It can be financially very attractive to buy a second hand car in Germany and then import it to the Netherlands. The main reason for this is that the tax, in this case the BPM, is considerably lower in Germany. There is also more competition, which means that you can buy the car cheaper. When you import the car, it must first pass an inspection. You also have to pay tax, but this is considerably lower than otherwise. Read all about it in this article.
It can be very beneficial to import a car from Germany. It is best to opt for a second hand car. The financial benefit can amount to tens of thousands of euros. The greater the amount, the greater the benefit. This is because there are many car factories in Germany. The German government is aware of the importance of the car industry and therefore charges a relatively low tax. This makes it cheaper to buy a car than in the Netherlands. At the same time, there is a wide range of cars due to the presence of the large number of manufacturers. Car sellers therefore have to compete much more with each other and that also leads to lower prices for the car.
Cheap import a second hand car from Germany
The biggest advantage is therefore in the purchase price. Another additional advantage is that BPM has been reduced in the Netherlands. BPM stands for Taxation of Passenger Cars and Motorcycles. The government has reduced this tax at the time of the credit crisis. There was a big drop in car sales and the government wanted to encourage people to keep buying cars. The share of the tax related to the value of the car is about one third. A relatively small tax reduction therefore has a considerable influence on the price of the car. When you import a car into the Netherlands, you must also pay BPM, but this amount is considerably less because the car is worth less than a new car. This is the case when you are importing a second hand car. As a result, there is a discount. This is called the BPM residual amount. You have to pay the BPM to customs. When you have paid, you will receive a Dutch registration certificate for your car. This is done by the RWD. That is the service that is about that in the Netherlands.
Buying a car in Germany
You have several options when you want to buy a car in Germany. You can choose to travel to our eastern neighbors yourself. At the same time, there are also numerous car dealers who import the car from Germany. There are also various car sites on the internet where you can search for a suitable car. An advantage of this is that you can look for locations that are close to the border, so that you do not have to travel very far when you want to pick up the car. When selecting the car it is important to also pay attention to the age of the car. You will receive a higher discount as the car is older.
Import a car from Germany
Once the car has been imported, it is also important to take out third-party insurance. It is forbidden to drive around the European Union without third-party insurance. It is also simply unwise. The import of the car in the Netherlands consists largely of an inspection at the National Road Traffic Service (RWD). They check whether the car meets the Dutch admission requirements. It is possible to make an appointment with the RWD, but also to just walk in during the walk-in consultation hour. If you are bringing the car directly from Germany, it is also possible to get a one-day registration.