Anyone ever try importing a bike/car from overseas?

[dwgcooks]

Will I still get taxed the 75% of it's value if I brought a motorcyle just for trackdays and offroading?
Is the offroad or motocross in Taiwan?

[llary]

This could be a loophole which has been known about for some time. It relates to what qualifies a vehicle. In the case of bicycles tax can also be avoided by sending the wheels separately from the other main components. A frame without wheels is not technically a bicycle according to the law in many countries, thus it can fall into a different bracket. Its possible that cars are "vehicles with four wheels" and so short of some wheels might fall into a "parts" category or something. I am not sure of the loophole however. Its best to check with customs before attempting any importation with this strategy.

If you never want to legally register a vehicle then by all means there are ways to import them as parts, scrap etc. if you can be bothered.

If you do want to legally register a vehicle and get a license plate then there is no way around paying the correct duty and passing ARTC.

Some people are twisting the two points above to imply that you can magically import and legally register a car while paying bicycle/tractor/scrap duty rates. You can't.

The only loophole was for overseas Chinese students to bring home their own car tax free under certain conditions, but that was already closed a few years back because students were selling their allowance to people buying high end luxury cars.

[sulavaca]

This could be a loophole which has been known about for some time. It relates to what qualifies a vehicle. In the case of bicycles tax can also be avoided by sending the wheels separately from the other main components. A frame without wheels is not technically a bicycle according to the law in many countries, thus it can fall into a different bracket. Its possible that cars are "vehicles with four wheels" and so short of some wheels might fall into a "parts" category or something. I am not sure of the loophole however. Its best to check with customs before attempting any importation with this strategy.

If you never want to legally register a vehicle then by all means there are ways to import them as parts, scrap etc. if you can be bothered.

If you do want to legally register a vehicle and get a license plate then there is no way around paying the correct duty and passing ARTC.

Some people are twisting the two points above to imply that you can magically import and legally register a car while paying bicycle/tractor/scrap duty rates. You can't.

The only loophole was for overseas Chinese students to bring home their own car tax free under certain conditions, but that was already closed a few years back because students were selling their allowance to people buying high end luxury cars.

Well technically the vehicle could be a donor vehicle; but yes, in other practical terms the vehicle could not be given to the government.

[ghettoracer]

this whole ARTC monopoly on testing is completely a money making scheme. it is also in efficient as hell. i can understand if they want to test modified cars one by one, but even brand new factory mini vans (my friend is buying a 2011 Toyota Sienna) and instead of testing/passing one car and then allowing all the same model year to get certified, they individually test each car. how stupid is that?? the Sienna importer also imported a Ferrari F430 like 2 years ago, and ARTC has failed it some dozens times. it is 100% bone stock apparently. maybe they are not bribing the right people?? it just annoys me to no end the BS in Taiwan... arrg!

[citizen k]

There's a brand new Mustang on my street. Monster muscle car with racing stripes and all. How can that happen?!? (envy)

Perhaps I will have to track down the owner and ask.

[llary]

Muscle cars are very easy to pass. Mainly the headache for people trying to get cars through ARTC currently is the fuel efficiency test, but the requirements are tapered according to engine capacity. Modern Mustangs and Corvettes are actually pretty fuel efficient for their class and due to having huge engines they pass with ease. VW TSIs, Mini Coopers etc. on the other hand have no chance despite for all practical purposes being more efficient than the muscle cars.

[Mr He]

According to the car2tw.com site, import taxes for cars should be heading down now, any news about this? Would this make importing a car for yourself more feasible? I am thinking that my next folly would be a private import.

[tmz_99]

Does anyone know if the taxes decrease if you have owned the vehicle for a longer period of time (say over a year)? Or does it not matter at all and it's more feasible to purchase the vehicle overseas just prior to importation?

[llary]

No, the tax is fixed.

[TainanCowboy]

In the past weeks I have looked into the requirements for importing a motorcycle to Taiwan. Specifically a 1998 H-D I still own back in the U.S.A.
Apparently the law says 'NO' to motorcycles older than 10 yrs.
Is this a correct interpretation?


The expense is high enough; if its going to be a dead-end legal-wise I don;t think its worth pursuing.

Comments?