Conference terri::cars_uk

    
    Well you won't get a good price for a LHD car in the UK, but
    if you're going to take a 50% hit in Holland and can live with
    LHD on British roads, I'd guess it'd be worth keeping.
    
    Mark

    
    October Glasses Guide books a December 87 205 1.1 with 41K miles at
    good condition retail UK�4,175 - Trade @ UK�3.375.
    
    November's book and 60K miles and LH drive will bring that down 
    substantially and I guess only sellable privately at maybe UK�2,000.

Why don't you keep it, it's a small enough car so that LHD won't be too 
bothersome over here.

You could also actively keep an eye open for anyone going the other way with a 
similar car....and do a swap...

    Don't forget the 10% import duty you'll have to pay *at the port* when
    you get to England.....
    
    Laurie.

Thanks (wow .. quick repsponse for my first note here ! I'm impressed).

Selling the car here might incur too much of a loss, so....

I was thinking of bringing it over and just driving it until it dies (in
about 4 years time I guess), not selling it.

Laurie .. you had experience of importing any ?  I heard the import tax
isn't much.   

Also:  If I come over and declare it at customs, will they impound it,
until such time that I have it officially registered.  Would this mean
I'd have to go all the way back to Harwich from Bastingstoke a week or so
later to collect it ?  Where would I stand if I enter as a tourist, get
to Basingstoke and THEN try to register it ?  Anyone know the best and 
easiest way of doing this ?

Thanks alot !

yours panicking a bit,

Wendy

    Wend,
    
    This is discussed somewhere in UKCSSE::EURO_MOTORING Note <blah>. Try
    also SMURF::USERA:[NOTES]EXPATRIATES Note 23
    
    As ever, there's a legally correct way, and there's what you can get
    away with. I'll "fill you in" off-line.
    
    Laurie.

      <<< Note 1605.6 by PLAYER::BROWNL "But I don't use it as a rule" >>>

>    As ever, there's a legally correct way, and there's what you can get
>    away with. I'll "fill you in" off-line.
    
>    Laurie.

Great !  I look forward to it .. and thanks for the pointers too !

;-)

Wend

I thought that if the car was older than "x" years, you didn't have to pay the 
import tax....could well be wrong though...

    ...even if you did HAVE to pay the Import Tax (eventually) won't it be
    just 10% of the (depressed) UK price for a 2nd hand car ? Maybe 200
    quid ?                        
    
    Maybe its feasable to fit a Righty conversion if you're going to stay
    in UK.
    
    
    	Tony.

    I think you'll find you dont have to pay the TAX as you've lived abroad 
    for a while and this is quite obviously not a scheme to make money by
    selling it here for more. I think you have to keep the car for a
    predetermined length of time ( six months or a year), and then you can
    sell it with no penalties to pay.
    
    I know someone who brought a car over from Germany, they had lived
    there for 3 or 4 years, and I'm pretty sure they didn't pay any tax.
    
    Andy

    
    We lived in Germany for two years, and bought our car out there - we
    had used it for over one year in Germany, and didn't have to pay any
    tax to bring it into the UK - we just had to keep it for one year here,
    or if not, we had to inform Swansea, but what they would do about it, I
    don't know!
    
    

    Wendy,
    
    You said in the first note that you have had the car for 'a few
    months'.
    
    Whether you keep it or not you MIGHT have to pay duty if you have not
    owned it for long enough before moving to the UK. I think 6-months is
    the minimum, but I'm not sure.
    
    Peter

Many thanks everyone for the responses,

I've called HM Customs and Exise and they've confirmed the following:

I would not have to pay import duties if:

- the car is older than a year old
- I've owned the car >6 months

... Sod's law .. I've owned it 5 months !!!

aarrrhhhh !!!

Time for a re-think !

Thanks !

Wendy

go back and get it after christmas ?

    ...or save Customs & Excise some paperwork & tell the after Xmas ?
    
    	Tony.

    There's a gotcha there. The rules don't just state that you must have
    owned the car more than 6 months, they state they you must have owned
    *and used* the car *abroad* for more than 6 months.
    
    Laurie.

    
    And if the UK Customs are as keen as their cousins in Sweden they will
    deduct any time you spent on holidays etc, off your ownership/use time.
    When I imported my car into Sweden they insisted on looking at my
    passport to ensure I had been in the country and therefore able to use
    the car.
                                              

    Be a visitor for Xmas, and as the others say, declare it after Xmas.
    
    Andy 

Decision made .. thanks for the help and advice.

Sold the car yesterday !

;-)

.. NOW ...



Anyone know where I can get a cheapish not >5 years old smallish car around
Basingstoke ?  (On 2nd December) ???

I hear the auction in Blackbush (sp?) near Basingstoke is a good bet for
picking up bargains if you know what to look for.  I don't know what to 
look for.  Anyone fancy taking a day off to help me pick one out ?

;-)



Well - it's worth a try !

Wendy

                     <<< Note 1605.18 by NEWOA::CROME_A >>>
                               -< Xmas Holiday >-

>    Be a visitor for Xmas, and as the others say, declare it after Xmas.
 
PS:  I had thought of that, but I'm coming over with a vanload of household
things which would make the whole situation look a bit iffy.  I know I'm
a gurlie, but I don't travel *that* heavy for a holiday !

Wendy