Selling a works vehicle

[Val_2]

I thought this quite important for other artisan especially those new to french systems and bureaucracy etc to know about. Its the manouche season up here, they are everywhere asking for old metal and buying up everything they can lay their hands.We have an old Renault Trafic that has been off the road since last October basically because the CT ran out, money was tight for any repairs etc and we have other vehicles. Yesterday I had three different lots bang on the door asking if it was for sale, all doing the same house cleaning and all living at the same address in town (we are not green where this lot are concerned I can tell you). I said I would ask OH and let the bloke know which I didn't but this afternoon one of them came back and demanded again to buy it, CT failure or not. My son went across to the mechanic we have used for the past 19 years and asked him about it and he said it was worth three times the amount they were offering and it was highly illegal to sell it with no CT at all, it has to have one even if it fails so they know what faults there are.You cannot sell a vehicle bought as seen anymore especially where it has no CT. We then ring the accountant who said UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES deal with these people especially for cash because once the carte grise /vehicle sold slip is sent off the FISC will know and our cotisations will go up accordingly next year as it will be deemed as a cash transaction for the business. It is more beneficial to trade in a works van at a garage for a newer model whereby you do not have more charges levied against you by the RSI etc and you can claim relief over a period of years for the repayment by HP etc.This is a warning for those who buy and sell vehicles for cash - the fisc actually look at who is selling what by these cessation forms and will come after you eventually.

[AnOther]

Sorry but I do have to take issue with your mechanics comment :-

"it was highly illegal to sell it with no CT at all, it has to have one even if it fails so they know what faults there are.You cannot sell a vehicle bought as seen anymore especially where it has no CT"

This is simply not true.

The is no rule which says you cannot sell a vehicle without a CT and if a buyer is prepared to accept it as such then that is fine and their problem not yours. The difficulty may come when they try to register as it and it is then when the 6 month CT requirement comes into play.

 

[pogo]

Regarding the FISC people,are they only interested in a cash sale because the vehicle was registered to the 'company',and all expenses,including repairs and running costs were paid by the company? Surely if it is a privately run van,with just a mileage charge paid by the company,this would not be the same situation,and you could sell it without cotisation increases? (the same system as the uk).I hope this is the case,as I am about to sell my french registered van,and buy another in the UK

[Val_2]

Yes a cash sale because in many cases that money would not be seen to be deposited back in the bank by many people,therefore giving them more income from the sale of a vehicle registered against the business even if you are only an artisan. If you sell the vehicle and use the cash as a deposit straight away for another vehicle then this is acceptable. This is as confirmed by our french accountant whodeals only with the the building trades. Besides would you take a cheque from a traveller here who has the same address and business as several others who called after the same van.? We have now been offered a better deal by Renault Commercials against a 3.5ton tipper and will take that instead to be able to take advantage of the reductions in tax over the next few years. This was to serve as a warning to other artisans that the fisc know exactly what is going on here with just about everything these days.

As regards selling your french van and getting a british one, as long as you declare it to the business you can probably offset it.If registered for TVA in France you may be able to get the VAT refunded,but your accountant would know that.