New car
 

Perhaps people already know this, but a few of the UK importers still run export departments.
I don't know if I am allowed to mention the name, but I have found one who will supply L/H drive car at UK list price - MINUS VAT etc. For export only, only new cars, and must be exported within 60 days.
If anyone is interested PM me

Re: New car
 

Yes but you will have to pay the VAT at 16.5% on import into Spain so will it really be that much of a saving?

Re: New car
 

Took the words out of my mouth :)
Will they still have to pay import registration tax as well? presume it would still cost €600+ to matriculate to Spanish plates also

Re: New car
 

Yes absolutely - I think you do pay both VAT and import duty. But the base price in the UK is much lower. So there is a capital saving, and then the import duty and the VAT saving are levied on that lower amount too

These are the base price, VAT, total, and then on the road price
2.0D S £16,160.87 £2,424.13 £18,585.00 £19,305.00
And this is the price for the same model on the company's spanish website

V50 2.0D (136 cv)

A partir de 27.815 €

Re: New car
 

I imagine it is as result of the collapse in sterling, or rise in the Euro. The company told me (but they would that prices are going to be adjusted soon. But they are obliged under EU law to offer this they say, which is why many are making i difficult to protect their margins in other countries I imagine

Re: New car
 

Wow!
I guess the main only other thing to consider then is the warranty europewide

Re: New car
 

At 4.75% of the new price in Spain it would be nearer €1300

Although you still pay the same amount on a car bought in Spain the tax is included in the OTR price.

Re: New car
 

A bit more info. It seems to be standard. Most manufacturers should offer it, but some cannot be a*sed.

Need to read notice 728 on HMRC website.

Need to fill out VAT form 411

Need UK address but it can be anybodys -even the dealers!

Re: New car
 

New car ehhh Biggles you must be diggin the Garden for those non ferrous metals you buried back in your trading days....:rofl::rofl::rofl: Nice white van with windows......Best not show out too much :p

Re: New car
 

I seem to remember you can buy a Vat free car and register it in UK prior to export (it has a No plate with a thin red line round it) then you have 11mths to export it before they come after you for Vat. You could then keep it in UK for the 6mths ownership period and only have the Vat in Spain to pay.

Re: New car
 

This is absolutely pointless as not only do you have to pay the IVA/First registration tax but you will have get it to Spain in the first place which is difficult on an UNREGISTERED vehicle.

When you can walk into any franchise dealer in your home country (Spain for example) and they will offer you anything including large discounts or added extras as there are THOUSANDS of completed cars sitting in the manufacturers storage throughout Europe which are all on the dealer network at reduced prices so they can get shot of them.

Thanks for the info though but a bit pointless in this day and age and yes as someone did point out if the exchange rate stays like this for much longer than UK prices will be adjusted accordingly.

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It has to be euro law but normally restricted to 12mths it seems in the uk the extra years 2,3 4, 5 or six is a manufacturer/dealer thing.

Re: New car
 

Incorrect I'm afraid and when you register a brand new vehicle in any EU country it can only be done ONCE you have paid the local tax on it.

However, you are able to reclaim it back once you have exported and THEN prove to the UK GOV that it has been registered abroad.

Re: New car
 

They would get 2 years EU warranty on most European marques.

Re: New car
 

hi,bigglesworth.ive been thinking about buying new in the uk and registering here in spain.one dealer said theywould supply LHD versions but have not got back to with a price.could you pm me please with the dealer you have.

also has anybody bought a LHD car in the uk and brought it over ? there are lots of LHD dealers but im a bit wary of using them.thanks

Re: New car
 

As stated above it would be not economically worthwhile purchasing a new LHD car outside of Spain as there are plenty of deals to be had in any local market right now..

But if you are purchasing a pre-owned LHD vehicle outside of Spain to import then there are still savings to be had but whatever you do only buy a UK Plated LHD car in the UK as that would protect you as much as possible in terms of not purchasing something stolen/previously written off.

However nothing is cast iron safe just like if you were buying a rhd pre-owned for use in the UK.

Re: New car
 

Zel,
I know you are THE expert, but my Spanish is not up to negotiating yet. I also have to have a car to get ourselves and animals over in. I am also adding in that I can sell my RHD over here. I will not have to pay to matriculate the Right Hand drive (although I will the new left hand). And I will not spend the cash to get the RHD fully roadworthy. Which probably adds up to about £3,000.

