Importing your RV into the UK (or EC Countries) - Tax Free ?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
brenda said:
Does this mean that if I go myself to buy an RV, I will have to pay the tax after 1 year return?

Brenda, excuse me for being a little dense, but are you asking about return to the UK, to Germany or the USA? If you don't import the coach into the UK, that's a non-issue irrespective of the HMG ruling. I have no idea what German rules are with respect to VAT on a motorhome and I suspect you need to contact them about that.
 
Sorry Tom I meant returning to Germany with the RV although i could come back to the UK first if that means less tax. If I did that, would I be liable because I will be on my own in the US?
 
Hi Brenda

Are you "normally resident" in the UK (ie usually spend at least hald the year there) ?

If so, you can buy your RV in the USA and pay no Import Duty or VAT on your return to the UK - AS LONG AS YOUR NORMAL HOME HAS BEEN OUTSIDE THE UK (Europe actually), FOR 12 MONTHS OR LONGER AND YOU HAVE OWNED THE RV FOR 6+ MONTHS.

You would only have to pay the taxes should you sell the RV withing 12 months of importing it into the UK.

I would think you would do well to consider the UK your normal home should you later decide to take it from the UK to Germany - or you can contact HMRC and ask them the questions. In theory, it shouldnt matter as we are all in the EU and tax treatment should be the same, but you just never know how one Country will interpret the same Laws.

Hope it helps,
Paul

PS If you are thinking of doing all this as a single traveller, you will do well to make friends on this forum as you WILL need their help at some point.  ;D (we all have).
 
Many thanks Paul

I have been resident in the UK and plan to stay in Berlin for a few months at the end of September then fly to Florida for my rig  :) maybe in January. I can have it shipped to Amsterdam then cross to the UK then back over to Germany I presume if the UK taxes are less.

From what I have been reading on this thread, the only reason that tax was not due was because they were a couple in the US for the year, with no children and the tax authorities said that it depends on individual cases over the relatives rule ie having ties. 

Yes I am feeling a bit nervous about doing it alone  :eek:
 
Hi Brenda

It was Ann-Marie and myself who started this thread - we've just spent 16 months touring the US and have just shipped the RV into the UK, tax free.

Firstly. if you arent looking to spend 12+ months out of the EU then you wont save any tax at all.

Secondly, your "normal home" (where you live at least 6 months of the year) and personal ties (immediate dependant family) and/or job has to be outside the EU.

If you have no dependant family (usually kids under 18) nor job then it is just you who needs to be out of the EU for that duration - obviously your "normal home" will become your RV during your tour.

It really isnt that difficult at all - even though it sounds it.

As I posted on your other thread, it also depends on the value of your RV as to whether its worth going down the tax free route.

Paul


 
Brenda,

There have been a couple of threads in this forum that were started by ladies wanting to travel alone and asking for advice.  Suggest you do some searching in this Forum and follow these threads.  Lots of good tips in them.

Wow, I think it's great that you want to do this and I wish you the best.  We'll all be here to help you over some of the hurdles that you're bound to encounter.  ;) This is a good forum with a lot of people who have expertise you'll need.  We also provide moral support when things don't go quite as planned.  ;D

ArdraF
 
Paul

If you have no dependant family (usually kids under 18) nor job then it is just you who needs to be out of the EU for that duration - obviously your "normal home" will become your RV during your tour.

I really fancy the idea of staying in the States for a year but it sounds to me though that there is a grey area regarding family ties as you said earlier that each case is considered on its own merit. My children are all adult and I do not see them regularly and they certainly are not dependent.  But I will be on a tight budget and as you say, the more you spend the more worthwhile to go this route..

Everything depends on whether i buy an apartment in Berlin with some of my money and let it out so that I have the funding to fulltime. The prices are really low and it would give me somewhere to retire when it all gets too much  :)

So I guess the amount available to be from 15K to a possible 25 if I do not buy in Berlin.

If I own an apartment then I will have to pay the tax regardless of the ties ruling?

ArdraF

Thanks for your encouragment  :) I was getting cold feet last night!

I am still not sure that I can cope with buying in the US on my own, but want to have a year there. Dilemma  :eek: I am very grateful for the response and advice so far though and think maybe I can do it if i can get help from the RV community. It is quite amazing for me to find such supportive helpful people in this day and age. Many thanks.
 
Hi Brenda

If I may, I would suggest starting a new thread for any questions you have, as we're reading 2 or 3 threads now and adding answers here and there - it will be easier for everyone and would help others in the future.

I really fancy the idea of staying in the States for a year but it sounds to me though that there is a grey area regarding family ties as you said earlier that each case is considered on its own merit. My children are all adult and I do not see them regularly and they certainly are not dependent.  But I will be on a tight budget and as you say, the more you spend the more worthwhile to go this route..

You will have no problem with going the VAT and DUTY free route, based on your info above.

