Exporting a car to the EU whose leasing has just ended

trixxiee · #1 30.07.2019, 21:26

Hi all,

I am thinking about building a house in France and moving there from Basel. This could happen end of 2020, however, I am still leasing a car with AMAG that I am going to keep afterwards and the end of lease is in October 2020.

Does anyone have similar experience? I am wondering if I could import the car to France without paying a lot of taxes. Not sure if leasing period counts as being an owner of the car. Only my name is on the Fahrzeugausweiss.

st2lemans · #2 30.07.2019, 21:39

Ask the French tax authorities.

Tom

countrybumpkin · #3 31.07.2019, 13:23

We were in a similar position before we made our move to France last year. Our research showed that we needed to be the registered owners of the car for at least 6 months to avoid paying import duty.

We ended up paying the lease off early to ensure that we had the 6 months, and you then need a new Carte Gris which will have only your name on it once the lease is paid off. You will also have to import the car correctly, our removers helped us with this, and then you will need to pay the one off “road tax”. For our Audi A4 it was around €1800 including the environmental tax.

fatmanfilms · #4 31.07.2019, 13:31

All French cars have to be registered by the new online system https://info-ants.fr You need a French residents card / French Passport/ French Tax payers reference to register the car. Previously a Utility bill would do & you could do it locally. This is a blow to second home owners who want a locally registered car.

st2lemans · #5 31.07.2019, 13:43

	Quote:	countrybumpkin
	you then need a new Carte Gris which will have only your name on it once the lease is paid off.

When I had a leased car, only my name was on the grey card, never needed to change it.

Tom

trixxiee · #6 31.07.2019, 14:19

	Quote:	st2lemans
	When I had a leased car, only my name was on the grey card, never needed to change it. Tom

This is exactly why I think I will have to talk to tax authorities. On my grey card it's also only my name. The only thing I am missing is the invoice... as have only the leasing contract.

From what I read here: https://www.eurococ.eu/blog/importin...on-into-france

	Quote:
	Conditions: If your main residence is in France, you can benefit from an exemption, i.e. the non-payment of the duties and taxes normally due in the event of importing a vehicle from outside Europe, provided the following conditions are satisfied: - You have resided at least 12 months in a country outside the European Union. - The vehicle in question was for your personal use for at least 6 months before the transfer of your residence. - You have paid all the customs duties and/or taxes due in the country from which the vehicle is being imported or the vehicle’s country of origin - Your vehicle must be imported into France within 12 months of the date of transfer of your main residence to France. - You may not dispose of a vehicle that has been admitted tax and duty-free for a period of 12 months following the date of its entry into France.

fatmanfilms · #7 31.07.2019, 14:20

	Quote:	trixxiee
	This is exactly why I think I will have to talk to tax authorities. On my grey card it's also only my name. The only thing I am missing is the invoice... as have only the leasing contract. From what I read here: https://www.eurococ.eu/blog/importin...on-into-france

I bet it says registered keeper cannot be changed

st2lemans · #8 31.07.2019, 14:36

	Quote:	fatmanfilms
	I bet it says registered keeper cannot be changed

Mine didn't, and I had the original grey card until I gave it to a friend's son a couple years ago when it was 18 years old.

Tom

countrybumpkin · #9 31.07.2019, 14:57

	Quote:	st2lemans
	When I had a leased car, only my name was on the grey card, never needed to change it. Tom

Ours had our name on it but referenced AMAG leasing also. It was they who told us to get the new one to ensure no ambiguity as to when we became legal owners.

Urs Max · #10 31.07.2019, 21:14

	Quote:	trixxiee
	This is exactly why I think I will have to talk to tax authorities.

Looks like you don't need to have owned for six months if what you quote is precise, and if the French handle things the same way as the Swiss handle impounding in the case of severe speeding. Having leased the car should be enough.

" - The vehicle in question was for your personal use for at least 6 months before the transfer of your residence."

aSwissInTheUS · #11 31.07.2019, 21:33

Here the website of French customs it self.

	Quote:
	Sont admis en franchise vos biens personnels utilisés à titre privé depuis au moins 6 mois avant le transfert de résidence, et acquis indifféremment, toutes taxes comprises ou hors taxes.

http://www.douane.gouv.fr/articles/a...nce-principale

In short: Ask French customs how they handle cars which have been leased, but not actually owned for at least 6 months prior the move.