duty Archives - Car Shipping and UK Import Specialists

Car Shipping

smcadmin — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:11:06 +0000

Car shipping can vary in price, quality, speed and safety more than many other services, this short guide to car shipping is designed to help you select the best way to ship your car and the quickest way to obtain a car shipping quote…

Car Shipping by Air

The quickest way to move your car a long distance is by air. We reguarly consign vehicles to destinations by air as we work closely with both high net worth individuals who reguarly travel, events and show teams who are on tight schedules. We can load cars into chartered aircraft, freight aircraft and also the cargo holds of commercial passenger jets. Generally for shipping by air, your vehicle is loaded onto pallets and securely strapped down to avoid any movement, be aware that associated costs for air freight are generally worked out by the kilogram in terms of calculating unloading, loading and storage charges.

Car Shipping by Sea

Three main methods of shipping by sea:

Container – safest method is to use your own container, we provide either 20ft/40ft containers to many destinations across the world
Shared Container – also known as ‘groupage’ or ‘consolidated’ – this is where you share the container with another customers vehicle, we only recommend sharing containers with multiple vehicles, not vehicles and personal effects which can fall and damage the cars inside. Using this method is the best combination of safety and price
RORO – or Roll-on-Roll-off – basically a car ferry either inside the vessel or on open deck. Not the safest of methods by a long margin and your vehicle is driven onto the vessel by the staff at the port, if you do not want your vehicle driven or it is a non-runner, this option may not be best for you

Our consolidated container prices are roughly the same as RORO prices and so this is our prefered method of sea frieght if budget constraints make sole use container out of the question.

Shipping by road

We ship many cars across Europe and the world by road. If you are travelling a long distance, are shipping a valuable car or are shipping a car with easily removed items / possessions inside, we recommend enclosed transporters where the vehicles inside are safely secured.

Car Shipping Insurance

We always ensure every vehicle is fully insured before car shipping commences – our insurance policy covers vehicles not just for the unfortunate bump or scrape, but also total vehicle loss. If damage does occure we help you through every stage of making a claim.

Car Shipping Documentation

Each country varies from a passport and vehicle title check to having obtain a police export authority form. Ensure you check before booking your car shipping as some countries require authority to bring the car for import prior to shipping is started

Car Shipping Import Duty / VAT

Again each country varies on the requirements for import duty and VAT, some countries do not allow vehicles to be imported over a certain age and others impose high taxes for gas guzzlers or certain other cars. For more information keep an eye out on our site or contact us to discuss your requirements

Car Shipping Quotes

It can be hard work obtaining car shipping quotes as many car shipping companies are still very old fashioned in the way they operate, luckily ShipMyCar.co.uk pioneer the instant quote facility provided for your convinience on our website – our huge database of vehicles, countries, import / export requirements is growing every day and allows you to obtain a full breakdown of all the cots involved in importing or exporting a car to/from the UK with just a click of the mouse, and all for free!

Car Shipping Advice

Whatever your car shipping needs, feel free to call us anytime for a no obligation chat with one of our shippign experts – you can also contact us using Live Chat to save on call costs, by using the Live Chat button at the bottom right of our website

Tel: 00 44 1908 887 917
Web: ShipMyCar.co.uk
FB: facebook.com/shipmycar
TW: twitter.com/car_shipping_uk

The post Car Shipping appeared first on Car Shipping and UK Import Specialists.

How much import duty??

smcadmin — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 11:36:51 +0000

The easiest way to find out if you need to pay tax / duty on importing a car to the UK is to use our instant calculator below. We can handle clearance & NOVA for you for a fixed fee, ensuring you only pay the correct amount of tax / duty.

Instant Quote

Get instant estimates for tax / duty / unloading

Tax / Duty Calculator

Get an instant estimate of any tax / duty applicable for your car import plus:

Transfer of Residence (ToR)
Classic 5% import VAT
EU / non-EU imports
HMRC Entry Fees
HMRC NOVA entry

We charge a fixed fee for customs clearance and NOVA of £125. Our usual turnaround time is 24/48 business hours to complete process and provide you with NOVA. Everything can be done online via our Client Portal, nice and easy. Use the above form to get started.

Importing a car to the UK means you may be liable to pay import VAT and Duty. Import VAT and Duty depends on a number of factors which we will discuss below:

Have you owned the car for at least six months outside of the UK?

If you have owned the vehicle for at least six months and lived outside of the UK for at least one year (185 consecutive days) and are moving back to the UK permanently, then you will not have to pay any import VAT or duty (which is nice). In order to prove this we will require proof of foreign residency from at least one year ago, for example a utility bill, bank / mortgage statement and also proof of vehicle ownership from at least six months ago, for example an insurance certificate or title/registration document.

