Author Topic: When importing a vette - Is there a 12 months rule/regulation? (Read 6790 times)

gtc · « **on:** December 07, 2007, 07:46:41 PM »

From those in the know, is there some import duty or other tax benefit, or scheme or arrangement, whereby you purchase a Vette in the USA, leave it there for 12 months, then bring it to Oz.

I've heard contradictory versions of this. Is it a myth or a fact?

If it's a fact, where do you save money at this end?

Cheers, Graeme

Scott · « **Reply #1 on:** December 07, 2007, 07:56:15 PM »

IIRC, If you can prove you have owned the car overseas for 12 months, you can import and register it as is. ie, you don't need to change anything for compliance. So, you could import the latest Vette, and then drive it around as is, LHD and all. I could be wrong though.

ozpont · « **Reply #2 on:** December 07, 2007, 10:34:58 PM »

.. the law as I understand the latest.. is:
* You must document legally 12 months PERSONAL ownership and USE WHILE in another country.. but you must have owned the car IN YOUR NAME.. provide proof of use.. and maintained overseas for the 12 months, your passpost is used as evidence of this. .. ie you can't just buy one and leave it there while you travel around or return to oz etc.
* No tax concession is made anymore..... tax is paid on the depreciated/ market value of the vehicle at time of import.. and if Customs don't like your value. .they will revalue it for you......
* Minimal side stepping of the current ADR laws is allowed.. seat belts being one and some other minor concessions.
* I understand NT will still allow immediate LHD rego as long as your the importer and owner and resident of NT. If you move from NT to another state your at the mercy of those other state laws (ie Convert it to RHD if you intend to or want to stay in that state and register the vehicle).
Full details are available Dept of Transport & Communications (Federal)
Hope that helps.

gtc · « **Reply #3 on:** December 08, 2007, 08:01:57 PM »

^^ thanks.

There's a section on the DOTARS site that covers personal imporation of vehicles and it goes on to say ...

Copies of the following documents must[/u] be provided to establish ownership and use of the vehicle overseas for twelve consecutive months, or more:

• every page of your passport including all blank pages

• statement of travel. This involves supplying details of any absences from your main country of residence during the relevant qualifying period for ownership and use of the vehicle. If your travel was for business reasons you must supply a letter to that effect from your employer.

• purchase documents

• overseas registration documents in your name

• Driver’s Licence

A $50 application fee must also be provided.

69 DIRTY RAT · « **Reply #4 on:** December 08, 2007, 10:44:31 PM »

You're not thinkin of importing now??? What about the LHD business U were against!!!

gtc · « **Reply #5 on:** December 08, 2007, 11:27:47 PM »

Heck, no. I'm going to buy here, and I still want RHD.

It's just that quite a lot of the big block cars that I see advertised are either still in the USA or have been recently imported, and I've been hearing about importers and this 12 month rule.

Now I see that it only applies to vettes that are less than 15 years old.

69 DIRTY RAT · « **Reply #6 on:** December 09, 2007, 09:58:10 PM »

What do you mean by 12 month rule?

gtc · « **Reply #7 on:** December 09, 2007, 10:44:36 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by 69 DIRTY RAT
What do you mean by 12 month rule?

If the car is less than 15 years old, in order to get a personal import approval from DOTARS, you must have owned and maintained it for 12 months overseas and be able to prove that. See my previous posts above.

69 DIRTY RAT · « **Reply #8 on:** December 10, 2007, 09:08:46 PM »

All personal import cars must be owned for 18 months I thought & not just less than 15 year old cars. Didnt it used to be 1 year but now its 18 months(?) Most Govt. web sites are way out of date!
Mine was a personal import! at the time it was only 1 year!

bootlegger · « **Reply #9 on:** December 10, 2007, 10:08:57 PM »

Just to put a spanner in the works. If you are planning on shipping a car from the states you better do it soon. Ive heard from a reliable source that the yanks are trying to clamp down on cars leaving their country. Something about their heritage. New legislation in the next twelve months will make it heaps more expensive or impossible if the car has any significance.

gtc · « **Reply #10 on:** December 10, 2007, 10:27:31 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by 69 DIRTY RAT
All personal import cars must be owned for 18 months I thought & not just less than 15 year old cars. Didnt it used to be 1 year but now its 18 months(?) Most Govt. web sites are way out of date!
Mine was a personal import! at the time it was only 1 year!

Here you go:

"The Government has announced [in 2005] changes to the arrangements for the importation of vehicles 15 years or older. Under the new rules, vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1989 may be imported without restriction. Vehicles built during 1989 (or later) will need to qualify under the Registered Automotive Workshop Scheme (RAWS)."

Also on that page, see Parts 4 and 8 of the import application form, and also the notes applicable to the form, called bulletin VSB10, especially the notes for Parts 4 and 8.

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/bulletin/importing.aspx

gtc · « **Reply #11 on:** December 10, 2007, 10:33:10 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by bootlegger
Just to put a spanner in the works. If you are planning on shipping a car from the states you better do it soon. Ive heard from a reliable source that the yanks are trying to clamp down on cars leaving their country. Something about their heritage. New legislation in the next twelve months will make it heaps more expensive or impossible if the car has any significance.

