Importing Boat from UK to Ireland

[Old Thady]

Has anyone imported a boat to Ireland from the UK recently?
I've found a boat I like the look of in England. The problem is I'm in Ireland (Rep of) and I know that Brexit has made importing a boat from the UK difficult and expensive.
It is is a sub-twenty foot daysailer worth less than 10,000 Euros. It was built in England. The boat would be towed and cross on a ferry.
Any tips on the smoothest way in which this can be done?

 

[Mister E]

Base the boat in Northern Ireland for set periods of each year. Then it will not be a permanent import to the south.

 

[dunedin]

Base the boat in Northern Ireland for set periods of each year. Then it will not be a permanent import to the south.

Temporary or permanent doesn't help. If an EU (Ireland) resident brings a non EU VAT paid into the EU (Ireland) then VAT is due to be paid immediately, even if only there for the day.
The CE marking stuff also applies.

Whether anybody would know in practice if moved to NI for a year or so, then drifted South thereafter. But that would be technically in breach (we think, but nobody really understand the NI quirk).

 

[oldgit]

Chum though he had " sold "a Broom 33 on the cusp of Brexit when we took back control, a prospective buyer flew over from Eire to view the boat.
Successful boat test undertaken within sight of Windsor Castle.
Cash sale and no survey. Sold as seen and Lying.
Hands were shaken,smiles all round, broker who was present on the day sorted deposit.
Plans were made regards transport home etc.
Buyer flys back home, everybody happy,buyer,seller and of course broker.

A couple of days later, buyer has been in contact with broker, would the seller like to pay the £15-16K required in taxes in order to legally import the boat into the EU
You guess the answer
The way that Brexit caused problems with this deal was raised on this forum before.
Some very relevant points were raised ie, the broker should have known that tax would be due and should have advised both parties of the fact.
Several posters also suggested border hopping.

 

[Old Thady]

Thanks for your replies.

As far as I know, the boat would be subject to 22% tax. For this value level, paying the tax, although annoying, would probably be easier and cheaper than trying to move the boat back and forth across the border. My main fear concerns the paperwork, especially CE safety standards. conformity. This could cause a huge amount of difficulty and might even prove insoluble if it isn't possible to satisfy all the regulations.

I don't know to what extent or how strictly the rules are enforced. I don't want to put myself to a lot of trouble and expense when it wasn't necessary. Perhaps it would be best to bring the boat to Ireland under its existing ownership. This way the boat can be kept in the EU for 18 months. When this period expires I could officially take over ownership and take whatever steps are necessary to regularise the boat's status. My hope would be that during this period a fairly clear and simple process might have been established. There might even be exemptions for smaller, cheaper craft.

 

[Tranona]

The boat is Cat C or D for which the RCD requirements are not onerous, and depending on age it may be already CE marked. Best thing to do is to ask the authorities (customs and your equivalent of Trading Standards) what you need to do to import the boat.

 

[awol]

My suggestion would be to take a ferry to Noriron then trail it south. Which channel you take coming off the ferry would be your choice.

 

[Hunterlees]

My suggestion would be to take a ferry to Noriron then trail it south. Which channel you take coming off the ferry would be your choice.

As someone who travels frequently between Cairnryan and Belfast, there are no channels as such coming off the boat, and regularly there are Eire registered vehicles, they are just glad to get the traffic off the boat as quickly as possible.

 

[st599]

The boat is Cat C or D for which the RCD requirements are not onerous, and depending on age it may be already CE marked. Best thing to do is to ask the authorities (customs and your equivalent of Trading Standards) what you need to do to import the boat.

Wouldn't it depend on the age of the boat, it's the most recent variant of RCD you need to meet with it's strict emission regs and holding tank requirements.

 

[awol]

As someone who travels frequently between Cairnryan and Belfast, there are no channels as such coming off the boat, and regularly there are Eire registered vehicles, they are just glad to get the traffic off the boat as quickly as possible.

So straight into Europe with no bother. Seems ideal.

 

[ashtead]

I was curious to understand the formalities of trailing a boat from the UK into Northern Ireland ? Is it any different to towing a boat to say Cardiff to travel on to Belfast?

 

[nevis768]

Has anyone imported a boat to Ireland from the UK recently?
I've found a boat I like the look of in England. The problem is I'm in Ireland (Rep of) and I know that Brexit has made importing a boat from the UK difficult and expensive.
It is is a sub-twenty foot daysailer worth less than 10,000 Euros. It was built in England. The boat would be towed and cross on a ferry.
Any tips on the smoothest way in which this can be done?

Nobody will be in the slightest bit interested in this second hand boat as it comes off the ferry.

 

[pandos]

.....

I don't know to what extent or how strictly the rules are enforced. I don't want to put myself to a lot of trouble and expense when it wasn't necessary. Perhaps it would be best to bring the boat to Ireland under its existing ownership. This way the boat can be kept in the EU for 18 months. When this period expires I could officially take over ownership and take whatever steps are necessary to regularise the boat's status....

That just sounds like a ticking time bomb. An Irish resident should not use a non vat paid vessel in Ireland just as you shouldn't use a non Irish registered car.

If you really want sort this out you need to take yourself off down to revenue/customs and speak to humans until you get a straight answer.

They are usually helpful enough. I think you can get a formal position from them regarding a particular transaction if you have sufficient info to give them.

When I was buying a boat in Spain a few years ago they were very good over the phone and gave me some good advice.

Look in Denmark, Germany or Holland for a similar boat, probably cost you less and get a better cared for boat.