ronimp Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 Hi, does anyone know when they calculate the custom duty of the car, do they use the value of the car in UK or the value in Aus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted October 21, 2012 Author Share Posted October 21, 2012 In some cases Customs will value cars based on the purchase invoice supplied in the UK (a cynic would suggest Customs are happy to do this if it means the value - and therefore the tax paid - is higher than what an independent valuation would give them). For about 90% of cases that we deal with, an independent valuation is the way to go, as it's fairer for everyone. Traditionally, valuations were based on the price on the market value in the country of origin, but this changed many years ago. These days, they are based on the Australian market value minus the necessary deductions to reach a landed value on the docks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronimp Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 In some cases Customs will value cars based on the purchase invoice supplied in the UK (a cynic would suggest Customs are happy to do this if it means the value - and therefore the tax paid - is higher than what an independent valuation would give them). For about 90% of cases that we deal with, an independent valuation is the way to go, as it's fairer for everyone. Traditionally, valuations were based on the price on the market value in the country of origin, but this changed many years ago. These days, they are based on the Australian market value minus the necessary deductions to reach a landed value on the docks. Thanks Iron Chef but according to the custom site, they should be using the foreign valuation... http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/ValuationImportedRoadVehicles.pdf can I challenge them if they are not following this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest67761 Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Thanks Iron Chef but according to the custom site, they should be using the foreign valuation...http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/ValuationImportedRoadVehicles.pdf can I challenge them if they are not following this? The foreign value of the vehicle, which would be your original purchase price, should not be used for vehicles imported under the Personal Import Scheme if the Australian Customs requirements are followed. It states that you can use the purchase price as long as you can demonstrate that the purchase took place for the "sole purpose of exporting the vehicle to Australia", however this goes against the purpose of the Personal Import Scheme which exists for you to import a vehicle that you have owned and used as a personal possession rather than buying specifically to import to Australia. If it was determined that you purchased the vehicle for the sole purpose of exporting to Australia then you would not technically meet the criteria for import approval under the Personal Import Scheme. Many people do purchase with this sole intention however it's not ideal to bring this to the attention of the Australian Government if it is the case. Also note that in order to get import approval under the Personal Import Scheme you must have owned and used the vehicle for at least 12 months which then means "the road vehicle has depreciated due to wear and tear caused by usage before exportation" and therefore excludes you from being able to use the original transaction value for the customs value. After talking with Australian Customs about this personally I was advised that any period of usage will put it into this category, so 12 months usage which is required under the Personal Import Scheme will absolutely exclude you from being able to use the original purchase price for the Customs valuation. Above all else, a valuation done by a decent Australian Customs approved valuation service should end up lower than the overseas market value unless the original transaction value was substantially lower than market value at the time in which case it should not be allowed for an Australian Customs value anyway. In most cases there should be no point trying to use the foreign value unless you want to pay more in import duty and taxes. Please also note that by trying to do something outside of the normal process, for example haggling with Australian Customs on the valuation method, will cause considerable delays and unnecessary storage costs while trying to get it sorted out. I personally recommend letting us arrange the valuation on your behalf as it will almost certainly save you money in the end. Valuations we obtain are fair from an Australian Customs point of view so as not to cause delays and needless additional costs, but also somewhat favorable as far as the importer is concerned. If you believe that you have a special case which needs to be considered then please email us all of the information including details of the vehicle, original purchase paperwork, even photos of the vehicle if relevant, then we can advise further on the possibilities and options. Cheers, Craig Moor Iron Lady Imports Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopper Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 The foreign value of the vehicle, which would be your original purchase price, should not be used for vehicles imported under the Personal Import Scheme if the Australian Customs requirements are followed. It states that you can use the purchase price as long as you can demonstrate that the purchase took place for the "sole purpose of exporting the vehicle to Australia", however this goes against the purpose of the Personal Import Scheme which exists for you to import a vehicle that you have owned and used as a personal possession rather than buying specifically to import to Australia. If it was determined