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Cars on tourist plates
Real savings are available to non-EU persons who remain non-residents and purchase a new car on Spanish tourist plates. This is the “export” registration provided by a number of countries.
An American tourist, for example, can purchase his Mercedes-Benz directly from the factory in Germany, drive it around Europe for six months on the “Z” plates issued to him, without paying any of the normal German taxes.
He will finally import the car into the United States, pay duty on a used car, and have it definitively registered. This registration is designed, by its nature, to be temporary, lasting only until the car is taken to its new home, where taxes are paid.
An American who buys a €30,000 vehicle on Spanish tourist plates can save himself almost €10,000 by skipping Spain’s total taxes of 28 per cent. He can have the car to use for a total of six months in any calendar year. These six months need not be continuous. He can make several visits as long as the total time does not exceed six months.
He is also required to have this tourist-plate car precintado, or sealed, if he is absent from Spain for more than two months. (See above).
If he wishes to have the car available for use twelve months 41’ the year, he can renew this tourist registration every year indefinitely. One gestoria cited a total cost, including their fees, of around €600 for each renewal. This means twice a year. If the tourist plate has expired, the renewal fee is much higher. If you keep the car permanently in one town, they will charge you annual municipal vehicle tax as well.
The only requirements are that the car must be purchased with foreign currency and it cannot be bought on hire purchase.
Meanwhile, official residents and Spaniards themselves are paying the full freight of 28 per cent on each car they buy on normal Spanish registration.
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