Canadian ED - no savings?

[myzmak]

The BMW USA website clearly indicates the likelihood of savings off MSRP on an ED vehicle:

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...erYourBMW.aspx

The Canadian website indicates there are no savings on MSRP....

http://www.bmw.ca/ca/en/insights/bmw..._your_bmw.html

Other than "WTF?" anyone have any concrete understanding/explanation for this apparent difference?

[01ON19]

This has always been true. The only explanation seems to be that they don't really care. They did improve the program after 2006 so that you the buyer don't have to get the car through Canadian Customs. Now the car goes back to your Canadian dealer and you just go and get it.

[myzmak]

Originally Posted by Kanuck

This has always been true. The only explanation seems to be that they don't really care. They did improve the program after 2006 so that you the buyer don't have to get the car through Canadian Customs. Now the car goes back to your Canadian dealer and you just go and get it.

Boo-urns. I wonder if they don't get the discount US dealers get or if they just don't care.......

[CanAutM3]

I was told by my dealer that I would only pay tax on the depreciated value of the car after it arrives from Europe. Probalby not a huge difference, but a few bucks nonetheless...

[discoboy1]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

I was told by my dealer that I would only pay tax on the depreciated value of the car after it arrives from Europe. Probalby not a huge difference, but a few bucks nonetheless...

I don't see how this can be done, you still have to pay the original contract price on the car, you are not buying a used car...

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by discoboy1

I don't see how this can be done, you still have to pay the original contract price on the car, you are not buying a used car...

...but you are importing a "used" car into Canada.

I can't elaborate because I am far from a tax expert. I just reported what my dealer told me...

[01ON19]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

...but you are importing a "used" car into Canada.

I can't elaborate because I am far from a tax expert. I just reported what my dealer told me...

Paying sales tax on the "used car" value is how it used to be handled when you had to handle the import process yourself. On my first ED, I convinced the Customs guy the car was worth a bit less since it had 4000km on it. He thought ED was very cool and knocked about 5% off the value for tax purposes.

Now, the dealer gets the car through Customs. They handle the paperwork and you just go the dealer and pick it up. You've already paid for the car and no money changes hands at that point. Perhaps the dealer is keeping some tax savings? Who knows.

Either way, it is not a big savings. On a $50,000 car in Ontario, you might save 5% of 13% or $325.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by Kanuck

Paying sales tax on the "used car" value is how it used to be handled when you had to handle the import process yourself. On my first ED, I convinced the Customs guy the car was worth a bit less since it had 4000km on it. He thought ED was very cool and knocked about 5% off the value for tax purposes.

Now, the dealer gets the car through Customs. They handle the paperwork and you just go the dealer and pick it up. You've already paid for the car and no money changes hands at that point. Perhaps the dealer is keeping some tax savings? Who knows.

Either way, it is not a big savings. On a $50,000 car in Ontario, you might save 5% of 13% or $325.

My dealer sort of hinted that savings would be passed on to me.

On an M4 in Quebec, it would be 15% on 5% of $86,000, so $645. Not a huge amount, but it does buy a few good bottles of wine .

[01ON19]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

My dealer sort of hinted that savings would be passed on to me.

On an M4 in Quebec, it would be 15% on 5% of $86,000, so $645. Not a huge amount, but it does buy a few good bottles of wine .

True, the savings are not trivial but now you are relying on the dealer to negotiate that with Customs and they may not care as much, especially since you have already paid. Also, the dealer may be bringing the car in as a "new" car since that is probably less hassle for them.

All I can say is it is way easier the new way. The old way you had to take a bunch of forms to the Customs office. Since you were normally missing some crucial piece of paper (e.g., Agricultural inspection) you had to go and get that and come back. Very time consuming. Then you had to take all your properly stamped forms to the railcard to get your car. You could easily take most of a day doing all that. I think the dealer might argue they are entitled to something for getting your car through the import process.