Transporting your car to Oz - everything you need to know!

[Iron Chef]

Are you planning to bring household effects with you too, or are they coming separately? That will affect whether you send the cars in a container or via RO-RO. You could bring the Midget over under the pre-1989 rule and the Landcruiser as a personal import if it meets all the criteria.

[jamesnparry]

been watching most of this forum and time to ask my question...the cost of importation once it arrives in brisbane.........i have a saab 95 aero saloon auto 2008...love it and have has it since new....other half wants to have a bit of home with us, and wants the car to come when we go next yr.......i intend to do roll on roll off from southamption...have done the costs for de gassing, valeting, and bringing spares for servicing, and tyres etc......the rest of our personal furntiure and stuff is going in 20ft container....so trying to get to know what will i incure the other end in costs....inspections, rego, fully comp insurance, and any import duty or tax. We hope to go over on a Regional state migration visa, as other half is a burns nurse. any help it costs for auz end would be very helpful.

 

:daydreaming:

[Gavinmccay]

Thanks Iron Chef.

I'm here on a 457 till may 2013, would the current rules let me and my wife import each of our cars. If so do you know of a broker that will handle the process.

Regards

Gav

[Iron Chef]

been watching most of this forum and time to ask my question...the cost of importation once it arrives in brisbane.........i have a saab 95 aero saloon auto 2008...love it and have has it since new....other half wants to have a bit of home with us, and wants the car to come when we go next yr.......i intend to do roll on roll off from southamption...have done the costs for de gassing, valeting, and bringing spares for servicing, and tyres etc......the rest of our personal furntiure and stuff is going in 20ft container....so trying to get to know what will i incure the other end in costs....inspections, rego, fully comp insurance, and any import duty or tax. We hope to go over on a Regional state migration visa, as other half is a burns nurse. any help it costs for auz end would be very helpful.

 

:daydreaming:

 

That must've been one of the last Saabs built before they had their hiatus!

 

Once the car is in the country, allow $500-1000 for the basic mods needed for a RWC and get it signed off by an engineer - for initial costs, Qld transport have a cool calculator to work out how much you're up for:

 

https://www.service.transport.qld.gov.au/eQuote/eQuote.jsp

 

Insurance is too hard to quote, best to speak to an insurance company once you have an address sorted.

 

Thanks Iron Chef.

I'm here on a 457 till may 2013, would the current rules let me and my wife import each of our cars. If so do you know of a broker that will handle the process.

Regards

Gav

 

Yep! Me! :biggrin:

[jamesnparry]

thanks iron chef.......as always a source of vast information.........now just to add a further question, can wifey and i bring separate cars, saab for her, Citreon C6 for me.... as said will be on a regional migration visa... thanks Pete

[Guest hendersons]

Hi iron chef.. not sure if you have had this question before but here it goes..

Husband has been offered job in NSW on a 457 and we will (we hope) be getting LAFHA.. Firstly can you bring your car in under those circumstances we do not want to put the LAFHA at risk..

 

Secondly here my husband has his own business.. for insurance purposes here his/our car which is a 2002 range rover L322 vogue is in his company name. We have owned the car for nearly 3 years and my husband has had his own business for 9 years. The business will obviously be closed when we move over. We have been told as it isnt in his name personally even though his name is in the company name, we wouldnt be able to import it?!?

Is there a way round this?!

[Iron Chef]

thanks iron chef.......as always a source of vast information.........now just to add a further question, can wifey and i bring separate cars, saab for her, Citreon C6 for me.... as said will be on a regional migration visa... thanks Pete

 

That should be fine - as long as you're coming on permanent visas (or visas that will possibly lead to a permanent visa later on) there's no reason why you can't both bring your cars. I always admired the C6 - a very under-rated car.

 

Hi iron chef.. not sure if you have had this question before but here it goes..

Husband has been offered job in NSW on a 457 and we will (we hope) be getting LAFHA.. Firstly can you bring your car in under those circumstances we do not want to put the LAFHA at risk..

