importing europe to Canada (Ontario) step by step

[pjstock]

I am almost ready to pull the trigger on a 1995 diesel T4 Eurovan in Europe and ship it to Canada (with an ultimate destination of Ontario).

I think I have done my homework, but I thought it I posted my findings here, someone who has done it could critique my work.

I plan to work with Mike the Busman for inspection, pickup and delivery to the port.
Shipping looks to be about $2000 USD to Halifax.
(shipping to Montreal is considerably more expensive and directly to Toronto is apparently impossible)
(to then forward it by land to Toronto would be an additional $2000 CAD so I am skipping that step.)

Duty. apparently this would be subject to 6.1% duty.
Federal tax (GST): 5%
Both due at the port. These fees would be charged apparently on the sales invoice value, not on appraised value (see below)

since shipping from Halifax to Toronto would be so expensive my plan is to fly oneway to Halifax, pickup the vehicle once it has cleared customs and drive it back (17 hours) to Toronto.

I would have to arrange my own insurance first. (and I am confirming that today with my insurance broker but I do not expect that to be a problem.)

Normally, registering a vehicle (and getting plates) in Ontario requires: a) Safety inspection, 2) Emissions test and (if the vehicle is more than 20 years old) 3) an appraisal (because local tax at 8% is charged on the higher of the sales invoice OR the Red Book value but I expect vehicles over 20 years old do not appear in the Red Book. hence the appraisal requirement to avoid lowball sales invoice values)
These tests have to be done in Ontario.

So, how to get the van from Halifax to ONtario.

Apparently Ontario can provide a 10 day temporary plates and registration.
I would plan to get that 10 Day the morning I fly out, which would give me 10 days to get back from Halifax.

So, in summary:
- Purchase price.
- european facilitator cost
- shipping costs
- duty 6.1%
- Federal tax 5%
- Provincial tax 8%
- registration fee
- insurance

what am I missing here?
is there any reason to expect that a 1995 2.4 diesel would not pass an Ontario emissions test? (that would be a serious bummer.)

Peter

[Bruce MacDonald]

Just came across this post today and wondered if you ever got your Eurovan.
_________________
Stop worrying about how much your car will be worth when you are dead and build it to make you happy!

[pjstock]

Still waiting on it.
It was pickedup by the Busman from Paris-area and taken back to Belgium while we sorted out shipping options.
This week Mike the Busman delivered it to the port in Belgium and it should be loaded around the end of January, due in Halifax near the end of February.

That's when the "fun" starts, stickhandling all the hoops and hurdles to get it
A) through customs
B) back from Halifax to the Toronto GTA area for re-registration in Ontario.

Customs shouldn't be too bad. Apparently it will be RIV-exempt. (For non-Canadians, RIV is the Canadian version of Transport Canada's design standards that all imported vehicles must pass. Basically they won't allow you to import a vehicle that was not designed for the Canadian/US markets. so, crash tested, suitable bumpers, air bags, seat belts - that kind of stuff. But vehicles over 15 years old are exempt.)

Trickier are the Temporary permits I'll need to drive it from Halifax to Toronto (flatbed shipping is VERY expensive, about $2000 CAD, so my plan is to fly down to Halifax and drive it the 18 hours home)

But most provinces require a "Safety" inspection for a temp permit. But this won't have one.
Basically their rules work for 90% of cases, but not my case (Austrian vehicle, imported from France.....) so my local Registration office person has just said "LIsten, I'll give you a Temp Permit even without the safety."

[Floo420]

I ave no idea what possessed me to click in this...but here I am. I am in Toronto and recently bought a car in Montreal and they WILL give you a temp plate without a safety..it allowed me to get to Toronto..then you could change to Ontario ownership..just thought it was another temporary solution. Either way as long as you have insurance I would Cannonball run that thing across the provinces..taking care while driving through "La Belle Province"...
good luck
_________________
71 Westy - Sugaree

[pjstock]

well, that is helpful. thanks for Clicking In.

Question though. you got your temporary permit from Ontario or from Quebec?

I would prefer to have a Temp Permit in hand (so issued from Ontario) before I head down to Nova Scotia, but Ontario is telling me that given the vehicle will not be in Ontario initially, that I should be getting a NS Temporary permit, once I show up down there.

[pjstock]

[THIS IS A DUPLICATE OF ANOTHER POST, BUT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT ONLY BE FOLLOWING THIS POST]

OK, here we go. I've finally (Gulp!) done the final math on the total cost of this operation.
and the envelope please.........
(all figures in CAD. I'll include a rough USD conversion on each line.)
- Base price: $23,095 CAD (14900euros/ $18475 USD)
- European Fixer Fee (the Busman): $1540 CAD (1000euros, $1,232 USD)
- European-side Shipping: $2504 CAD ($2,003 USD)
- Domestic-side shipping: $355 CAD ($284USD)
- Cross country flatbedding (1700kms): $1,500 ($1,200 USD) includes 2nd warehouse charge in Ontario ($150 CAD)
- Customs Brokerage/clearing: $zero (as I did it myself, otherwise count $200-500 CAD/$160-400 USD)
- Cleaning: $zero (if Agriculture Canada deems it necessary, if the vehicle is heavily soiled, count on $600 CAD/$480 USD for "special" cleaning)
- Import Duty (6%): $1409 CAD ($1127 USD)
- Excise tax:$100 CAD/$80 USD (I think this is for any vehicle with A/C )
- GST naitional sales tax (5%): $1155 CAD ($925USD - though I have no idea if the US has a similar Purchase Tax.)
- PST Provincial sales tax (8%): $1848 CAD ($1475 USD)
- Safety Inspection and Registration: $304 CAD ($243 USD)

Total: $33,809 CAD ($27,050 USD)

Now it should be noted that even IF I had found something locally, I would have had to pay GST, PST, Safety and Registration ($3,306 CAD/ $2,644 USD)

so the Apples to Apples "cost" I should be comparing to domestic sales listings would be the net amount, $30,503 CAD ($24,400 USD)

and while this is more than I have EVER paid for a vehicle and strikes me (a non-car guy) as a TON of money, that net amount doesn't seem that outrageous.

and again, I don't know what the comparable costs would be for something coming into the US.
I know that vehicles shipped from Europe arrive either in Newark NJ and Halifax Nova Scotia and I expect that to either of those ports the cost would be the same.

I also expect that domestic shipping costs (which are mostly warehouse fees, paperwork/document fees and service fee) woudl also be the same.
I expect that flatbedding a vehicle cross country would likely be a similar cost.

so the difference is probably going to be taxes.
what taxes does an American pay on an imported vehicle?

that's it.
Let me know if you have any questions.
My spreadsheet with all the cost info is posted here:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cPejGhyAKA2OYUhPrLM02TbD678TzRvb/view?usp=sharing

and I'll post some non-financial observations and lessons in a seperate post.

Peter