We recently bought a newish car as the one we used to have was getting increasingly unreliable/dangerous/cutting out for no reason in the middle of a very busy motorway junction... etc. We were hoping to keep it going until our planned move date (end of July next year with luck and the wind behind us) but we didn't dare risk it with 2 small boys in the back.
The plan had been to sell/scrap the old car when we left and buy new in NZ, saving the shipping costs. However, given we had to buy a replacement, we're now thinking of taking the new car with us.
I don't think I read the rules on importing a private car carefully enough, as from an initial scan through it seemed that if we'd owned the car for a year before we moved and planned on keeping it for >2 years on arrival, we wouldn't be charged for importing it.
It seems that while it is exempt from customs duty, we may still have to pay GST at 12.5% on its value at the time of arrival. As we've already paid VAT on it in this country, that seems a little unfair (then again, tax in general seems unfair to me).
Does anyone know exactly what we'd have to pay to bring the car with us, or where I could find out? (aside from shipping costs, I've been quoted a nastily large amount of money for that already). Would it make more sense to sell this car when we leave the UK and buy new in NZ rather than try to import it? (the amount the car depreciates may be less than the amount it would cost to take it with us!) Has anyone else taken their car with them & would you do the same again?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this =)