Everything depends on whether i buy an apartment in Berlin with some of my money and let it out so that I have the funding to fulltime. The prices are really low and it would give me somewhere to retire when it all gets too much 

LOL decisions, decisions. I dont know what the price of property has been like in Berlin over the last few years - if prices are fairly static there, you could just put the money away and try the full-time RV lifestyle. You may decide you dont want to live in a "normal" home again. Visit www.rvfulltiming.com for a UK fulltiming group and www.motorhomefun.co.uk for other advice on MHing. (hope its OK to put links Tom?)

So I guess the amount available to be from 15K to a possible 25 if I do not buy in Berlin.

OK, I take it we're talking ?GBP, which 20K is around $40,000.

Other forum members will give you an idea what you can get for that budget (take a look at ebay.com for some rough ideas).

You will need to allow $1,400 to set-up a Montana LLC (search forum for details) which will save you paying the sales tax in USA and a similar amount for insurance. Then allow $3,000 for shipping into the UK (asuming your RV will be a smaller one).

Allow $4,000 in flights and repairs.

So, I would guess you have $30,000 to buy with.

You could use interest on your savings (??) or rent from the apartment (??) to fund your stay (I dont know your savings or rent so you need to decide on your usual spending).

If I own an apartment then I will have to pay the tax regardless of the ties ruling?

No, you could either import into Germany (I dont know the procedure but should be EU-wide) and you shoulnt have to pay the taxes (as your home and ties have been outside the EU for 12 months).

Or, you can import into the UK and register under one of your childrens addresses (as a care of address, which is OK) and then take to Germany.

Either way, if you sell within a year it is then that you would have to pay the taxes.

The taxes would be (roughly) $33,000 + 10% = $36,300, + 17.5% = $42,650 = TAXES OF $10,000 OR ?5,000

Basically, even on your small budget, if you stayed in the US for a year you could have ?100 per week spending money toward a US tour courtesy of HM Governement FREE !!! - it wont be enough on its own but you will have savings interest or rent too.

Now, compare what you can buy in the USA with something similar in Europe and you will see you will save by buying it in the USA too.


Dont forget, you will need a B2 Visa for the USA - do a forum search for advice on that one.

I know of 3 UK couples who will be touring the USA around the time you will be there, so there's no need to feel "alone".

Other forum members will advise, but I believe there is also a group in the USA for single RVers too.

Paul



 
Paul,

Appreciate you jumping in on these topics and sharing your knowledge and experience.

UK-RV said:
Dont forget, you will need a B2 Visa for the USA ....

Since Brenda is a US citizen, she'll merely need her US passport and should be able to come and go at will.
 
Tom

If Brenda is a US citizen, then forget everything Ive written  ;D

I didnt read her nationaility anywhere, other than references to the UK and her children in the UK - oops

Paul
 
Brenda,

I've been reading your various threads and something just occurred to me.  If you want to travel in the US for a year or so, is there any good reason why you have to buy an apartment in Berlin now that will only sit empty for a year while you're in the U.S.??  Seems to me you could save money by traveling first and settling in Berlin later.  Or do you plan to rent out your apartment?  And, just curious, why move to Berlin if you don't understand German very well?  Is there something I'm missing about this whole situation?

ArdraF
 
Hi AndraF

I will be using Berlin as my base as I have a good friend and other contacts there, who will deal with mail, and who lets me stay. I am learning German as I want to do some travelling around, see the Black Forest etc.

The property prices are going up now and if I buy and rent out, it will give me better returns than saving, the option of settling there later or the chance to sell and make a bit of retirement money. The prices are so low it is a shame not to get in on it.
 
I have been doing a lot of reading about buying and importing into the UK, I understand you have to have your home outside the EU for 12 months but is there any rules about visiting the UK in that 12 month period , you know visiting at Xmas ect ??.

I'm sure someone knows on this forum.

Loddy ;)
 
Have a you read this topic? A reply quoting HM Customs & Excise suggests that the 12 months does not need to be contiguous.
 
Thank you very much, I had read it but didn't understand/absorb it first time round  :-[

Loddy  ;)
 
I seem to recall that other Brits have gone home for a short stay during their "time outside the EU".

BTW I trust you're familiar with the US immigration & visa requirements. We have a discussion or two on our Visitors to the USA board and an article or two in our library section by the same name. Essentially, they will only give you 6 months maximum, the exact duration being decided by the agent at the airport on arrival. Most folks take a trip to Canada for a week or two, then re-renter the USA to restart the clock. However, we have heard about one couple who were refused re-entry into the USA when they did this. Alternatively, there's a form you can file to apply for an extension of stay, and some Brits have reported doing that. There's a discussion or two here somewhere on that topic, although it's not without it's own potential issues.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
131,749
Posts
1,384,212
Members
137,520
Latest member
jeep3501
Back
Top Bottom