 

Secondly here my husband has his own business.. for insurance purposes here his/our car which is a 2002 range rover L322 vogue is in his company name. We have owned the car for nearly 3 years and my husband has had his own business for 9 years. The business will obviously be closed when we move over. We have been told as it isnt in his name personally even though his name is in the company name, we wouldnt be able to import it?!?

Is there a way round this?!

 

If anyone else has personal experience with the LAFHA situation, then feel free to correct me, but I've never heard of importing a car affecting LAFHA. As far as the government is concerned, they're separate processes controlled by separate departments.

 

With the car, it's ok to be registered in the business name, your hubby would just have to find an alternative means of proving that he was the one using it regularly. Feel free to email me for more info on this one.

[Guest hannash]

Hi,

Yes both cars and household goods in one 40 ft container. No, I haven't done this before however, there are a number of good websites that you can have a look at. I got a quote from Cargonline however I am not going to use them as it's RORO, they do have quiet a bit of info on their web site which is

 

http://www.cargoonline.com.au/valuation.php

 

This might help? The other thing that may help is in their quote were the following costs:

 

Destination

Customs/Quarantine charges at destination Au$229.00

Local Valuation if required Au$605.00

Customs/Quarantine/DEWR Clearance Au$512.00

Steam Clean if required Au$352.00

Container Cartage ex wharf to depot Au$429.00

Container Unpack at depot Au$418.00

Port/Statutory authority charges at destination Au$528.00

Clearance of Personal Effects if packed in car/container Au$215.00

Delivery at destination (metro area) if required Au$198.00

 

Hope this helps?

 

Mike

thats odd as hell mike i was considering bring my car i got a quote here in ireland ,furnature and house stuff in a 40 foot , they cant do anything for me they say do it all myself when regestering (is this correct iron chef if your kickin about there ) this is what they think it costs (1),valuation 250 (,2)commercial customs fee 250,, (3)compliance engeneer 1500, (4) third party cover 400 (5) registration 600, (6)gst assuming value at 25000, -2500,,

[Guest hannash]

oh and i forgot the lvt,,it a merc :unsure:

[Iron Chef]

thats odd as hell mike i was considering bring my car i got a quote here in ireland ,furnature and house stuff in a 40 foot , they cant do anything for me they say do it all myself when regestering (is this correct iron chef if your kickin about there ) this is what they think it costs (1),valuation 250 (,2)commercial customs fee 250,, (3)compliance engeneer 1500, (4) third party cover 400 (5) registration 600, (6)gst assuming value at 25000, -2500,,

 

You'll find that's the case for almost every shipping company - their job is to get your car to Australia and get it off the wharf. Registration is a separate process, and helping you through that step is one of my 'points of difference'

 

Those costs they've listed there are....wrong, to put it bluntly.

 

In most cases the work for registration is $500-1000 (different for every make and model, and every state in Oz), you don't need another valuation once it's off the docks, GST and LCT aren't charged again at registration, but you will generally pay stamp duty of around 3-4% (of the customs value of the car when it arrives is the easiest way to go) then normal registration costs of around $600 (again it varies from state to state).

[yoyo333]

Hi,

 

Please could you advise if i should get my speedometer changed in the UK before shipping. The dial reads Mph on the outer and Km/h on the inner, or will this pass the relevant inspection as it is?

 

Your assistance is appreciated

 

yoyo

[Guest Big Steve]

Hi,

 

Please could you advise if i should get my speedometer changed in the UK before shipping. The dial reads Mph on the outer and Km/h on the inner, or will this pass the relevant inspection as it is?

 

Your assistance is appreciated

 

yoyo

 

From advice I have been given, it seems that analogue speedometers with both Mp/h and Km/h are fine - but the odometer must read in Kms. Some cars with digital odometers can be switched between Miles and Kms. Some need a diagnostic computer (garage) to perform this task.

[yoyo333]

From advice I have been given, it seems that analogue speedometers with both Mp/h and Km/h are fine - but the odometer must read in Kms. Some cars with digital odometers can be switched between Miles and Kms. Some need a diagnostic computer (garage) to perform this task.