that you purchased the vehicle for the sole purpose of exporting to Australia then you would not technically meet the criteria for import approval under the Personal Import Scheme. Many people do purchase with this sole intention however it's not ideal to bring this to the attention of the Australian Government if it is the case.Also note that in order to get import approval under the Personal Import Scheme you must have owned and used the vehicle for at least 12 months which then means "the road vehicle has depreciated due to wear and tear caused by usage before exportation" and therefore excludes you from being able to use the original transaction value for the customs value. After talking with Australian Customs about this personally I was advised that any period of usage will put it into this category, so 12 months usage which is required under the Personal Import Scheme will absolutely exclude you from being able to use the original purchase price for the Customs valuation. Above all else, a valuation done by a decent Australian Customs approved valuation service should end up lower than the overseas market value unless the original transaction value was substantially lower than market value at the time in which case it should not be allowed for an Australian Customs value anyway. In most cases there should be no point trying to use the foreign value unless you want to pay more in import duty and taxes. Please also note that by trying to do something outside of the normal process, for example haggling with Australian Customs on the valuation method, will cause considerable delays and unnecessary storage costs while trying to get it sorted out. I personally recommend letting us arrange the valuation on your behalf as it will almost certainly save you money in the end. Valuations we obtain are fair from an Australian Customs point of view so as not to cause delays and needless additional costs, but also somewhat favorable as far as the importer is concerned. If you believe that you have a special case which needs to be considered then please email us all of the information including details of the vehicle, original purchase paperwork, even photos of the vehicle if relevant, then we can advise further on the possibilities and options. Cheers, Craig Moor Iron Lady Imports Hi Craig I am confused! If we bring cars over cause they are worthmore in most cases to Aus, why get them valued in Aus. Surely with the shippingand so forth deduction on high end cars will not make them cheaper then the UK value. Nextyear I want to bring 2 Porsche 911s a 2006 Carrera convertible UK value £30,000Aus value $95,000 and 2007 Carrera4S convertible UK value £40,000 Aus value$145,000 are they the 10% where Aus value is not recommended? I will have ownedone for a year and half and the other for a year when I leave the UK and do havethe purchase invoice. As an example £30,000 X 1.5 $ rate= $45,000 10% Duty on Aus value $95,000 10% Duty on. Clearly much more. Is it not possible to bring an Autotrader Magazine when Ileave to show customs the UKvalve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwkl Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 (edited) Hi Craig I am confused! If we bring cars over cause they are worthmore in most cases to Aus, why get them valued in Aus. Surely with the shippingand so forth deduction on high end cars will not make them cheaper then the UK value. Nextyear I want to bring 2 Porsche 911s a 2006 Carrera convertible UK value £30,000Aus value $95,000 and 2007 Carrera4S convertible UK value £40,000 Aus value$145,000 are they the 10% where Aus value is not recommended? I will have ownedone for a year and half and the other for a year when I leave the UK and do havethe purchase invoice. As an example £30,000 X 1.5 $ rate= $45,000 10% Duty on Aus value $95,000 10% Duty on. Clearly much more. Is it not possible to bring an Autotrader Magazine when Ileave to show customs the UKvalve? It's not a case of you getting them valued in Aus, that is just what will happen when your car is imported in to Aus under the Personal import Scheme. Customs will make charge you and make a valuation of your car whether you like it or not. I think they do consider the original purchase price, and it will not be the Aus market price, usually lower so a good ballpark figure is 75% of the Aus market value. In your case, $95,000 x 75% gives a rough valuation of $71,000. To use my actual car: UK value ~£21000 Aus market value ~$75,000 Actual valuation $40,500 http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/transport-shipping/97053-transporting-your-car-oz-everything-you-need-know-75.html#post1345744 Edited November 6, 2012 by pwkl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 Hi Craig I am confused! If we bring cars over cause they are worthmore in most cases to Aus, why get them valued in Aus. Surely with the shippingand so forth deduction on high end cars will not make them cheaper then the UK value. Nextyear I want to bring 2 Porsche 911s a 2006 Carrera convertible UK value £30,000Aus value $95,000 and 2007 Carrera4S convertible UK value £40,000 Aus value$145,000 are they the 10% where Aus value is not recommended? I will have ownedone for a year and half and the other for a year when I leave the UK and do havethe purchase invoice. As an example £30,000 X 1.5 $ rate= $45,000 10% Duty on Aus value $95,000 10% Duty on. Clearly much more. Is it not possible to bring an Autotrader Magazine when Ileave to show customs the UKvalve? The regs say that, where the value of the vehicle has changed (let's face it, it usually depreciates) since the car was purchased OR if the purchase value is not indicative of the true cost of the vehicle, then an independent valuation is done. For personal imports, this is pretty much all the time. What Craig has written is correct - in the situations I've seen where