Importing boat UK to ROI

[PabloPicasso]

Any issue buying a boat in UK say £25k or so, and sailing over to the Republic of Ireland and keeping it there permanently?

Say a 30ft sailing boat? From 2001-ish.

Would it be easier to buy from an EU country France/Portugal etc.

Thoughts please. Anyone done it since Brexit?

 

[oldgit]

Friend in UK sold a Broom 33 post Brexit to a buyer from Eire , price was agreed circa £65K
It was to be delivered by road transport and ferry.
Sale was cancelled when buyer was informed he would need to pay VAT ? on the transaction.
Buyer contacted seller and asked if seller would reduce the price accordingly.
The answer was No.
Perhaps this does not apply if you sail it back . ?

 

[awol]

GB to Ireland probably not a good idea. GB to Noriron and then south still probably not a good idea but you might get away with it.

 

[Dellquay13]

An EU resident importing a boat into Ireland from the UK would have to pay VAT immediately.

Less clear would be the situation of an EU resident buying a UK boat that had already come into Ireland under the British Isles Common Travel Area under UK ownership. It should enter Ireland under the temporary import arrangements and then leave again. If it quietly changed to EU resident ownership during that 18month window, it would be still be liable for EU VAT, but it might manage to skulk around in the shadows unpaid if it kept away from officialdom. I couldn’t take that level of stress personally.

 

[dunedin]

Common Travel Area applies to people not property and tax so not relevant here.

What is relevant is the residence of the OP - is he/she an Irish or EU resident? If so 18 month temporary import wouldn’t apply.
In that case importing a boat from GB to Ireland would necessitate paying VAT on its value on arrival in Ireland.
There may be certification issues also if the boat does not have a CE certification (and even then there could be quirks, as EU countries may be more exacting in this respect).

Depending on where the boat is located, there may be advantages in the current owner moving the boat to Northern Ireland, and then doing the sale to the new owner with the boat in NI, with full paperwork and photo evidence of location.
The dual nature of NI being in both UK and EU tax areas MAY give some solution to the VAT issue and possibly CE / RCD.
But the situation on NI and UK / EU rules is complex and understood by few (don’t rely on my or other internet views). Perhaps ask Ireland customs about bringing in boat purchased from NI, as they may be helpful and it is their consent you need.

PS. Yes for an EU resident buying a boat from France etc would be much simpler. I did that pre-Brexit and no paperwork or VAT issues and nice cruise.

 

[Dellquay13]

I’m selling a 30’ boat just a 10 hour sail from Ireland, not quite in that price band but still considerable. I wouldn’t be party to the hassle of getting it across and up to NI to conduct the sale there just to help someone avoid VAT on their purchase. I could see no benefit only pitfalls.

ROI boat buyers might be the biggest innocent losers from ‘Brxxxx’ changes. They can no longer freely access the nearby UK 2nd hand boat market, and have to look to mainland Europe if they can’t find a boat in Ireland.

 

[dunedin]

I’m selling a 30’ boat just a 10 hour sail from Ireland, not quite in that price band but still considerable. I wouldn’t be party to the hassle of getting it across and up to NI to conduct the sale there to help someone to avoid VAT on their purchase. I could see no benefit only pitfalls.

Which is fair enough and your choice. But with a boat say on the Clyde currently, a trip over to NI may be no big deal for a seaworthy boat. No pitfalls for the seller other than the trip and getting back on the plane /ferry, once they have the funds secure in the bank. They are still selling in the UK. But clearly the seller may not want the hassle of the trip if lots of alternative buyers from within the UK.
It is the buyer who needs to check any pitfalls of a sale in NI.

 

[Tranona]

Any issue buying a boat in UK say £25k or so, and sailing over to the Republic of Ireland and keeping it there permanently?

Say a 30ft sailing boat? From 2001-ish.

Would it be easier to buy from an EU country France/Portugal etc.

Thoughts please. Anyone done it since Brexit?

In answer to your second question - yes you can buy anywhere in the EU without any constraints as boats that are VAT paid in the EU can circulate freely. However for obvious reasons there are logistical problems of first finding a suitable boat and then getting it back home.

 

[Dellquay13]

Which is fair enough and your choice. But with a boat say on the Clyde currently, a trip over to NI may be no big deal for a seaworthy boat. No pitfalls for the seller other than the trip and getting back on the plane /ferry, once they have the funds secure in the bank. They are still selling in the UK. But clearly the seller may not want the hassle of the trip if lots of alternative buyers from within the UK.
It is the buyer who needs to check any pitfalls of a sale in NI.

Sorry, I hadn’t considered how close the Clyde was to NI.
As a seller I wouldn’t entertain the idea still, the chances of a sale going wrong, built from the outset on iffy foundations with tax avoidance at it’s base, leaving me with the expense and hassle of a boat to get back home would put me off. I’d rather stick to an above board transaction.

 

[pandos]

Sorry, I hadn’t considered how close the Clyde was to NI.
As a seller I wouldn’t entertain the idea still, the chances of a sale going wrong, built from the outset on iffy foundations with tax avoidance at it’s base, leaving me with the expense and hassle of a boat to get back home would put me off. I’d rather stick to an above board transaction.

In reality if the RCD doesn't come into it 23% vat is not so bad if it is a cheap boat...but once it gets to 5 or 6k it makes a trip to Northern Europe well worth while where you tend to get really well looked after boats which have been stored indoors for much of their lives...

 

[PabloPicasso]

All very interesting.

Yes, Brexit has been an ass for Ireland. So I will have to look at France, Northern spain, porugal. Hadn't considered scandanavia though.

Would be an interesting sale home.

 

[pandos]

All very interesting.

Yes, Brexit has been an ass for Ireland. So I will have to look at France, Northern spain, porugal. Hadn't considered scandanavia though.

Would be an interesting sale home.

I sourced a boat in Denmark for my friend... excellent condition, good price. He enjoyed the sail home via the Kiel canal.

Here is a good site for that part of the world.

Mascot 28 Sailingboat for sale | Denmark | Scanboat

I bought a boat in Spain and got it trucked up to Cork..my last boat I bought in Mayo so it was probably further by sea than many parts of France would have been ..