 

Thanks Steve,

 

My car is a year 2000 mx5 and does not have a digital display, just as i mentioned, Mph on the outer and Km/h (smaller font size) on the inner speedometer, so you are saying it should be fine?

 

Cheers

[Guest Big Steve]

If the odometer is mechanical (i.e. the mileage is displayed by a row of small wheels with numbers painted on) then I believe the clocks need to be replaced. The issue is your car will be displaying mileage travelled, rather than kilometres travelled, which might be misinterpreted when you come to sell.

 

One option to consider is to buy some Kp/h clocks here and ship them with the car. Then, if they do need to be fitted, at least you are not stung with buying new.

 

 

Having just checked ebay for some clocks - If you have a Mk2, then don't you have the mileage in an LCD display at the bottom between the two main dials? If so - this is what can be switched electronically.

 

To add to that though - Do the maths add up on an 11 year old MX-5? Unless it's very low mileage, modified or of sentimental value?!?

[yoyo333]

If the odometer is mechanical (i.e. the mileage is displayed by a row of small wheels with numbers painted on) then I believe the clocks need to be replaced. The issue is your car will be displaying mileage travelled, rather than kilometres travelled, which might be misinterpreted when you come to sell.

 

One option to consider is to buy some Kp/h clocks here and ship them with the car. Then, if they do need to be fitted, at least you are not stung with buying new.

 

 

Having just checked ebay for some clocks - If you have a Mk2, then don't you have the mileage in an LCD display at the bottom between the two main dials? If so - this is what can be switched electronically.

 

To add to that though - Do the maths add up on an 11 year old MX-5? Unless it's very low mileage, modified or of sentimental value?!?

 

Hi,

Yes there is an LCD display between the two main dials. Can you send me the link to where i need to buy what is needed.

The car is a limited edition and only 40,000 miles.

Thanks very much

 

Sent from my LT15i using Tapatalk

[Guest Big Steve]

@yoyo

 

Have a word with these guys: http://www.kmh-mph.co.uk/product_odometer_reprogramming_424.htm

 

I have no experience of them (just a Google search) but they ought to be able to confirm what's possible and give you an idea of price.

[yoyo333]

Hi,

Yes there is an LCD display between the two main dials. Can you send me the link to where i need to buy what is needed.

The car is a limited edition and only 40,000 miles.

Thanks very much

 

Sent from my LT15i using Tapatalk

 

Sorry Steve,

 

I was having a blonde moment. I dont think i need to buy anything. Where can i get the odometer changed to km or should i just leave it until i get over to oz?

 

Thanks

 

Sent from my LT15i using Tapatalk

[Guest birder]

I have a really basic question that I'm embarrassed I can't figure out. We have a 2008 Hyundai Tuscon that's in great shape and completely paid for. (We bought it used in 2009.) When we ship it to Oz, what value will the 10% GST and 5% customs duty be based on? Is it on the purchase price? Or the current valuation? One shipment company here said that it's based on the current valuation, and but another said it was on the purchase price. When I looked on the Australian immigration site, it seemed that it was based on the purchase price. If that is the case, it is a complete rip off, since the car is clearly not worth the 2009 purchase price (especially given all the kilometers we've put on it).

 

Thank you for any help you can provide.

[Guest Big Steve]

@birder

 

I have been told to work on 75% of the mid-point price on the Aussie Redbook (Glass's guide equivalent).

 

Depending on model, condition and mileage - your Tuscon might be worth at best about $16K. So total tax might be about $2000 (5% + 10% inc shipping cost).

 

 

In reality I suspect it's not worth the effort and cost to get it to Oz.

[Guest birder]

@birder

 

I have been told to work on 75% of the mid-point price on the Aussie Redbook (Glass's guide equivalent).

 

Depending on model, condition and mileage - your Tuscon might be worth at best about $16K. So total tax might be about $2000 (5% + 10% inc shipping cost).

 

Thanks very much - I appreciate it.

 

In reality I suspect it's not worth the effort and cost to get it to Oz.

