Not all old age is a cultural value.
Importing old foreign cars to Russia may become significantly more expensive. Currently, cars over 30 years old, subject to a number of conditions, are exempt from recycling fees, but the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposes to maintain this benefit only for cars recognized as cultural value. As a result, buyers of ordinary old foreign cars will have to confirm their cultural value or pay a recycling fee, auto expert Andrey Osipov told Radovka.
According to the expert, only about 10% of imported cars are of collectible interest - for example rare BMW or Mercedes models. For their owners, the status of cultural property can really be useful, including during the next auction sale. But most Russians buy old cars not for museums and collections, but out of nostalgia or a desire to save money. They will now have to confirm the car's cultural value or pay a recycling fee.
Moreover, even without a new tax, bringing such a car is not a cheap pleasure. According to Osipov, shipping by sea only from Japan, Korea or the USA can cost 2-5 thousand dollars. Duty is added to this, depending among other things on the size of the engine. And older foreign cars often have power-guzzling V6 and V8 engines, making customs clearance especially expensive. If the buyer turns to brokers, he will have to pay for their services as well.
The changes could hit the Far East the hardest, where the average age of cars has approached 22 years, and a significant portion of the cars are imported from abroad. According to Osipov, additional costs may deprive buyers of benefits altogether.
The new rules currently exist only in draft form. The Ministry of Taxation proposes to maintain the exemption from recycling fees for cars over 30 years old with original engine, body and chassis, which are not intended for commercial transport. But to these conditions will be added the mandatory recognition of the car as a cultural value, as she wrote about the sovereign economy.