Can you help calculate the VAT on a UK import?
Thank you for your reply.
You say that the 23 per cent VAT to be paid on the car being imported from the UK is based on the customs value which according to Revenue includes the purchase price. Does this mean the purchase price I paid in the UK and the customs value reflects the UK purchase price or is the 23 per cent VAT based on the customs value or purchase price of the car in Ireland?
Apologies but when I read up on it, it does not state if it's UK or Irish customs value or purchase price so it's a little confusing and I don't want to end up buying a car and be hit with a huge VAT invoice.
If you could break it down that would be great. So, I take a flight to UK, buy the car for £11,500 (or €13,610.77) and drive it back myself using the ferry. What VAT is due? I know import customs duty is 10 per cent, I'm just stuck on VAT.
Kind regards
Michael (Dublin)Jan 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Michael,
VAT at 23 per cent is charged on the customs value, which as I mentioned before includes the purchase price (in the UK), the cost of transport and insurance, plus customs duties.
In your case, the purchase price is €13,610.77, which means customs duties of €1,361.08 (10 per cent). To those you’ll have to add the transport and insurance costs to bring the car back - i.e. your ferry fare. Let’s say €200. All that adds up to €15,171.85 as the customs value. The VAT should then be 23 per cent of that, or €3,489.53.
Please double check our calculations and take this as guidance only.
Can I sell a pickup to an Irish buyer with no VAT?
Hi,
I’m selling my Toyota pickup and I live in England. The vehicle was bought brand new by me including VAT . It for sale now and someone in southern Ireland wants to buy it. He’s saying I don’t have to charge him VAT if he gives me his VAT number and zero rate the VAT. Is this the case? The pickup is £42,499 plus VAT. He want to come over to England to pick it up and take it back to Ireland.
John Halpin (Grimsby )Jan 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi John,
That is all correct so long as certain conditions are met. You can check the validity of the Irish VAT number at the European Commission’s VIES VAT number validation page for a start.
You will also need proof from the buyer that the vehicle has been exported. Without that you may be liable to pay VAT on the sale to the UK government, even if you never actually charged the seller VAT.
And overriding all of this of course is the assumption that you are selling the vehicle as a VAT-registered entity with a VAT invoice. It would not apply to a private sale.
How much to import a 1991 Mitsubishi GTO?
How much is the cost to import a 1991 Mitsubishi GTO 3.0 petrol from Northern Ireland?
Michael Buggy (Portlaoise)Jan 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Michael,
Assuming it has been registered and used in the North “for a reasonable period of time” (Revenue’s words, generally accepted to mean more than three months), then no VAT or import duty should be payable, and as the car is over 30 years old the VRT is a flat €200.
Import costs on a 2014 BMW 420d?
Looking to buy a car from Northern Ireland but I just don’t have a clue what to expect with VRT. It seems too low right now (Revenue’s website said it’s €1,382). It’s a 2014 BMW F32 420d M Sport Coupe. First registered in May 2014. I believe the CO2 is 127g/km, not sure what the NOx is.
The owner has had it since 2015 in NI, so no VAT I believe. My main issue is that the OMSP is saying the car is valued at €4,226 right now but like you could never get a 4 Series for that low in Ireland so I don’t know what the actual market value will be when they go to calculate it.
Mehir (Portlaoise)Jan 2025 Filed under: VRT
Expert answer
Hi Mehir,
I agree, there’s no way the OMSP is so low for that car so don’t take that figure seriously. I’d suggest a minimum OMSP of €14,000. If the CO2 is 127g/km (and that will depend on the specific model - some versions are in the band below) then VRT is 17.5 per cent, so that would be €2,450 before the NOx levy, which should only be €160 according to our data.
And it sounds like no VAT or import duty would be due on that car as you’ve said.
Planning to import a Polestar 2...
Hi,
I plan to import a 2023 Polestar 2 from the UK: as it’s electric there is no VRT on the car. What is the situation in regard to VAT and import tax and what Is the best way around this? Is it best to first import into Northern Ireland? Are there many checks If driving the car back myself and using ferry?
Thanks
Michael (Dublin)Jan 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Michael,
If the car is coming from England, Scotland and Wales then there is no way to avoid the VAT and import duty. For a car coming from Northern Ireland, and to ensure no VAT and import duty are payable, it must have been imported there officially and used by a private owner in the North “for a reasonable period of time” according to Revenue, which is generally accepted to be three months.