Can you quote an actual source for that? After quite a bit Googling, I can find no reference to any such move.

69 DIRTY RAT · « **Reply #12 on:** December 10, 2007, 10:41:47 PM »

Thats got nothing to do with personal imports What you are quoting is just an import of a car! Personal imports are when you've owned it in the US & means you dont pay duty!

Quote

Originally posted by gtc
Quote
Originally posted by 69 DIRTY RAT
All personal import cars must be owned for 18 months I thought & not just less than 15 year old cars. Didnt it used to be 1 year but now its 18 months(?) Most Govt. web sites are way out of date!
Mine was a personal import! at the time it was only 1 year!

Here you go:

"The Government has announced [in 2005] changes to the arrangements for the importation of vehicles 15 years or older. Under the new rules, vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1989 may be imported without restriction. Vehicles built during 1989 (or later) will need to qualify under the Registered Automotive Workshop Scheme (RAWS)."

Also on that page, see Parts 4 and 8 of the import application form, and also the notes applicable to the form, called bulletin VSB10, especially the notes for Parts 4 and 8.

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/bulletin/importing.aspx

gtc · « **Reply #13 on:** December 10, 2007, 10:59:37 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by 69 DIRTY RAT
Thats got nothing to do with personal imports What you are quoting is just an import of a car! Personal imports are when you've owned it in the US & means you dont pay duty!

You always pay import duty on personal car imports, unless you are a temporary tourist here. (God, what a bonanza if cars were duty free!)

Compliance with the 12 months ownership rule for an imported car less than 15 years old determines whether or not you will be ALLOWED (i.e given approval) to import it.

It's all in the documents if you follow the links.

69 DIRTY RAT · « **Reply #14 on:** December 12, 2007, 01:43:48 PM »

No you dont pay duty on Personal imports!!! If you have owned the car in the US for 18 months or longer you DONT have to pay Duty!!!! I think you are getting mixed up in your terms

*Personal import = a vehicle that has been owned /registered to a US address by you (the owner) for a period of 18 months (could be 1 year but almost sure it changed) or longer = no duty! (in other words you lived in the us for a period and brought the car back!)....I didnt pay duty on my Vette because I lived and owned it in the US for 3 years!

*Import a vehicle (by you personally) is subject to all duties!! It is not called an 'Personal import'

You would have to pay GST if the car was purchased after 2001 (whenever GST started?) Again my vette was purchased in 1998 so I didnt pay GST either but now you would! The only Govt rort was that I had to pay stamp duty on rego...which doesnt make sense! Because you only pay stamp duty on purchase of a car in Australia or the state you're in???I never bought the car in Oz so why did I have to pay Stamp duty???? There response was "because I said so!"

gtc · « **Reply #15 on:** December 13, 2007, 01:38:26 PM »

Okay, to clear this definitional thing up I rang Customs on 1300 363 263 and enquired. Here are the facts as they stand today:

Unless you are a dealer, then if you import a car it's a “Personal Import”, and that's regardless of whether you bring it with you pre-owned, or order it from an overseas seller. As an individual you are making a Personal Import. It has nothing at all to do with prior ownership -- it's the status of you as the importer (either registered dealer or individual).

All Personal Imports must have prior approval from DOTARS.

Customs Duty of 10% is due an ALL cars that are less than 30 years old. If the car is 30 years old, then it’s duty free, and that is the only way you can avoid duty unless you are a “Privileged Person” (such as an Ambassador, and the vehicle is for official use whilst in Australia).

GST is payable in all cases if it is the car’s first entry into Australia.

There is no relationship between having owned the car for 12 months in the USA and payment of customs duty. The 12 month ownership rule is stipulated by DOTARS and has to do with the age of the vehicle. If the vehicle is less than 15 years old, you must have substantiated proof of ownership for 12 months before DOTARS will issue an Import Approval.

The Customs Officer I spoke to said that Customs destroys around 40 cars a year which have not had prior DOTARS import approval and which cannot be gained.

So, them’s the facts as they stand today, direct from The Man.

Here's a flowchart of the process as described to me. Use PRINT PREVIEW in your browser to enlarge it:

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u218/gtc_photos/ImportCustomsFlowchart.jpg

Quote

Originally posted by 69 DIRTY RAT
No you dont pay duty on Personal imports!!! If you have owned the car in the US for 18 months or longer you DONT have to pay Duty!!!! I think you are getting mixed up in your terms

69 DIRTY RAT · « **Reply #16 on:** December 13, 2007, 04:49:04 PM »

It dont make sense????? They must have changed the rules???? oh well at least I got in before the changes!!!! or I'm a very special person ;58

gtc · « **Reply #17 on:** December 13, 2007, 04:53:45 PM »

The Customs guy said the rules are often changing and that you should always check with them and with DOTARS before going ahead with the export.

Also, most people employ an approved Customs Agent to handle the clearance procedure once the car has landed in Oz.

He said that the biggest mistake people can make is to not get prior Import Approval from DOTARS. If it lands without a prior Import Approval you have to pay daily storage fees until the approval is obtained, and in many cases approval is not obtained so you either export it back at your expense or Customs has it destroyed under their supervision.