 

Hmm, interesting. My company is paying for the shipping. If I buy a new or used vehicle in Australia, I have to pay the 10% GST anyway. So I'm not paying very much to bring it into OZ, am I? I would also have to pay registration and on road costs for a new or used vehicle in Oz anyway. So I'm not sure how much extra I am paying to bring it into Australia other than the 5% customs, GST on shipping (which my company might pay), and a few other things. So it might work out to around $1000 AU to keep my safe, reliable vehicle.

 

Does that change your opinion any, or am I missing something?

 

I really appreciate your advice!

[Guest Big Steve]

@birder

 

If somebody else is paying the shipping costs (and potentially more) then it probably does make it worthwhile.

 

You still need to pay the costs at the far end that include customs, container handling, valuation, quarantine, inspection and getting it 'roadworthy'. Could be between $1500 to $2500 and you might also need an agent to help with some of this. If you can get all that 'bundled' into shipping and get your company to pay - your laughing!

 

Factor in the 4 weeks to get the import approval. It needs lots of paperwork to be copied and sent to Canberra (via email is acceptable) and is required before you can actually ship the vehicle.

[Guest surferchicksal]

Hi there

 

Could you help me! We are looking at shipping a van and a car and have been told if I put one in my name and the other in my husbands that is fine.

 

We want to ship on the personal import scheme and have been looking at the form, so far we are ticking all the no boxes which it says at the end if you have ticked all the no boxes then you are not allowed to ship!

 

My problem is that it says about an IPA which you can have granted if the Approval has been granted to ship, but on the import approval form it asks you for your IPA number??

 

How do we get around that one!!!!????:arghh:

[Iron Chef]

Sorry, been working on the new Iron Lady website! It'll be up soon!

 

Thanks Steve,

 

My car is a year 2000 mx5 and does not have a digital display, just as i mentioned, Mph on the outer and Km/h (smaller font size) on the inner speedometer, so you are saying it should be fine?

 

Cheers

 

If it's reading km/h on the speedo then you should be fine. It varies from state to state, but some will insist that you change the odometer cable gearing so that your odometer measures in km rather than miles, but it's not a difficult job.

 

If the odometer is mechanical (i.e. the mileage is displayed by a row of small wheels with numbers painted on) then I believe the clocks need to be replaced. The issue is your car will be displaying mileage travelled, rather than kilometres travelled, which might be misinterpreted when you come to sell.

 

One option to consider is to buy some Kp/h clocks here and ship them with the car. Then, if they do need to be fitted, at least you are not stung with buying new.

 

 

Having just checked ebay for some clocks - If you have a Mk2, then don't you have the mileage in an LCD display at the bottom between the two main dials? If so - this is what can be switched electronically.

 

To add to that though - Do the maths add up on an 11 year old MX-5? Unless it's very low mileage, modified or of sentimental value?!?

 

Because the MX-5 is a model readily available in Oz, I'd just get one from a wrecker (breaker in UK terms) here rather than buy one over there. The mileage can be adjusted to whatever you like before the car is first registered...

 

Big Steve you're on the money though! It would probably be a breakeven prospect, but on sentimental value alone it's worth bringing - I'm very partial to MX-5s because my wife owned one (pre-kids!) and we had a brilliant time going on drives when the weather was good. Summer evenings are the perfect driving weather here.

 

I have a really basic question that I'm embarrassed I can't figure out. We have a 2008 Hyundai Tuscon that's in great shape and completely paid for. (We bought it used in 2009.) When we ship it to Oz, what value will the 10% GST and 5% customs duty be based on? Is it on the purchase price? Or the current valuation? One shipment company here said that it's based on the current valuation, and but another said it was on the purchase price. When I looked on the Australian immigration site, it seemed that it was based on the purchase price. If that is the case, it is a complete rip off, since the car is clearly not worth the 2009 purchase price (especially given all the kilometers we've put on it).

 

Thank you for any help you can provide.

 

Have a read through the Customs Value vs Market Value info in the first post. For a personal import, it will always be independently valued to determine the customs value, which is a lot lower than the purchase value or even the market value here in Australia.