Coming off the ferry with a car from the UK, you are unlikely to be stopped or questioned, but that’s not relevant as you have seven days to make an appointment with the NCTS to have the car inspected and 30 days to complete the importation process. Paperwork is required to prove all of the details, including where you bought the car and its entry to Ireland.
How much is my Toyota Yaris worth?
Hi!
I have a 2002 Toyota Yaris VVT-i, mileage of 155,996 miles. I’m from Ireland. How much will a dealer will give me if I sell it?
Sonia Lopes (Cork)Jan 2025 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Sonia,
I assume you mean as a trade-in, as most dealers wouldn’t be interested in buying cars such as this unless a car is also being sold. You’re not likely to be offered as much as €1,000 as a trade-in, though you may find a private seller willing to buy it for a little more.
Do I pay VAT and import duty on a used bike from the North?
Hi,
I live in Dublin and am looking to purchase a motorbike from a dealer in Northern Ireland. It’s a used 2022 model with 2,500km on the clock. The official dealer in NI sold it brand new to a person who registered it and used it only in NI. I want to know if VAT and Customs Duty will be payable if I buy the bike and bring it over to Dublin for registration?
Omar (Dublin, Ireland)Jan 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Omar,
From the information you've provided, you should not be liable for VAT or import/customs duty on this bike. Just make sure you have paperwork to prove the bike was sold in the North originally and used there from new as you've stated.
Buying a van in Northern Ireland.
I am buying a crewcab van in Northern Ireland and I have two options. I can buy one on English plates or one that has been registered in Northern Ireland for the past four months but was originally on English plates.
Can you work out how much VRT and Import Duty would need to be paid if buying either? I know both are worked out on the value of the van but how does Revenue put a value on the van? Is there a saving by buying the one on NI plates or the English registered one? What paperwork is required to register either van?
Ger O'Leary (Wexford)Jan 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Ger,
If the van on English plates has not been imported fully into Northern Ireland and used there then you are likely to be liable for VAT and import duty on it for sure. Those are calculated according to the price paid for the van so you’d need paperwork to cover that.
If you go for the van already registered and used in the North then get as much paperwork and proof of that as possible before you bring the van for inspection.
You’d have to pay VRT on either van, calculated as 13.3 per cent of the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price). This is the value Revenue estimates for itself and it’s far from an exact science. If you disagree with the assessment you can appeal it, but only after you’ve actually paid the VRT.
Worth importing a Passat estate from the UK?
Hi,
I'm looking to change from my 2011 VW Passat Saloon 1.4 petrol. This has been a great car for me and I’m looking to change to a 2022/2023 VW Passat Estate - 1.5 petrol. These are thin on the ground here and as they aren't sold here anymore this will become even more so. There are plenty around in the UK but I’m wondering if there are still the same savings to be made when importing from the UK as there once was?
Brendan Cullen (Dublin)Jan 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Brendan,
The savings are not what they were, and effectively non-existent if you're talking about England, Scotland or Wales. The only realistic option is to look to Northern Ireland as most cars won't be subject to VAT and import duty, just VRT and the NOx levy. Read more below:
I want to import a MINI Clubman from the North.
I would like to buy a MINI Clubman (2019-2020) in Northern Ireland. What would the costs be when importing it to the Republic?
Bernadette (Dublin)Jan 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Bernadette,
Assuming the car has already been imported into Northern Ireland and registered there, and used by a private individual, then you should only be liable for VRT (Vehicle Registration Tax). This is calculated using the VRT band and something called the OMSP.
The latter - Open Market Selling Price - is the value Revenue in Ireland believes the car to be worth following registration here, and that doesn’t always correlate with the price you actually pay for the car in the North. It varies by year, condition and even the equipment fitted, and it is determined only after you import the car and present it for inspection at an NCT centre. You can estimate what it might be by looking at other similar cars for sale in classifieds, and we’d be happy to help you with that if you give us full details of the car in question.
The VRT band is determined by the car’s official CO2 emissions rating and again, we can’t tell you that without knowing the full details of the car, especially regarding its engine.
Take a read of our guides on the subject and if you need more assistance, don’t hesitate to post another question. The more specific you are on the car, the more help we will be.
Guide to importing a car from Northern Ireland