belgian dealer as I was taking it back to the UK to be registered.Paid the UK VAT at the Customs office in Dover if I recall correctly. I also brought in from Europe a German reg.Ford Econoline day van,was a bit of a bind because it had been imported VAT free into Germany by a Yank serviceman,and then I brought it into the UK.All got sorted though,no major hassles. As a VAT registered Company,I just bought two brand new trailers from Germany,did not pay German VAT and I don't pay UK VAT either as it's an import from an EU country...if I had paid the UK VAT I would just claim it back on my next VAT return,so it's just paperwork for HMRC. I believe all of those rules still apply.
And if you want to buy a brand new Mercedes car,check the prices in Denmark. Because the VAT/purchase tax is so high,MB pre-tax prices used to be the lowest in Europe. Danish Mercedes dealers used to be more than happy to supply RHD cars on transit plates,leading to long rows of brand-new unaccompanied Mercs on transit plates being loaded on to ferries from Denmark to the UK. Pay the UK VAT,(based on the price paid in Denmark),at Harwich,(or maybe with three months of entry if I recall correctly),and you could save a whopping good few grand
So Roberano, what exactly IS the process? I've been looking into importing classic bikes but the info is so confusing, COC? can't get from ducati, mutual agreement? Doesn't apply to bikes over 10 years old. I'm trying to contact VOSA station in Aberdeen but no reply, DVLA is useless for info, any help would be appreciated
European CofCs only exist for bikes newer than 2002/3, but if a bike is later than that then you would get one from Ducati HQ in the country where the bike was first registered.
Hmmm Bob T thanks for the link but, yep I read all that and it doesn't tell me anything about second hand/ classic import, ducati Italy just sent me a congratulations on buying a ducati instead of a COC, I looked into getting a mutual agreement but that's not for bikes older than 10 years, what a minefield
As I said do not expect them to send a CofC as they do not exist for bikes before 2002. If you buy a bike later then 2002 from Italy then they would, they must supply it in accordance with EU legislation. If you buy a bike later then 2002 form any other country then Ducati from that country should supply a CofC. If you buy a bike older than 2002 then do not expect anyone from any other country to help with anything as the UK importation rules do not have anything to do with them. You may have to go through UK channels for a single vehicle importation or whatever the UK calls for, but the Ducati factory in Italy only supplies Ducati (UK).
Bob, Is this reflective helmet sticker requirement (*below) new? I've ridden in France loads and never had a problem. * French law regarding reflective stickers on helmets. Required 18cm2 of surface area. The law. Reflective panels (Motorcycles) - UNECE Regulation 22 permits contracting parties (countries) to require all helmets worn in France to meet the retroflective material requirements of Regulation 22 - a sticker of minimum surface area 18 cm2 must be visible from the front, rear, left and right and within each sticker it must be possible to mark either a circle of 40 mm diameter or, a rectangle at least 12.5 cm2 in surface area and at least 20 mm in width. There must be one on each side (front, back, right and left) covering an area of at least 18 cm in which one must register either a circle of 40 mm in diameter, or a rectangle of area at least equal to 12.50 cm2 and a width of at least 20 mm. Stickers must meet different colorimetric and photometric tests, withstand external agents and not affect the mechanical behaviour of helmet.
Yes there is such a law and some will tell you that it applies to all bikers and visitors in France! I would dispute the visitors bit, but that is my opinion. Having said that the law in this case is not enforced, my wife has no stickers on her lid and it has been like that for 11 years of living here full time, and she rides her own bike.
The R is currently six grand cheaper in Italy according to the websites. I was thinking we could buy one and registered it in Italy at MissP's family house then bring it back in the van. I suppose it would only be if I wanted to get it on the road that there would be problems as it would be registered in another country? perhaps we could insure it in Italy??
Why would you do that when you could buy tax free in Italy and pay the tax in the UK. It is not complicated and then you would be legal as it is illegal for a UK resident to own and operate a foreign registered vehicle in the UK.