 

@birder

 

I have been told to work on 75% of the mid-point price on the Aussie Redbook (Glass's guide equivalent).

 

 

That's a good guide - whoever told you that is pretty smart :wink:

 

Thanks very much - I appreciate it.

 

 

 

Hmm, interesting. My company is paying for the shipping. If I buy a new or used vehicle in Australia, I have to pay the 10% GST anyway. So I'm not paying very much to bring it into OZ, am I? I would also have to pay registration and on road costs for a new or used vehicle in Oz anyway. So I'm not sure how much extra I am paying to bring it into Australia other than the 5% customs, GST on shipping (which my company might pay), and a few other things. So it might work out to around $1000 AU to keep my safe, reliable vehicle.

 

Does that change your opinion any, or am I missing something?

 

I really appreciate your advice!

 

If your company is paying for shipping, then yes, it's worth bringing over.

 

@birder

 

Factor in the 4 weeks to get the import approval. It needs lots of paperwork to be copied and sent to Canberra (via email is acceptable) and is required before you can actually ship the vehicle.

 

4 weeks IF you get the paperwork right first go...

 

Hi there

 

Could you help me! We are looking at shipping a van and a car and have been told if I put one in my name and the other in my husbands that is fine.

 

We want to ship on the personal import scheme and have been looking at the form, so far we are ticking all the no boxes which it says at the end if you have ticked all the no boxes then you are not allowed to ship!

 

My problem is that it says about an IPA which you can have granted if the Approval has been granted to ship, but on the import approval form it asks you for your IPA number??

 

How do we get around that one!!!!????:arghh:

 

Email me and I'll have a look at your circumstances if you like. Basically, if you're coming here on permanent visas and have owned the cars for more than 12 months, you should be able to do it.

[Guest rjackson]

Hi guys,

 

I thought I should join up and contribute seeing a few members from here have now been in contact with me regarding importing, and given that many of you seem to be asking the same questions, I thought it best to jump on and keep everything in the one spot so it can be discussed. So here are the FAQs related to bringing your car with you to Australia as a personal import

 

1. Firstly the relevant legislation (abridged to suit PIO members):

 

The Personal Imports Scheme allows migrants settling in Australia, to bring their personal vehicles with them.

 

The Personal Imports Scheme is outlined at regulation 13 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Regulations 1989. Mandatory criteria apply under the scheme. These criteria are outlined below. The criteria are strictly enforced. If you fail to meet the criteria, you will not be eligible to import a vehicle under the scheme.

 

Criteria, ownership of the vehicle

Applicants must satisfy each of the following ownership requirements. You must:

• own the vehicle when submitting the application; and

• have acquired ownership of the vehicle from overseas; and

• have owned the vehicle while overseas; and

• have owned the vehicle for a continuous period of at least 12 months. This is the “qualifying period”.

The qualifying period must have occurred immediately before you (permanently) arrived in Australia.

 

Criteria, use of the vehicle

The vehicle must have been available to you for use in transport. This means that the vehicle must have been available to be driven by you, at all times during the 12 month qualifying period. The vehicle should be registered (in your name) and garaged (proximate to your residence) throughout the 12 month qualifying period, so that you could, if needed, drive the vehicle. In addition, you must have held an appropriate licence to drive the vehicle overseas.

 

Criteria, citizenship and visa requirements

Applicants must fall into one of the following categories. You must:

• have applied to become an Australian citizen; or

• be an Australian permanent resident (eg, hold a permanent visa); or

• have applied to become an Australian permanent resident (eg, applied for a permanent visa); or

• hold a visa that allows you to apply to become an Australian permanent resident (eg, hold a temporary visa that allows you to apply for a permanent visa)

 

In addition, applicants must intend to change their residence. Applicants must have been resident in a foreign country (throughout the qualifying period of 12 months’ ownership and use of the vehicle) but now intend to become Australian residents on a permanent basis and remain in Australia indefinitely.

