MacSid

My eagerly awaited E60 (previously-owned, admittedly) arrived last Wednesday. I managed only to collect it and drive it home through a sleet-and-snow shower before having to get on a plane on a business trip. Picture below taken right after the said sleet-and-snow delivery drive, hence the layer of dirt on it. And now, even before I've had a chance to really drive it, clean it and properly photograph it, it appears that work is going to have me move to the UK within the next 3 to 4 months.

The upside of this is that I think I'l be able to afford a brand-new LCI 530d purchased in the Netherlands for export to the UK as there are significant savings to be made doing this. Has anyone here done that before? How did it work (or not, as the case may be), and what steps need to be taken to get it done?

MacSid

olli_535d

It's actually pretty easy. I have done it before on an E46 3 series touring a few years back. The DVLA website (licensing agency) will be of some help.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Buyin...icle/DG_4022583

It was some paperwork to be filled in for the VAT purposes and a drive to the registration office and all was pretty smooth. You will be able to buy the car in Holland without the dutch VAT and take it to the UK on Export plates. The car will come with EU type approval document, which enables you to register it, without any further need of checks on the car. (if it is a rhd car)
On registering it over here, the UK VAT will be charged (as you didn't pay any in Holland), you get a new registration and tax disk and that's roughly about it.

Have a browse through above website and let us know if you have any other questions.

MacSid

Thanks for that Olli! Had already started checking out the site, but now at least I know i can reach out to someone with experience if I've got questions. It's not only the VAT to be saved, but the Dutch Motor Vehicle Tax (BPM), which comes in at close to 25% of the cost of any new car. My understanding is that buying a car in NL for export means you don't pay that tax. All of a sudden, a brand-new 530d costs the same as my current 15 month-old one.

MacSid

katheikia

Damn, you guys really get it up the a$$...At least you have free health care...

E60Sim

You should visit Denmark :-) 180 % taxes + VAT (25%) on the cars :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: sucks big time!

KAF

FREE !!

it ain't free dude, check out UK tax rates, most working people pay out some 42% in tax/national insurance to enable us to have 'free' health care. :thumbsdown:

Even more in many other European countries, still cheaper than insurance rates in the states, but please don't use the 'free' word.

MacSid

I'm with you KAF. Dutch income tax: 52%, and you're obliged to buy medical insurance over top of that.

Oh, did I mention the US$7 or so per gallon of gas ... ?

ipp

You should buy the car in Denmark, they have the best prices if you lift the tax. Even Sweden have quite good prices, at the MB dealer in my town (Malm?) I often see RHD AMGs for UK export.