Is it legit to bring stuff in from Britain via Northern Ireland to avoid Irish VAT?

L

Louis

Frequent Poster
Messages
6
Although there are no checks, I presume that this is tax evasion?

I am talking about an ordinary consumer buying second hand/antique furniture
 
T McGibney said:
Is it?
UK VAT rate is 20%
Irish VAT rate is 23%

Hard to see what exactly is being evaded.
Click to expand...
If you buy an expensive item (e.g. a caravan or a small boat) second hand from an individual in the UK, there is no VAT due in the UK. Bring it into Dublin Port and Customs will slap a large charge on ot (I think it is VAT amd can't remember if there are also Customs Charges but I think not) unless you can show that you are not importing it, e.g. you are returning from a trip to UK with caravan or boat, or you bought the item in France.

I have heard that you could come in via Belfast instead. But this would indeed be evasion.
 
time to plan said:
If you buy an expensive item (e.g. a caravan or a small boat) second hand from an individual in the UK, there is no VAT due in the UK.
....
I have heard that you could come in via Belfast instead.
Click to expand...
If you're bringing it in from Great Britain via Belfast, the trader will have nothing to confirm that it is an export sale and should not be treating it as a zero-rate export in the first instance.
 
Last edited:
I should hope it's not illegal as I regularly order products online and get them delivered to my parents in Northern Ireland and then collect them when I go to visit as some websites either don't deliver to the Republic or else charge crazy delivery fees.
 
I
T McGibney said:
If you're bringing it in from Great Britain via Belfast, the trader will have nothing to confirm that it is an export sale and should not be treating it as a zero-rate export in the first instance.
Click to expand...
To clarify. I wasn't talking about traders. If I buy a second hand boat from an individual who is selling their personal boat, the charges I described before will arise at Dublin port.
 
time to plan said:
If you buy an expensive item (e.g. a caravan or a small boat) second hand from an individual in the UK, there is no VAT due in the UK. Bring it into Dublin Port and Customs will slap a large charge on ot (I think it is VAT amd can't remember if there are also Customs Charges but I think not) unless you can show that you are not importing it, e.g. you are returning from a trip to UK with caravan or boat, or you bought the item in France.

I have heard that you could come in via Belfast instead. But this would indeed be evasion.
Click to expand...

If a friend of yours in Northern Ireland buys a caravan in England, they pay no VAT on it.

If you buy a caravan from an individual in Northern Ireland are you supposed to pay VAT on it when you bring it over the border? I presume not?

So is that benefiting from the mad system post-Brexit or is it tax evasion?

If you buy a caravan in England and bring it via Belfast into the Republic that would be tax evasion.

Brendan
 
T McGibney said:
the trader will have nothing to confirm that it is an export sale and should not be treating it as a zero-rate export in the first instance.
Click to expand...
I don’t follow.

Assume I turn up at a caravan dealer in Yorkshire, pay cash, and tow away a caravan.

Is the trader expected to verify that I am not exporting it? How is he supposed to know what the destination is? Assuming he’s not actively shipping them outside the UK he is simply not in the export business.
 
Hi Dr.

I bought stuff at auction in London. I was given two options.
1) Organise someone myself to pick it up - it would not be treated as an export and I would pay the VAT on it.
2) Use their official shippers who would ship it to Ireland and they refunded me the VAT.

(I also bought stuff from a regional auction house in the UK and they knew nothing about refunding VAT. That was in the early days post-Brexit, so they might have got their act together by now.)

So I could have had it picked up and shipped to Belfast but as Tommy has pointed out, I might save Irish VAT but would be paying UK VAT. (And I don't know if I would be saving Irish VAT as even if it shipped via Belfast, I probably should pay Irish VAT on it anyway.)

So I used their official shippers and paid 13.5% VAT before it was delivered.

I presume a caravan dealer, as distinct from a private seller, would have to charge VAT and it would be up to the buyer to reclaim the UK VAT. There are VAT refund places in Dublin Airport for Americans who bought stuff in Ireland but had to pay VAT.

Brendan
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top