Importing Vehicles into New Zealand

Is anyone know of a good resource or site that explains what the situation is with tax and import duty on 1) new cars 2) used cars into NZ?

I am thinking of moving back from the UK and want to know whether I will be hit with taxes if I bring a new car back.

Also , if anyone has any idea, what is the differential between local prices and UK prices on European vehicles?

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Chris St Cartmail
Businesses For Sale
Mortages and Loans

LTSA deal with all that malarky, the robbing buggers! So take a look at their website under "importing vehicles":

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/

As for price differential, sorry I haven't a clue. I imagine it would be marginally higher for European-made cars as a lot of people see them as "prestige" vehicles, and Mr Salesman wants his cut, eh?

Hi all,

I have just visited

http://www.customs.govt.nz/resources...cleimports.pdf

and it seems to indicate that if you are a first time immigrant who has owned the vehicle for 12 months and will not sell it in NZ for 2 years then you can import it without paying GST or duty. Is this right?

There is another requirement that you as the importer

"Has the intention of
forthwith taking up
permanent residence in
New Zealand for the first
time, and the legal
authority to do so;"

Would this cover someone who had a work visa and was in the process of applying for residency or who was in the EOI pool??

David

[quote:3ec9400e92]There is another requirement that you as the importer

"Has the intention of
forthwith taking up
permanent residence in
New Zealand for the first
time, and the legal
authority to do so;"

Would this cover someone who had a work visa and was in the process of applying for residency or who was in the EOI pool??
[/quote:3ec9400e92]

It does say that you must 'Have the intention of taking up residence', I would take that as someone who is at least in the EOI pool. Might be wrong (it has been known!)

From what I remember, it says in the settlement pack (how to live in nz kit provided by NZIS when you become a resident) that first time residents are allowed to import just about anything they own up to 2 from when they become a resident without paying tax or import duty, so I suppose this applies to cars too. I think you have to have owned it for a year or something like that but there are exceptions such as clothes and the like. I don't think they're looking at receipts just evidence of usuage. So if you're thinking of buying a brand new telly and importing that, the fact that it is new and boxed up is a dead give away and a bit of a no no!

No doubt you'll have to get the car registered and warranted (MOT) and I bet that's neither free nor cheap!