View Single Post
      01-01-2013, 07:29 PM   #10
ImSW1
Private First Class
United_States
32
Rep
105
Posts

Drives: F10
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Sacramento, CA

iTrader: (4)

Quote:
Originally Posted by gator4life108 View Post
I had to put at least 500 miles on the car to avoid import taxes through Customs in the states. You are absolutely right they advertise as tax free, but there are a lot of hoops to jump through to get to that.

Not looking for special treatment concerning taxes, just trying to make sure I know what may be due when trying to register.
Good job on looking up the applicable laws. Looks like you have it handled now. I can understand you not wanting to pay taxes, but State laws have this way of throwing a big wrench in the process.

I shipped through BMW. The process was seamless for me, and you don't have to worry about the car being spotless. It took 4 weeks for my car to go from Frankfurt to Baltimore (including clearing customs). The military flew me into Baltimore (port of entry), I spent the night and then caught a cab to get my car and drove the 8 hours to Ohio. Worked out perfectly.

You will have to ship your car from Madrid if you use BMW Home Shipment. I'm not sure where you are going to ship to. Houston or Port Hueneme are probably the closest ports to Colorado. You may want to see if the military shipping points are closer for you. Also, if you ship through the military, pickup costs are reimbursable.

I've attached the Home Shipment pamphlet just in case you don't have a copy yet, hopefully it will help with your decision. If you have any other questions let me know.

edit: The last page of the Home Shipment pamphlet lists brokers for each port. For a fee these POCs can arrange vehicle release and truck shipment to your location.

Sean
Attached Images
File Type: pdf home_shipment.pdf (544.3 KB, 1551 views)

Last edited by ImSW1; 01-01-2013 at 07:40 PM..
Appreciate 0