Importing Car to Finland

[Tigerninja32]

Hello,

I hope everyone is safe from Covid. I am looking to import my Jeep to Finland from the US. I have owned my Jeep for 5 years and I already moved to Tampere last year in March. I am trying to figure out the fees associated with this. I have tried looking the taxes up by make and model but nothing really showed up. Thanks in advance for the help.

[FinnGuyHelsinki]

Hello,

I hope everyone is safe from Covid. I am looking to import my Jeep to Finland from the US. I have owned my Jeep for 5 years and I already moved to Tampere last year in March. I am trying to figure out the fees associated with this. I have tried looking the taxes up by make and model but nothing really showed up. Thanks in advance for the help.

My first thought: don't bother. The tax is calculated based on the market value in Finland (not what the car is worth in where it comes from), see e.g. nettiauto.com, autotalli.com if you can find something similar. The tax percentage varies between models, but 30% is a good rule of thumb to give a ballpark figure. Add the cost of freight, and that you will have to change head lights, indicators,... to European spec ones (possibly pricey and/or difficult to source). As a result, you'll be paying several thousands to have a car, which has a limited market here, considering its resale value. If you absolutely have to have a Jeep, probably a better (cheaper and easier) option would be to sell yours in the US, and import (or have imported, rather) another from e.g. Sweden or Germany. Import companies charge something like 1500€, including their fees, freight and whatever paperwork is needed, on top of which you'll pay the car tax when registering it here. And the car is legal for road use as it is.

[Ulminpoika]

I think you won't have to pay VAT at all. Your car is a removal good that you owned before moving to Finland.

https://tulli.fi/en/private-persons/mov ... eu-country

According to that site, "You can apply for a written advance ruling on VAT payable on import."

[betelgeuse]

I think you won't have to pay VAT at all. Your car is a removal good that you owned before moving to Finland.

https://tulli.fi/en/private-persons/mov ... eu-country

According to that site, "You can apply for a written advance ruling on VAT payable on import."

"You can bring goods to Finland in several consignments within 12 months of your move."

[Upphew]

I think you won't have to pay VAT at all. Your car is a removal good that you owned before moving to Finland.

https://tulli.fi/en/private-persons/mov ... eu-country

According to that site, "You can apply for a written advance ruling on VAT payable on import."

But car tax will be payable.

[krapulassa]

I am looking to import my Jeep to Finland from the US. I have owned my Jeep for 5 years and I already moved to Tampere last year in March. I am trying to figure out the fees associated with this.

TREMENDOUS MISTAKE! DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!

There are SEVERAL threads on this forum discussing the same issue where an American was trying to import a car from the united states and ended up paying taxes worth 80% of the car value. You DO NOT WANT TO IMPORT A CAR TO FINLAND. Just do not even begin to argue with this because this is correct and true information. Just search this forum for similar questions. One lady imported her KIA sedan from Oregon to Finland, couldn't get a job here and paid 5500 eur in taxes and then on her way back was UNABLE to sell the car because the VIN number was registered in the United states and it was somehow not able to be sold in Finland. This is the worst idea that anybody could entertain. Just sell you jeep in the usa and buy a car here for the same price.

[heretostay]

I did it and wish I would have listened to everyone who warned me. It was a huge mess. It took nearly 2 years to get it registered and street legal and more fees and taxes than the value of the car. DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO DO IT.

[krapulassa]

I am looking to import my Jeep to Finland from the US. I have owned my Jeep for 5 years and I already moved to Tampere last year in March. I am trying to figure out the fees associated with this. I have tried looking the taxes up by make and model but nothing really showed up. Thanks in advance for the help.

Customs officer: Your jeep has arrived from USA. It's parked at the Viking Lines terminal 4.

Tigerninja32: Oh, that's great. I will come pick it up.

Customs officer: There is a VAT invoice of 80% of the car value which we calculate to be around 18,000 EUR.

Tigerninja32: Oh, wow. That's a lot. I will just sell my house so I can afford to drive my jeep in Finland.

Customs officer: Are you selling your house? I will buy it from you! I own two houses now in Tampere because Americans keep bringing their cars to Finland.

[NukkuMatti]

Best thing is to keep the Jeep off the road (no car tax payments needed, you can't drive it either when you live here and it has a foreign license plate) and buy the same model and make here.... if it breaks down, you have enough spare parts from the US one...
Spare parts you do not use... sell them on Tori.fi

Beware, some people here will stress on the fact that officially you will need to pay import tax and VAT on car parts and if you make a profit, income tax too.

This country is tax rules haven (contradictio in termis)

In the end it will be cheaper just to ship back the Jeep without importing it and buy a new one here...or a 5 year old in Germany and import that one... imports from EU do not require VAT and adjustments to be allowed on the road. Only car tax, and when done right, might actually be a bit cheaper than buying here... Buying from Sweden is also an option but best would be Germany (personal experience). Beware digitally turned back Odo meters...

[krapulassa]

Best thing is to keep the Jeep off the road (no car tax payments needed, you can't drive it either when you live here and it has a foreign license plate) and buy the same model and make here.... if it breaks down, you have enough spare parts from the US one...
Spare parts you do not use... sell them on Tori.fi

Thanks for giving the worst advice in history.

(import a car and then sell it for spare parts).

meh.

[Upphew]

This country is tax rules haven (contradictio in termis)

Haven for rules? Not for the taxed?

Afaik USA is that and Forbes seems to agree: https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2 ... itiveness/

[NukkuMatti]

This country is tax rules haven (contradictio in termis)

Haven for rules? Not for the taxed?

Exactly !!

[NukkuMatti]

Best thing is to keep the Jeep off the road (no car tax payments needed, you can't drive it either when you live here and it has a foreign license plate) and buy the same model and make here.... if it breaks down, you have enough spare parts from the US one...
Spare parts you do not use... sell them on Tori.fi

Thanks for giving the worst advice in history.

(import a car and then sell it for spare parts).

meh.

Ever heard of sarcasm? who would scrap a perfectly good 5 year old car for parts... duh!!

[Upphew]

Ever heard of sarcasm? who would scrap a perfectly good 5 year old car for parts... duh!!

Sarcasm is hard on internet. Especially on forums where there are a lot of people who are not native speakers. And the problem ain't new: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation

I prefer to use /sarcasm at the end. That should be blunt enough for most of the readers.

[NukkuMatti]

Ever heard of sarcasm? who would scrap a perfectly good 5 year old car for parts... duh!!

Sarcasm is hard on internet. Especially on forums where there are a lot of people who are not native speakers. And the problem ain't new: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation

I prefer to use /sarcasm at the end. That should be blunt enough for most of the readers.

point taken!