# Buying secondhand car



## shoemanpete (Jan 4, 2010)

Hi all,
I need to buy a lhd car in Sep/Oct either here or in UK.
If I buy a lhd secondhand car in UK which is already on spanish plates, does that mean import taxes do not apply? 
When buying a lhd car on UK plates, is the 7% import tax based on purchase price or price when new?

If anyone knows anyone who is selling their car, let me know please. Has to be automatic.


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## natalieml (May 9, 2010)

Hiya,

We've just bought a LHD car in the UK. As we live in the UK and the car is on UK plates we need to own the vehicle for 6 months before we breing it over - that way you completely avoid paying import tax on the car. Not sure how this works for you as I think your already living there? 

The 7% import tax is based on the Spanish governments perceived value of the car!

For us even if the car was on Spanish plates we would still have had to pay the import tax.

The selection of LHD vehicles in the UK is very poor. We looked at 3 LHD centres and most of the cars were very high mileage and in poor condition. I think in Spain anything with less than 50 dents is considered good condition. lol

We ended up buying our car privately through Auto Trader - it had only 20,000Kms on the clock as it was kept at the previous owners villa in Portugal for holiday use. 

Sorry I can't be more help.

Natalie




shoemanpete said:


> Hi all,
> I need to buy a lhd car in Sep/Oct either here or in UK.
> If I buy a lhd secondhand car in UK which is already on spanish plates, does that mean import taxes do not apply?
> When buying a lhd car on UK plates, is the 7% import tax based on purchase price or price when new?
> ...


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

natalieml said:


> Hiya,
> 
> We've just bought a LHD car in the UK. As we live in the UK and the car is on UK plates we need to own the vehicle for 6 months before we breing it over - that way you completely avoid paying import tax on the car. Not sure how this works for you as I think your already living there?
> 
> ...


The Spanish cant charge Import Tax, its not allowed under EU Law .. its called import registration fee 

Yes you are right about the 6 months on a UK plated car. However on a Spanish plated car it can be a bit different, just depends if it was "de registered" when it left Spain. If not its worth checking on any outstanding taxes and charges against the car in Spain as of course the authorities will think its still here and the charge stays with the car


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## uffington15 (May 4, 2009)

Can recommend The Left Hand Drive Place in Basingstoke, good selection of cars and good to deal with. Bought our lhd Volvo from them and will finally pick it up 2nd August so we have time to play before we come in Oct.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

uffington15 said:


> Can recommend The Left Hand Drive Place in Basingstoke, good selection of cars and good to deal with. Bought our lhd Volvo from them and will finally pick it up 2nd August so we have time to play before we come in Oct.


Seconded. We bought a LandRover from them and they delivered it to our home in Prague for a modest fee.
You do not automatically have to pay import tax on a vehicle purchased in the UK which is on Spanish plates. Our LR was on Spanish plates when we bought it and 
after checking no taxes /fines were owing on it it cost a couple of hundred euros to change ownership at our gestor.
There are websites you can use to check this.


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## shoemanpete (Jan 4, 2010)

Thank you all. There are several UK lhd dealers around London and outskirts I found.


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