Anyone have experience in exporting to Aus?

[kuvesh]

I'm looking for some tips from anyone who has exported any cars from Sing to Australia.

I am thinking about doing this when I scrap my car but need to figure out what costs / taxes / etc I'll need pay to determine whether it is worth my while.

I heard that since I am australian and have owned the car for more than a year that it will be lower cost for me to bring the car back versus a dealer.

 

[rab]

Re: Anyone have experience in exporting to Aus?

It's a tedious process. There are several government bodies involved in the whole process: Dept of Infrastructure, Transport, etc, Customs, and State road authority e.g. RTA for NSW.

Have you checked the following site Importing Vehicles to Australia ?

Actual costs will vary depending on the car to be imported. Main cost items are: 1. Shipment (both SG and AUS), 2. Customs Agent/broker fees, 3. Customs duties and GST, 4. Inspection and Registration.

Customs duties will depend on the value of the car....and whether it is below the Luxury Car Tax threshold.

Items 1, 2, and 4 will amount to about $5K to $6K.

Just a note, it is only worthwhile to import the car if it's for your own personal use. There is no commercial advantage if you plan to import and sell the car within a short time. Non Australian delivered cars have to be sold at a heavy discount to Australian market price for a similar Australian delivered car. It is also virtually impossible to get financing for a personal imported car.

 

[kuvesh]

Re: Anyone have experience in exporting to Aus?

Thanks Rab - very useful info. Seems like you've done this before?

Do you know if there is anyway to get around the customs tax and gst? that appears the most part of the entire process...

 

[rab]

Re: Anyone have experience in exporting to Aus?

Yes, I've gone through the whole process and I plan to try import another one later on.

As I said, it's only worthwhile if you are planning to import for your own use or for a friend, etc. It does work out much cheaper than buying a similar car in Australia but due to the perceptions of the market, the savings are negated by the discount you need to accept when trying to sell the car. It is also difficult to get financing (relevant for your potential buyer) and comprehensive insurance for a personal imported car.

Customs and GST will always be payable on the customs valuation of the car. Customs duty is 10% and GST is 10% of the Customs duty. The main tax to avoid is Luxury Car Tax (LCT). The last time I checked the threshold was at A$57,009.

Customs valuation is complex but if you get a good Customs Agent/Broker, they will be able to arrange a valuation based on the wholesale value of the car and this usually reduces the Customs duties payable and the valuation of the car can be quite low.