Customs has accepted a purchase invoice for a valuation, the vehicle was purchased a long time before importing and the invoice value was HIGHER than the market value in Australia. Customs officers aren't stupid, they will swallow their whistle if the owner and/or customs broker are stupid enough to send in paperwork that is too high. Case in point, a lazy customs broker (who doesn't get our business, thankfully) sent a purchase invoice for a personally imported Nissan GT-R (not via Iron Lady, but we got asked for advice on it) a few weeks ago at $99,500, after much yelling and wailing, an independent valuation was done, and it came through approximately $65,000, saving the owner something like $15,000 in tax. It's not a case of you getting them valued in Aus, that is just what will happen when your car is imported in to Aus under the Personal import Scheme. Customs will make charge you and make a valuation of your car whether you like it or not. I think they do consider the original purchase price, and it will not be the Aus market price, usually lower so a good ballpark figure is 75% of the Aus market value. In your case, $95,000 x 75% gives a rough valuation of $71,000. To use my actual car: UK value ~£21000 Aus market value ~$75,000 Actual valuation $40,500 http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/transport-shipping/97053-transporting-your-car-oz-everything-you-need-know-75.html#post1345744 You're getting good at this pwkl - careful, we might have to give you a job soon! Hi all, great post by the way very informative. I just wanted to add my little bit to this topic on my experience on shipping my vehicles over to Australia. Mine was my beloved M3 and an old Triumph Stag couldn't bare to leave them in the UK. Well the first car to go over was the Stag, phoned a company who were recomended of this site, I won't name drop, well to be honest they were rubbish, never ccontactable, had to take the car to port and had to wait 3 hours until someone from the company took the car from me. As the car needed to be thoroughly cleaned due to Aussi rules , I had asked for this to be added to my costs. This is were all my problems began, it seems the cleaning process was forgotton causing all kinds of issues when arriving in Australia, to be honest to cut a long story short , I wasn't sure if my car would ever make it into Australia, with all the issues. In fact it arrived after my second car, which was being shipped 6 weeks later. With all the issues I had with the first car I decided to change company I eventually went with a company called First Base Freight http://www.firstbasefreight.co.uk . They did everything for us even came to my house and got a driver to take it to the port. We did have to wait a a few weeks for a vessel but there service was really good. Always kept me in the loop, was very impressed. Would deffo use them again. Very different from my first experience. Don't get me wrong shipping a car to Australia can be a big hassle, but for safety reasons they need to do it, but find a good company and things can go sweetly. Ugh that doesn't sound like fun. Unfortunately, your Stag may have even been cleaned and still fallen foul of the rabid AQIS officers. They have become so ridiculous with expecting everything cleaned at the docks that we just tell people to give their car a quick once over with a high-pressure hose in the UK rather than getting a full valet. The cynic in me says that the inspectors get kick-backs from the steam cleaning companies over here, but I live in hope that it's not the case... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 Oh for sure, best to book in for an inspection on a Friday afternoon, not a Monday morning! They do genuinely pick on older cars, because many are imported under the pre-1989 rule and bought from barns where spiders and all sorts of other goodies hide. Good to hear First Base have given you good service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savitar Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Hi Iron Chef, To be honest I have to agree with you I think the problems I had with the Stag would still have had problems with the AQIS officers, sometimes they will just reject because thats how they feel, ha ha . The M3 which is newer, I think just went through due to it being the easiest to clean. Maybe the cleaner that http://www.firstbasefreight.co.uk used was better than the original. Well at tleast they got there eventually, ha ha. Hi avfcforever, I am planning on shipping two M3's (one E46 and one E92) over next year (well I own one, my partner the other) from the UK. Are you able to provide a little more information on things like the : - Costs of shipping (including the firstbase costs etc) - Valuation of the car Vs the cost of the car in the UK and Aus and therefore the tax cost - Any issues with getting a road worthy? How long did it take to register? - Any plans to sell the car? If so, any experience with what the market thinks of an import M3? Happy to PM you if you don't want to advertise this.... Thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest VickyMary Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Hi everyone. I hope someone can help. We lived in Oz for 5 years and moved back to the UK in 2009 due to family bereavement, and other small isseus. We always intended heading back when the time is right, and that time seems next year. We have a 2007 range rover sport, worth about £18000. After looking on Oz site's it would cost between $50,000 and $60,000 to replace it in Oz. Ordinarily we wouldnt bother with all the hassle, but at the moment £18000 doesnt even get us $30,000 so we are considering sending the range rover across. Does anyone with experience of this process think it is a good idea for financial reasons only. We have no sentimental attachment to the car so that isnt a consideration. Any