Hi
I am going to buy a new motor home and various dealers have told me I should be entitled to buy it vat free as I am disabled. Has anybody done this and what modifications need to be done. I keep getting different answers every time I ask.
Can any body help me please I would appreciate it
Pat.
yes you can get it VAT free but don't quote me on this you are not allowed to sell the vehicle on for a few years, maybe someone will come along with a better answer,
But it only applies if the veichle has special addaptions for a disabled persons use.
These include things like aids to assist the disabled person in getting in and out of the MH, fitted ramps or door lifts/grab rails, a device for lifting and storing a mobility scooter or wheelchair, or an adapted bathroom to suit the disabled persons needs, or indeed adaptions to the drivers controls if needed to enable the disabled person to drive it.
Im not bang up to date with the legislation, but it used to be only available to people who could not travel any considerable distance without suffering pain and discomfort or other worsening of their condition if they were confined to sitting in an upright position for any great length of time. I do know of a Lady who had a motorhome on the Motorbility scheme due to her suffering from osteoporosis, and she had it adapted with a special reclined seat with pressure relief mattress to enable her to travel in comfort without the risk of any damage to her bones or pressure sores.
Julia
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After a bit of searching around I found this helpsheet on HMRC's own website. If you're still confused after reading it there is a helpline number mentioned at the end. Hope this helps.
Yes we brought vat free, but dont forget that it can then only be used by or for the disabled person and it will be in the disability road tax bracket. the insurance is also often a bit more per anum and depending on what you expect may be worth paying full price and getting cheaper insurance, all depends on how many years you budget over and plan to keep it.
An aside when you come to sell it re register it with dvla as a motor home not a disabled transport will give it a higher market value.
When we bought our two motorhomes (not at the same time), I got a different answer from virtually every dealer I went to, all claiming that they 'done this all the time, and knew the rules'. Clearly very few of them did. Some insisted that I have tracks installed in the floor to bolt down a wheelchair. I didn't need the wheelchair inside the vehicle, just carried in the storage area. Some insisted I have hoists, lifts and various other bits and pieces. All total tosh! All I required, to enable me to enter the vehicle, was a Security D ring handle fitted to the outside of the vehicle, to enable me to pull myself up into it or lower myself down out of it. Obviously it also provided additional security too. Some dealers lost my custom, because they were insisting on all the various paraphanalia they could add on to boost the cost. Eventually, I wrote to the HMRC, asking if a grab/security handle fitted to the outside of the van, was sufficient to enable me to claim vat relief, to which they replied in writing that it was. I printed off several copies and took them with me when visiting dealers. When they tried telling me all the trappings that they 'had' to fit, I gave them a copy of the letter from HMRC. If they still refused, I told them they were welcome to keep the letter for future reference, but that they had just lost a sale, and left. I eventually found a dealer who was more than happy with it, and bought from them, and never had any arising issues from it. At the end of the day, if they have it in black and white from the HMRC themselves, then they can always send a copy of that letter when they submit any forms to claim the vehicle VAT free. Obviously I had to produce evidence of my entitlement to DLA and other disability benefits too.
Sara
------------- Why live for tomorrow, when you can live for today and tomorrow is yet to come?
Thanks for you reply but could you tell me how long ago this was as the regulations seem more strict now. Obviously don't want to spend more than I have to but equally don' want to get caught out either.
It was in 2005 and 2007, but if you contact HMRC with an idea of what adaptations you think you would need, you would have it in writing from them to say if those adaptations qualify you for VAT exemption, so that would be up to date and from the horses mouth so to speak. No dealer should be able to refuse if you have it in writing, or be able to talk you into having something else that you don't need. Some of them are very crafty like that.
------------- Why live for tomorrow, when you can live for today and tomorrow is yet to come?
Would you be so kind as to forward me a copy of the letter as yes there is always confusion over this even when reading HMRC website details.
Many Thanks.
mark at dreamsrv.co.uk
This is also to the customs rules on exemption I would be interested to know how Sarah on the previous comment has a letter stating that all she needed was a grab handle.
I can as a dealer in American motorhomes understand the wariness of any reputable dealer when it comes to basically a customer abiding by the rules as I am almost certain that fitting a simple grab handle would end up costing thousands of pounds in paying the VAT. I would like to be proved wrong as I'm sure my sales would increase
Sorry about this long winded rely but it is something I have been looking into, as obviously have others, and have found it to be a minefild.
There is interesting information that sums up the reasons for the confusion here (not terribly well written but you get the gist of the arguments - the links make things much clearer).
Briefly the original legislation was that the relief was available to allow vehicles to be modified so that wheelchair users could use the vehicle. The modifications were supposed to be substantial and permanent and were in recognition of the cost of the modifications and the reduction in resale value of the vehicle.
Unfortunately, and compounded by the fact that the legislation was badly written, it would appear that some dealers and claimants were 'taking advantage' of the relief in various ways such as only installing simple adaptions (e.g. grab handles) that followed the letter but not the spirit of the legislation and disabusing the system in other ways, such as installing simple modifications that could be easily removed and then selling on the motorhome/campervan at normal value and making big profits.
As a result the government have been undertaking a review of the legislation since 2014.
These were supposed to have been included in the Finance Bill this year, but I can't find out if they were. However it would seem that HMRC will be looking at claims a lot more carefully and so I would suggest that getting advice form them before starting the process of modifications would be the best thing to avoid a hefty VAT bill if they disagree.
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Topic: new motorhome Vat free - disabled?