Are you importing a car to the UK which was built in the EU, e.g. a Porsche, Bentley, MG, Jaguar, Lotus, Lamborghini, etc?

If the car is European registered then there will be no duty and 20% VAT, if not then since Brexit you will now pay full duty and VAT.

Is the vehicle you are importing into the UK over 30 years old?

Customs now allow certain cars older than 30 years old into the UK without paying any duty and just 5% VAT – the car has to be in original form with no major modifications to engine, chassis etc. There are different conditions that must be met but it is best to apply with customs early if you think your vehicle may fit the criteria (for more information please see our article ‘BTI Scheme 9705‘)

Importing a car from the EU after Brexit?

You will now have to pay VAT on the import. This will be 20% of a current value of the vehicle. Unless you have owned it six months and are relocating to the UK having lived in the EU more than 12 months, or if it is over thirty years of age – then it is 5% VAT instead. It is no longer simply a case of bringing the car to the UK either. You must ensure export paperwork is completed before moving it here and a customs entry must be carried out on UK arrival and NOVA then applied for.

Is the vehicle you are importing into the UK a pickup truck or commercial vehicle?

Most pickup trucks are just 10% duty and 20% VAT, but if classed as commercial they would levy 22% duty and 20% VAT. HMRC deem a pickup commerical if it is not seen as a luxury model e.g. no Sat Nav, only one row of seats, no air con etc. If classed as commercial you may be able to claim the VAT back if using it within your business, but best to check with your accountant first.

Can I bring it in as a temporary import and not pay anything?

If you plan to only keep the car in the UK for less than six months then you can complete a C110 form and not pay any tax/duty. The car must be already registered outside of the EU and if the numberplates use lettering that is not recognisable in the UK you may need temporary import plates.

Are you importing this as a personal import or for your company?

If importing as a VAT registered company we will require a letter from you on headed paper stating that you wish to import the vehicle under your VAT registration number. You will then have to apply for NOVA through your government gateway account.

What are the usual rates of import duty?

OK, the bit you have all been waiting for…. So, if the car is not a European returning car, less than 30 years old and not of historical significance, e.g. a standard 2005 Mustang for example, you will be liable to 10% duty (or 22% if a pickup/commercial) and then 20% VAT on top

How do they calculate import duty and VAT?

Import duty and VAT is calculated on the invoice provided to show how much you paid for the vehicle – first it is converted into GBP using the current exchange rate (set each month by customs for this purpose) – we then add on a nominal adjustment for shipping (usually around £500) – you then multiply this amount by the duty rate applicable for your vehicle. You now know how much duty you will be paying. Take this figure and add it back onto your vehicle value and then multiply by 20% – this is how much VAT you will pay (yes VAT is on duty too…..)

I owned this car in the UK, exported it to Europe, registered it there, but now wish to re-import it to the UK as a returning car

In that case, so long as the car has never changed ownership, there will be no tax or duty to pay.

So can I get out of paying VAT or Duty by shipping the car first to lots of different countries, taking the engine out, smashing the windscreen, claiming it is a pretend car, a kit car or a block of cheese?

Basically, no.

UK Tax / Duty Table

Here is a table showing how much tax / duty rates for vehicles and cars imported into the UK will be:

Age	EU Registered	Non-EU Registered	Previously Owned*
Under 30 years	20% VAT. 0% Duty	10% Duty. 20% VAT	0% VAT. 0% Duty
Over 30 years	5% VAT. 0% Duty	5% VAT. 0% Duty	0% VAT. 0% Duty

*for Transfer of Residence to apply you must have lived outside the UK at least the last 12 months and owned the car at least 6 of those months, additional rules apply

If you owned the car in the UK, exported it to the EU and are re-importing the car then there would also be no taxes to pay.

Forms required

For most imports – cars that you have not owned more than six months, European cars, trucks, etc you will need to fill in a C384 form
For vehicles you have owned for more than six months and if you have lived outside of the EU for at least one year you will need to complete the ToR form on the HMRC website
Temporary Imports – you will need to complete the C110 form on the HMRC website

The post How much import duty?? appeared first on Car Shipping and UK Import Specialists.

VAT Rise – get your cars imported quick!

smcadmin — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:18:19 +0000

As we all know, VAT is set to rise in January 2011 to 20%

How will this affect your import? Well mainly your import VAT will cost you another 2.5% of the vehicle value, quite a sizeable amount if you are importing an expensive car…. Your shipping charges should not be affected as freight forwarders do not charge VAT on shipping etc however any UK modification such as IVA mods and UK transport may rise

So what can you do? Well, firstly obtain an instant quote from us at http://www.shipmycar.co.uk and get things moving straight away!

We can upgrade your shipment to single container which may leave quicker or the more expensive air freight option, which for certain high value vehicles may pay for itself

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