help/advice would be appreciated. Ooops, meant to say, we became Australian citizens before we left in 2009, not sure if that complicates things. Thanks again everyone in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MnEmCathcart Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 (edited) Hi Iron Chef, Great post, the whole subject is extremely confusing so nice to have someone who understands it all! My question, I have a 2000 Audi A3 registered in my husband's name and we've had it for 3 years and have both been insured on it for the full time and registered at current address. We are looking at moving over to Adelaide in March 2013 as hubby has been offered a job! We'd be on e457 to begin with at least. The car initially was paid for very generously by my grandad when we bought it. It is now worth approk £1k in the Uk but is an extremely reliable and fun car to drive. My husband's new employer is likely going to be paying all our relocation costs so I was considering bringing the car in a container with all our furniture. As I said, the car didn't cost us anything initially to buy, and it worth more to us in reliability etc than the £1k we'd get for it. Is it worth thinking about bringing over? Or does this sound like a silly plan? How much is it likely to cost me in import taxes etc? There's no external rust on the bodywork but may be some underneath. There's no a/c at the moment but I would look at getting this fitted in Australia once it was imported. Also what's the situation like for getting parts and repair for older Audi cars in AUS? Thanks so much for any help Emma Edited November 10, 2012 by MnEmCathcart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnaC Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Hi there....good thread. Have just checked the value of the other halfs car on the Red Book site.....yikes!!! How do I go about getting a quote for shipping please. Thanks Donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BO0557 Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 Hey all, I am looking potentially moving home next year and ive got a early model ('85) model mazda rx7.. I want to import it back home to use a circuit car was wondering if anyone could would have any ideas on what the costs would be to get it to sydney and then for what ever importing charges.. The car wont be going on the road so wont need to have it complied etc.. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 Hi avfcforever, I am planning on shipping two M3's (one E46 and one E92) over next year (well I own one, my partner the other) from the UK. Are you able to provide a little more information on things like the : - Costs of shipping (including the firstbase costs etc) - Valuation of the car Vs the cost of the car in the UK and Aus and therefore the tax cost - Any issues with getting a road worthy? How long did it take to register? - Any plans to sell the car? If so, any experience with what the market thinks of an import M3? Happy to PM you if you don't want to advertise this.... Thanks... Hi Savitar, feel free to drop us a line via the website contact form (link below) if you'd like to compare services. Hi everyone. I hope someone can help. We lived in Oz for 5 years and moved back to the UK in 2009 due to family bereavement, and other small isseus. We always intended heading back when the time is right, and that time seems next year. We have a 2007 range rover sport, worth about £18000. After looking on Oz site's it would cost between $50,000 and $60,000 to replace it in Oz. Ordinarily we wouldnt bother with all the hassle, but at the moment £18000 doesnt even get us $30,000 so we are considering sending the range rover across. Does anyone with experience of this process think it is a good idea for financial reasons only. We have no sentimental attachment to the car so that isnt a consideration. Any help/advice would be appreciated. Ooops, meant to say, we became Australian citizens before we left in 2009, not sure if that complicates things. Thanks again everyone in advance. Hi there - there's a separate calculator thread dedicated to this exact scenario, but based on those figures it's definitely worth bringing it back. Hi Iron Chef, Great post, the whole subject is extremely confusing so nice to have someone who understands it all! My question, I have a 2000 Audi A3 registered in my husband's name and we've had it for 3 years and have both been insured on it for the full time and registered at current address. We are looking at moving over to Adelaide in March 2013 as hubby has been offered a job! We'd be on e457 to begin with at least. The car initially was paid for very generously by my grandad when we bought it. It is now worth approk £1k in the Uk but is an extremely reliable and fun car to drive. My husband's new employer is likely going to be paying all our relocation costs so I was considering bringing the car in a container with all our furniture. As I said, the car didn't cost us anything initially to buy, and it worth more to us in reliability etc than the £1k we'd get for it. Is it worth thinking about bringing over? Or does this sound like a silly plan? How much is it likely to cost me in import taxes etc? There's no external rust on the bodywork but may be some underneath. There's no a/c at the moment but I would look at getting this fitted in Australia once it was imported. Also what's the situation like for getting parts and repair for older Audi cars in AUS? Thanks so much for any help Emma Hi Emma, I'm going through all the emails off the website this morning so you'll hear from me there soon! If the boss is paying for the shipping then yes it's probably worth doing. I'll shoot through the costs when I email Hi there....good thread. Have just checked the value of the other halfs car on the Red Book site.....yikes!!! How do I go about getting a