I know what everybody's thinking but this enquiry's a bit different and I'm hoping somebody can help.
I have the chance of buying a LHD UK registered 4x4 from a friend in England. The vehicle was originally bought and registered from new in Alicante then the owners moved back to the UK and re-registered it onto UK plates.
Apart from all the obvious hurdles in relation to registering it in Spain, would there be any import duty to pay as one assumes all necessary taxes would have been paid at the original registration. I know that Spain is a law unto itself in such matters but it does seem somewhat unfair to pay the duty twice. Also bearing in mind that I will not have owned it for the required 6 months.
Anybody any thoughts on this?
Thanks in advance
Clive

As you have not owned it personally for 6 months then you will have to pay the import registration fee on top of matriculation costs. It is a tax I guess, but they dont call it that

In reverse, because I permanently exported my UK car from Britain I'm told I would have to re register it when I returned with a new plate and I'm assuming that this would be the same if the car was originally permanently re exported from Spain but maybe someone else could comment on that.

Sorry-just to add does anybody know the rough cost,including importation tax, if I was to go ahead with this? The value of the vehicle is 12000 euros.
Many thanks

Hi
We have actually done that - however the police were called and the owner inteerogated as the VIN did not match! However the error was DVLC and since then we have had many very similar problems. Too many to be discounted. Therefore before embarking on the process, check the vin is correct, documentation to that on the car.
Costs should be around 600 euros, and it is possible not to pay the import tax, honest.
I suggest you pm me

Dave

it is very difficult to get out of paying the export tax. we even went and got certificate from consulate to confirm we had just moved...and still had to pay it.

we importd a 9000pounds 4x4 and had to pay €1600 for matriculation in total!

If the vehicle comes with a certificate of conformity then this can save you a bundle on matriculation costs. If it has, make sure the car 'conforms' with the certificate, ie that wheels engine etc all correspond to the details.

I haven't done it yet, but my gestor assures me that I won't have to pay import duty, and as I have the aforementioned cert I am apparently looking at a fee of €400-450.

As you mentioned you need to have owned ie have a tax receipt for the car for 6 months.

Once you are over here and are on the padron, then the clock starts ticking. 30 days after you register, it can get expensive for the car. (Or even impounded).

All AFAIK as mine is in the process. Touch wood I don't have any nasty suprises.

Good luck!

The padron question doesn't come into it as we've been over here for 3 years and are already registered. What I can't get my head around is the C of C. The car was originally registered new in Spain in 2000 so obviously complied with the conditions then so why would I need one now. I'm probably being very naive but wouldn't the VIN be on a database somewhere in Spain?
Please keep me informed re your progress.

Thanks Dave, the paperwork won't be a problem, I'll PM you within the next couple of days

Your only remote chance is the following :

99% of exported cars are never de-registered in the original country, ie the owner just moves and regs it in their new country.

If the owners have the original Spanish registration document and it has NOT been stamped all over it by the DVLA (this is a recent thing) then in theory you should just be able to say "I bought this car in Spain" when you go to register it in your name.

Now the bad news, you'll be liable for any back dated road tax and fines from the time they left Spain (as technically Spain is unaware the vehicle ever left Spain)

If the amount owing is reasonably low then you're sorted and 'all' you'll have to pay is ownership change over fees and all the other various fees to make everything legal.

HOWEVER, the most important issue is it's becoming increasing more 'popular' that expats are running back to the UK with their new car and registering it there, fully knowing they are not paying the loan back, back in Spain... IE Theft/Fraud.

Unfortunately people are getting stung like this all the time and the only way to find out is to get a Gestor etc involved and get them to search out if there is any outstanding finance and also how many back dated fines/tax is owed.

Also worth noting that it will fail a ITV if it has RHD headlights (which it should have if registered in the UK) so you'll have to replace with LHD.

As far as import duties are concerned if you can't do the above, then yes, by law you will have to pay them, I've read a few stories where people have got around it "my mate did" etc

But never actually come 'face to face' with someone who had.

Concerning the cost of import duty, the figure is based apon what the Spanish Gov think the vehicle is worth, not what you or the local market thinks it is worth!

Firstly read my first post then if it's not applicable and you do end up having to re-register it you will still need the C.O.C document, but the original owners will of had to get one when they registered it in the UK so hopefully still have it.

The VIN # will not be on any Spanish system if the vehicle has been de-registered there, it should have been by law, but often never is!

Thanks Zel, very informative as always (I was hoping you'd reply as I have seen in your previous posts that you're the man when it comes to importing vehicles)
I would be using a gestor IF I go ahead with it as I don't need any nasty surprises. Don't know if the C of C is available as it's been registered in the UK for some time but I'll see if I can get the original spanish index for it from my friend (he's not the importer btw) and get it checked through the gestoria.
Thanks

Worst comes to worse you could always get the Gestor to look into getting a new copy of the Spanish reg document as the previous owner lost it didn't they?

The padron has nothing to do with it. You can become a resident without going on the padron, in fact, the current procedure is that you cannot get on the padron until you register with the police as a resident and get your new registration certificate although some ares are yet to implement this change.

If you become a resident then you have 6 months to re-register it on Spanish plates - that's the EU law.

This confusion often arises because if you wish to avoid paying the matriculation tax, then you have to reregister within 30 days of becoming resident.

Even re-registering a vehicle within Spain can have it problems.

I am often stopped because the registration number does not match the age of the vehicle. This is because when I moved from one province to another I not only changed the address but also the provincial registration number.

This is a perfectly valid procedure which has now been rendered redundant by the 'new' type of registration number which does not readily identify the province of original registration but I sometimes wonder if it was worth it.

Sorry, but just to add if you do go through with this make absolutely sure you have de-registered the vehicle in the UK..

Seeing how much of a big brother and car hating government the UK is it wouldn't surprise me that in a year you get a knock on the door in Spain from some British bod asking for back dated UK road tax!

Bitter about the UK becoming a nightmare to live in? you bet cha!