 

Documents to be provided by the applicant

To apply for a vehicle import approval under the Personal Imports Scheme, you should provide the following (to the Department) in the first instance:

• a completed Application for a Personally Imported Vehicle;

• the application fee – $50 Australian dollars, by cheque, money order or credit card (MasterCard or Visa only). If paying by cheque from overseas, please seek advice from your bank on the correct procedure;

• a copy of your driver’s licence;

• a copy of the purchase documents for the vehicle, in your name;

• a copy of the registration documents for the vehicle (for the qualifying period), in your name;

• a statement of travel. The statement of travel is prepared by you, and itemises any international travel you undertook during the qualifying period. In particular, the statement sets out any absences from your country of residence. If travel was for business reasons, you should supply a letter to that effect from your employer; and

• a copy of your passport (this includes a copy of every page, including blank pages). If you hold dual passports, you should produce a copy of both passports.

 

Applicants may substantiate an intention to remain in Australia indefinitely, by establishing:

• your employment details, such as a letter from your Australian employer;

• a rental agreement / purchase agreement for your residential property in Australia;

• the shipment of your household goods to Australia;

• the enrolment of your children in an Australian school;

• your Australian telephone / electricity accounts;

• the sale of your residential property in your former country of residence;

• the cancellation of your residential rental property in your former country of residence; and

• your resignation from employment in your former country of residence.

 

In addition, foreign citizens settling in Australia may substantiate an intention to remain in Australia

indefinitely, by providing evidence that they have:

• applied for an Australian Tax File Number;

• registered with Medicare;

• applied for Australian medical insurance;

• applied to open an Australian bank account; and

• applied for an Australian driver’s licence.

Importing Vehicles to Australia – Information Brochure (VSB10) 18

 

These lists are a guide. You may also be required to provide further evidence, including:

• a copy of insurance documents for the vehicle;

• copies of other documents that support your purchase of the vehicle (such as bank statements,

receipts from vendors); and

• copies of other documents that show you used the vehicle (such as receipts for any maintenance orrepairs made to the vehicle).

 

You may be required to submit original documentation (not photocopies) to confirm eligibility under the scheme.

 

Form to use for applying for a Personal Import

 

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/importing_vehicles/general/doc/Personal_Import_Application_1109.doc

 

or

 

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/importing_vehicles/general/pdf/Personal_Import_Application_1109.pdf

 

All Import-related information is in here, if you'd like more info:

 

Importing Vehicles to Australia - General Information

 

Is importing worth it? This is the $64m question of course! Going through the importing process for cars is not for the faint hearted, mainly because of the red tape you have to conquer.

 

If you absolutely love your car and can't bear to part with it, then obviously you're going to choose to import it regardless of what I say, and that's fine, I've brought in many cars over the years that don't make any sense from a financial standpoint.

 

If you've heard rumours that bringing cars to Australia is like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, then I would encourage you to do some further research before going through the rigmarole of applying for import approval.

 

If your car is sold in Australia already, then I suggest you check what it is worth here on this website:

 

Car Prices - Search Car Prices & Values Online - Red Book

 

You may well find that you go to an awful lot of effort and expense to bring a car here, only to find that it is worth less here than what it owes you, particularly if it is a fairly basic model.

 

If you're bringing over something more upmarket, then there is potential for profit, particularly if the car you happen to own is a model that can't enter the country any other way and is therefore desirable to astute collectors here. Feel free to ask if you aren't sure whether your car falls into this category.

 

Why are Australian governments such ar$eholes? Dealing with them on a daily basis, I regularly wonder this myself!

 

The personal import regulations have been tightened recently in response to dodgy businesses here rorting the system to make as much money as possible, by contacting ex-pat Aussies living overseas and effectively paying them to have cars registered in their names. This, of course, is not the intention of the scheme - it's not set up so that Aussies can send back cars every year and make money on them.

 

Like most governments, Australian governments have never met a dollar they didn't like, and so when you import any goods over $1000 into Australia, you're going to get hit with 5% stamp duty on the cost of the car and its shipping charges THEN get another 10% GST charged on the cost of the car, its shipping charges and the 5% stamp duty - yes, you pay tax on a tax...

 

Not only that, the state government will also get you for stamp duty of approximately 4% of the vehicle's value when the time comes to register it here. As you can see, they all do quite nicely out of importers.

