UK Road Tax (VED) and German Import

[fripp]

As I understand it:-

 

From 1/4/17 a motorhome maybe incur additional VED if it has an M1SP Type Approval category, CO2 emissions listed on COC and be less than 3.5T.

 

I am potentially looking to import a motorhome from Germany which could have been first registered after this date and before the mandatory inclusion of CO2 on 1/9/19 (I assume this date applied in Germany also?)

 

Are German COC's of the same format and type as UK ones? And where would I check if CO2 emissions were included or not.

 

Are there any owners of German import motorhomes from this period? Does anybody know if German motorhomes usually included CO2 figures as a matter of course during this period? In which I will need to factor in these additional costs.

[Robinhood]

For the age of vehicle you're looking at, I think the figure you will need to check is that at field 49 of the final COC (not that of the base vehicle it was converted on). (Earlier years were numbered differently e.g. 46.2)

 

My Hymer CoC is a German one, but for a vehicle intended for the UK market. Field 49 on that refers back to the CoC for the base vehicle, but that does not have a field 49 filled in (in fact it doesn't have a field 49 at all - but that may be because it was shipped by Fiat to ALKO without a chassis ;-) ).

 

It is difficult to comment on the general situation in Germany, but at least one person on here had a personal import that came with an emissions figure on the CoC (albeit for a PVC). They managed to successfully resolve that problem by requesting a CoC without the figure from the original converter. That was for a new vehicle; how easy it would be for a used one is anyone's guess (though, if I found myself in the situation, it is certainly something I would chase - even a fee for providing a replacement might well outweigh the additional tax implications).

[fripp]

Thanks for you input. Do you mind me asking what the date of manufacture/registration was for your Hymer?

 

However I don't think the COC can be altered once the vehicle is registered. Which I why I was hoping for some feedback who had been there and done that?

 

I guess in the UK there was an active incentive for the CO2 not to be on the COC during this period. This incentive would not have been there in Germany so I wondered if it was the norm for CO2 to be included. I am guessing again but I think this to be likely as environmental considerations seem to be higher in Germany that in the UK.

[Robinhood]

The CoC was 11/4/18.

 

I doubt very much whether a new CoC issued after first registration in the UK would have any effect, but:

 

1. A substitute CoC without emission figures has certainly been issued for a new personal import for which the original CoC, targeted at the German market, did have such a figure. We're talking the same time-frame as you mention, here. (I suspect the person involved will be along shortly). AIUI, the same vehicle destined for the German or UK market would have a different CoC (viz-a-viz emissions data).

 

2. Manufacturers have been known to issue additional COCs after purchase (to cover the eventuality of one being lost/mislaid, etc), albeit generally for a fee.

 

3. If such a COC, but without emissions figures, could be obtained before first UK registration, that would be the document used for such registration.

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

fripp - 2020-08-04 3:53 PM

 

As I understand it:-

 

From 1/4/17 a motorhome maybe incur additional VED if it has an M1SP Type Approval category, CO2 emissions listed on COC and be less than 3.5T.

 

I am potentially looking to import a motorhome from Germany which could have been first registered after this date and before the mandatory inclusion of CO2 on 1/9/19 (I assume this date applied in Germany also?)

 

Are German COC's of the same format and type as UK ones? And where would I check if CO2 emissions were included or not.

 

Are there any owners of German import motorhomes from this period? Does anybody know if German motorhomes usually included CO2 figures as a matter of course during this period? In which I will need to factor in these additional costs.

Ours is the van Robinhood refers to. :-D

 

It was imported new, and registered in UK, in late 2017. The Knaus CoC included the CO2 figure, although for the UK market the CO2 figure was not present on CoCs for concurrent imported vans bought through UK dealerships.

 

I was not doing the registration, and the import agent struggled with VCA until I asked Knaus if they could supply a CoC as supplied for vans intended for the UK market, without the CO2 figure shown. This they did, and the van was duly registered as PLG (as any UK dealer sourced van would have been at the time), instead of into one of the luxury car CO2 related categories that VCA/DVLA were insisting upon. FWIW, Our previous van, a 2013 Hymer Exsis-I, was also imported from Germany and the CoC for that had no CO2 figures.

 

Regarding the registration of a used, imported, vehicle see here: https://tinyurl.com/y2534juh It seems the cut off date is 1/4/17 and applies to the date of first registration outside UK. The website is unclear whether the inclusion of CO2 data on the CoC in this case is relevant, but the wording could be taken to imply that the same rules as for a new import post 1/4/17 (i.e. no CO2 = PLG/PHGV, with CO2 = graduated VED) should apply. It's an odd site, as it is a DVLA blog.

 

It seems the only way to be sure is to write to/e-mail DVLA referring to their blog, and ask specifically how your proposed vehicle will be taxed on registration - keeping a copy of their reply in case the person actually handling registration gets it wrong!

[fripp]

Thanks for your reply.

 

I am fairly sure the registration date that will be used will be the original registration date in Germany.

 

I think I will need to navigate asking the dealer about the content of the COC. I was hoping it might be a little more cut and dried (In my favour) to reduce the amount of negotiation and translation needed. But it looks not so.

 

Thanks again

[webpax]

fripp - 2020-08-04 3:53 PM

 

As I understand it:-

 

From 1/4/17 a motorhome maybe incur additional VED if it has an M1SP Type Approval category, CO2 emissions listed on COC and be less than 3.5T.

 

I am potentially looking to import a motorhome from Germany which could have been first registered after this date and before the mandatory inclusion of CO2 on 1/9/19 (I assume this date applied in Germany also?)

 

Are German COC's of the same format and type as UK ones? And where would I check if CO2 emissions were included or not.

 

Are there any owners of German import motorhomes from this period? Does anybody know if German motorhomes usually included CO2 figures as a matter of course during this period? In which I will need to factor in these additional costs.

 

I imported a new motorhome from Germany in October 2019 and there was no CO2 figure on the Hymer COC so I was able to register as PLG. The vehicle however was over 3.5T.

[Derek Uzzell]

webpax

 

I don’t think you’ve ever identified the Hymer model you imported new from Germany in October 2019, but in your forum postings back then you said that its MAM was 4430kg.

 

Assuming that is the case, your motorhome should have been taxed in the Private HGV category, not in the PLG (Private/Light Goods) category.

[webpax]

Derek Uzzell - 2020-08-05 11:34 AM

 

webpax

 

I don’t think you’ve ever identified the Hymer model you imported new from Germany in October 2019, but in your forum postings back then you said that its MAM was 4430kg.

 

Assuming that is the case, your motorhome should have been taxed in the Private HGV category, not in the PLG (Private/Light Goods) category.

 

Apologies my mistake, you are correct Derek it was Private HGV.