As the export departments and DVLA have told me, if one does this then one has 60 days during which the car can be driven on "VAT" plates, after which the car MUST be registered and VAT and all other taxes paid.
So what I plan to do is but in the UK 10 days before departure, and then get the gestor or whomever to matriculate on arrival.

As I understand I will then be liable for 16.5 percent of purchase price VAT plus 4.75 percent first registration (CO2 emissions are 153). Then whatever it costs to matriculate as well, which should I would imagine be less than for a right hand drive.

This looks like an additional 21.25 percent (which on the car I am looking at is about £3,500) plus say £500 for matriculation. Which altogether is about £5,000 less than the "official" Spanish price.

I would more happily buy a discounted car in Spain, but have had no luck trying to talk to dealers in my fractured Spanish. Any help, guidance willingly even eagerly received.

I agree the discrepancy will only last as long as the exchange rate stays.

Re: New car
 

id buy second hand car here if i felt i knew what i was doing as well.in the uk i have some friends that know far more than me about cars who can go and check out used LHD cars for me.
am i right to assume that garages here offering guaranteed milage and vehicle history are a safe bet, but more expensive than compra y venta type places

Re: New car
 

You still have to pay the matriculation tax of up to 14.75% unless you register it within 60 days of becoming resident with the requisite documentation from the UK Embassy.

Re: New car
 

Hi Bigglesworth.

Thanks for the reply but being able to speak Spanish is neither here nor there in the current climate. If you spoke only Swahili and walked into a main agent in Spain most would accommodate you accordingly as they HAVE to get rid of not only their stock that they are CONTRACTED to buy every month but the also the THOUSANDS of finished cars sitting in storage facilities also.

Not to mention I've not yet found a main agent that does not have at least one member of the sales team that can speak enough English and thus it wouldn't be a problem at the best of times.

I'm not sure what vehicle you're interested in but in our experience of the German Marques you could call around a few main agent dealers, does not entirely have to be in your local area and say I want "x" for "y" price and see which one bites your hand off.

For example a friend of mine has just bought a brand new Ford Focus and secured 28% discount just by calling around Spanish main agent dealers.

It all depends on if you're confident and willing enough to do of calling around.

---

The DVLA is the last port of call for advice regarding a tax free export on an individual (not business) sale.

Customs & Excise are the people to talk to and I know as a VAT registered company we were allowed to buy stuff NET (without Tax) but due to massive amount of fraud around the EU they passed a law in the last 18th months that even we have to pay the LOCAL VAT/TAX on a vehicle and then claim it back.

And in Feb of this year I bought myself (privately) a BMW X6 from Holland which was one of the only countries that USED to be able to sell you a tax free car as a private owner and was made to pay the local tax and have it refunded upon proving that the vehicle was registered in the UK.

In my experience the DVLA will give you a completely different answer from each person you speak to so I would talk to (and get a reference number for the call) Custom & Exise and the Tax Free Sales department of the marque of vehicle you're buying.

Re: New car
 

Zel, That is really kind and ~I am sure excellent advice!
I will give it a go, and see where I get!

Re: New car
 

hi zel. i nearly bought a new nissan note a month ago.the price i got over the phone was 12,500 for a midspec car,about 4000 cheaper than advertised on nissans website. when i went to see it ,they didnt have the colour they had agreed on the phone and wanted another 600 for that colour.i said no and the salesman said he would have no problem selling the car anyway. the car is still there unsold, so im not sure he is desperate to sell ? another main dealer for a different make would only come down 500 euros across the entire range ,including a full spec with auto as an extra.its all vary confusing for someone like me who doesnt know much about buying cars.seems what your saying that you have to ring more than one dealer makes sense.

Re: New car
 

This is an EU service under the Free Movement of Goods.

It is called "New Means of Transport" and thus enables any EU national to buy a new (or nearly new) car in any member state, and import it VAT deferred into the country where it is to be registered.
I had a very helpful conversation with the EU information office who provided the following link


http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/e.../index_en.html <http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/en/citizens/living/car/tax/index_en.html>

Re: New car
 

Reviving this thread as I have just read in the Times that here in Spain you can (and I quote) “In Spain there is a 0 per cent loan of up to €10,000 towards the purchase of a new car that is less than €30,000 in value and has C02 emissions of less than 140g/km”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6088148.ece

Has anyone else heard about this or is it just journalistic bullpoo?