 

When should I apply for import approval? As soon as you've met the criteria for importing, or as soon as you have your visa. DON'T make the mistake of waiting until you're about to come over to Australia! Our government has a long history of making running changes to legislation without letting anyone know.

 

On the DIT website you'll see something written about 17 working day turnaround times - this is rubbish, expect up to 5 or 6 weeks. The section that processes applications is terminally (and in my opinion deliberately) understaffed, and you see that the 17 day processing time doesn't include peak periods, and they always manage to find a reason for slower processing (at the moment, it's the strong AUD v USD making everyone buy US cars...)

 

Which companies do insurance for personal imports? When most mainstream insurance companies in Australia hear the 'i' word (import), they will smile and show you the door. If your car is a model already sold in Australia, do NOT mention it is a personal import. There's nothing underhanded or illegal about doing this, so don't worry you're not breaking the law, you're just avoiding confusion on their end.

 

If your car is rare or unusual, I recommend Car Insurance for car enthusiasts and owners of classic and vintage cars - Shannons , or if you're under 25 Car Insurance for Young Drivers and Modified Cars - Just Car Insurance In the interests of ethical probity, I have all my cars insured through Shannons - they offer big reductions if you have multiple vehicles or home insurance through them too.

 

Air conditioning - what needs to be done? When you read the Department of Environment and Heritage's website, you'll read that no vehicle can be imported into Australia with R12 gas, which doesn't apply to many people these days.

 

Most of us have R134a, which is still regarded as an ozone-depleting substance, and therefore, to bring a car in with R134a still in the aircon system, the importer must have the appropriate licence to do this - back in the old days, it was only $50 to get the licence, but because of recent changes, it has now jumped to $600. I should point out that the wait to actually get a licence is horrendous too.

 

The alternative is to make sure your air-con is de-gassed before it leaves the UK. I'm not sure what your local mechanic would charge you to do this, but I doubt it would be much more than 20 or 30 pounds. From there, they need to sign the relevant paperwork to show that it has been done (I can send you the form for this), and then you give this form and the tax invoice from the mechanic to your customs broker in Australia. Re-gassing costs around $100AUD so you still end up miles in front compared to getting the $600 licence.

Market value vs customs value -

 

For personal imports, cars are generally valued independently once they arrive in Australia. This is done by a licenced valuer, at a cost of $200 or so (nice work if you can get it!).

 

There is a good reason for this - if you paid $50,000 for your car and had owned it for 5 years, it would be unfair to tax you on the original purchase price. So it makes sense.

 

The valuer is required to provide a customs value, not a market value. In virtually every case, the customs value is a much lower figure than market value.

 

Just for fun, I'll do a hypothetical scenario with a 2007 Jaguar XK convertible, purchased new by whoever is bringing it in.

 

Market value for one sold new in Australia is now $105,000-115,000AUD

 

Customs value (I'm no expert at this, but I know these are the rough figures used for depreciation!)

 

Purchase cost - £69,900 ($158,000 AUD based on an exchange rate of 1AUD=44p back in 2007)

 

Three years' depreciation at 22% per year brings the value down to $75389, THEN another 20% approx is reduced to take into consideration an imported vehicle being worth less than its equivalent locally sold model in Australia.

 

Customs value is $60,311.

 

Like I said, don't quote me on those percentages I've used, but they're in the right ball park, which should help some of you with your calculations for taxes and customs duty.

Thank you for your help and diligence in this. I am looking to being my car over on a 457 (I have owned it for 4 years) and I am wondering how/whether I can "choose" to have a local independent customs value be determined rather than use the acquisition cost which,as you point out, inflates the value of the car? If so how do you reckon I could wangle this please?

[Guest rjackson]

Thank you Sir for this which is hugely helpful. I am coming over from the UK on a 457 and have owned my car for 4 years so meet the relevant criteria. However, I am wondering how I can "opt" for a local customs value determination rather than use the acquisition cost which clearly inflates the car's value - can I choose and, if so, do you know how please? Thank you