Case Study 8 – Audi A3 From Belgium With Taxes

We don’t often see larger cars like this 2005 Audi A3 imported with taxes, especially with its 1.9L engine size. This made the ISV (import tax) for this car quite substantial.

High ISV (one-time import tax)

After reviewing the ISV amount with the customer, he decided it was worth the investment. The car had proven reliability and an impressively low mileage for its age (well under 100,000 km). While the car qualified for the maximum age discount, the ISV still came in at just over €2,000 due to the engine size, fuel type, etc.

Low IUC (yearly road taxes)

One advantage of this older car is that it falls under the pre-2007 IUC regime, significantly lowering the annual road tax. The yearly tax is only €46, compared to €268 for a newer car with similar specifications. This savings helped offset the higher upfront ISV cost over time.

Inspection

Since this was an import with taxes, the process moved fairly quickly. The only delay occurred when the customer forgot to bring the Part 2 of the vehicle registration to the inspection, requiring a second trip the next day. Once both parts were presented, the car passed inspection immediately.

One payment speeds things up

Typically, we split the total import cost into two or three payments, especially when the ISV is high. However, this customer chose to pay the entire amount upfront, which streamlined the process. It reduced the back-and-forth and allowed us to move ahead without delays.

A quick customs application

Once the customs application was submitted, the customer received his DAV and license plate number within just four days. With the ISV paid in full, we quickly moved to the next steps. While registration usually takes six weeks or more, the customer was able to drive his car with Portuguese plates in the meantime.

Car Insurance

The customer was happy with our service and wanted to arrange car insurance with us as well. We referred them to one of our trusted partners, who specializes in online insurance arrangements. This allowed us to assist with car insurance quickly and conveniently.

Key Takeaways

• The high ISV was worth it due to the car’s excellent condition and low mileage.
• Always double-check your documents for the inspection—if your vehicle registration has two parts, bring both.
• Paying the total cost upfront can slightly speed up the process, but it’s not mandatory.