quote for shipping please. Thanks Donna Hi Donna, just visit the website and fill out the contact form (address is in my signature below) Hey all, I am looking potentially moving home next year and ive got a early model ('85) model mazda rx7.. I want to import it back home to use a circuit car was wondering if anyone could would have any ideas on what the costs would be to get it to sydney and then for what ever importing charges.. The car wont be going on the road so wont need to have it complied etc.. Cheers Being pre-1989 you're better off bringing it over as a road car either way. I saw your email too, will be in touch today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mbslkfirst Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Hi Guys I have just been through the long hurdle of shipping my car here. Just as I was winning- nopes! Licence Plates/ Number plates here are of different size to UK ones what have others done to get round it? The rear ones are OK- can drill new holes in the plate. But front ones are tricky. There is a black panel on the front bumber on which my previous plate was fitted. its also curved a bit. I will soon be sharing my experience with regards to cost and time it took. Many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 21, 2012 Author Share Posted November 21, 2012 Before you go drilling - which state are you in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mbslkfirst Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Before you go drilling - which state are you in? I am in Perth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 21, 2012 Author Share Posted November 21, 2012 Thank me later :biggrin: http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/licensing/20440.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mbslkfirst Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 the vehicle inspection officer took off the original plates and kept it with him. Is that right or should have returned it to me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 21, 2012 Author Share Posted November 21, 2012 Well it's probably a bit cheeky to take them, but the law does allow for them to confiscate plates that aren't on registered vehicles. If you only did it today, then go back and ask for them as a memento. We always advise removing them before you go in, for this exact reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mbslkfirst Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Hi Kristen/ Craig Thank you always - you have been absolutely fantactic with all the infomation and help on this website. Really appreciate your help. The link above is for the Euro plates- cost $470 might have to shell that out as the last resort Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 21, 2012 Author Share Posted November 21, 2012 Ouch, far out they really stitch you up for special number plates in WA. I suspect the difference may be that it's a one-off payment, rather than an annual fee like they are in other states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachall Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Hi With all your experience I wonder if you could offer some advice. I have contacted the relevant government agency re imports but had no reply. We are hoping to take over a royal Enfield 125. Although the vehicle is registered to the OH. He has no other documents as it was found amongst his late fathers possessions, but not documented in the will. It is a restoration project and has not been on the road since the 1960's. He has all the receipts pertaining to the various bits and pieces he has bought for the restoration. He would be devastated if he was unable to bring it with him as he has no intention of selling it. How do we go about importing it, does it come under the personal import scheme as it's not working? Any advice would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest67761 Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 HiWith all your experience I wonder if you could offer some advice. I have contacted the relevant government agency re imports but had no reply. We are hoping to take over a royal Enfield 125. Although the vehicle is registered to the OH. He has no other documents as it was found amongst his late fathers possessions, but not documented in the will. It is a restoration project and has not been on the road since the 1960's. He has all the receipts pertaining to the various bits and pieces he has bought for the restoration. He would be devastated if he was unable to bring it with him as he has no intention of selling it. How do we go about importing it, does it come under the personal import scheme as it's not working? Any advice would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance Rachel Hi Rachel, This sounds like a fantastic thing to bring with you and I would love to help with the process. I would be happy to investigate the requirements and make sure it can come along without any problems. If possible please send as much information as possible, any photos you can and/or paperwork that you have available to me by email at craig@ironladyimports.com so I can do the necessary research and get back to you with accurate information on how to proceed. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Regards, Craig Moor Iron Lady Imports Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest niculand Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 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 . Hi All, About all above..what would be another way to import a car if you do not own it for 12 months before departure? I would be interested to bring a 2008 Audi A8, and would need to knwo the differences versus the PIO scheme. Thank to any of you for advices, AN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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