Re: New car
 

thats,true,i was offered that this week

Re: New car
 

perhaps this is something similar to the ICO loans

Re: New car
 

Hi

To add my tuppence worth

The DVLA can only speak for the UK. If you want to know about another countries laws, then ask that country.

If you buy a car, then if you have not owned it for 6 months you have to pay the "import tax" as it is not considered to be part of your "goods & chattels".

Some dealers will give more discount than others - for the sake a £20 in phone calls, ring around for english speaking car dealers who need to move their cars.

To import a car costs around 650 euros in fees depending upon the road tax; the fees of someone to help are on top of this.

Add to the costs above tyres if non european (american jeeps for example) and lights - both headlights and reversing / high intensity rear fog lights if not correct for LHD.

Davexf

Re: New car
 

We read the newspapers on line and seem to have missed this bit of news so it is good to have had some confirmation.

Re: New car
 

just to pass on my buying experiences here in valencia.ive spent two days going to all the main dealers of the cars im looking at. ive only been able to get 120 euros off the price that they have discounted on their websites.these are new or km zero cars.

all i read and see on the tv says they are desperate to sell. i just cant see it, not one dealer was the slightest bit bothered. and my spanish friends did nearly all the talking so its not because they thought i was willing to spend more.
so im still looking.my friends have mostly been to germany to buy 2nd hand mercs because they have been so fed up with spanish dealers.not sure i can be bothered though.

Re: New car
 

we had exactly the same expericence when buying 2nd hand and brand new from dealers in Spain....they really couldnt care less whether you bought from them or not and we walked out of so many showrooms amazed by their attitude

Re: New car
 

Some of the dealers over here do seem to be prepared to do a deal for LH drive VAT deferred etc. I am happy to help if anyone needs it

Re: New car
 

I have been looking for a BMW 1 Series, in and around Salamanca where we live for the past month, and I have to agree the dealers are a nightmare. They wont give prices over the phone, and once you do get the price at the dealership they are not looking to do any deals at all! I have also found the Spanish pricing far more expensive than UK list prices, without any sort of discounts added.

I am planning to buy tax free in the UK or perhaps Germany, and then drive it over, pay Spanish VAT, Import Tax, and Matriculation.

My wife is Spanish and I am English so does this sound like the best thing to do?? Should I register it as hers? Does anyone know any places in Germany that would be worth a try?

A little lost so any advice would be great.

Re: New car
 

Chase,
That is what we decided to do, but we are in the UK and moving over in June. Germany, we discovered, there could be a problem for us as we would have to bring the car into the UK first and then across to Spain. If we found a difficult Customs officer (and are there any others?) we could have got caught paying VAT twice, or even three times.
If you are not worried about that, as you are already in Spain, I understand what the Germans are doing is buying in Poland, where the price is lower and the scrappage still applies.
Not all the dealers or manufacturers in The UK would play ball on a left hand drive, as they have been left holding a few unsaleable cars in the past.

Re: New car
 

as they have been left holding a few unsaleable cars in the past.

It is these cars that you can get a good deal on, as long as it's the one you want.

Thats how we got our LHD. (have since sold it)

The dealers don't like admitting they are stuck with them though.

Re: New car
 

two of my neighbours have bought in germany and driven straight back to spain and rematriculated here. total cost between 1500 and 2000 on top of the buying price.ive been in one of the mercs all day and have to say its like new.these were bought guaranteed from official mercedes dealers in germany. they all have someone who talks english if you need it.i believe mercedes uk will check the serial no for you to verify all the information
am i allowed to post a link?

Re: New car
 

Thanks guys!

by the way what is scrappage?

and does anyone know any good dealers for BMW??

Think I will pick up the phone to BMW Export Sales in the UK again tomorrow and then maybe call a few dealers in Germany to see if they have any deals around, or are interested in sourcing one for me....

thanks again

Re: New car
 

Scrappage is what I have heard they call this voucher they can give you for turning an old car in for scrap

Re: New car
 

got to speak with BMW in london today and they are happy to supply a left hand drive vehicle at a great price, the only problem being it wont be ready until August.....

will try Polish dealers tomorrow, though the websites are not easy to understand at all.....

probably gonna bite the bullet and buy in UK...

thanks for all the advice....

Re: New car
 

would you mind sending me details please ? i could wait a bit longer.



cheers

Re: New car
 

If it helps, there are many LHD cars on ebay, I bought mine a year ago from there (to have 6 months ownership before we go over) been driving it here in UK all that time - great car - just had it all serviced for our drive over this weekend