Buying a car or bike in a neighbor country and driving to Argentina?

[SecretShopper]

I'd love to buy a Harley or something here.... for American prices. But 0 percent chance I'd pay the markup here. Is it the same situation in the border countries? Has anyone ever investigated whether you could buy bikes and autos at normal American and European prices? And obviously what it would take to title it in said country and drive over with mercosur plates.. I know I'd be forced to do border runs with the bike but I'd rather do that than pay 27k for a used Harley here when the new one costs 12k in the states.

 

[antipodean]

Or you could bring in USD cash and pay Argentine prices.. When you see an new car advertised in USD (or ARS) it is usually based on the official rate. The brecha largely eliminates the mark up and import duties making it quite cheap to buy a vehicle in real USD terms.

Only thing is owning a bike or car in Argentina regardless of your tax residency status is, it makes you liable to file and pay annual “wealth tax” on those assets plus the applicable vehicluar patents and taxes. Luxury tax may also apply if it is over a certain value.

As for bringing in a foreign car (as if you were say a Brazilian or Chilean tourist) the vehicle will only be allowed to be on the roads here for 180 days (and you can get an extension only once) unless you’re an Argentine citizen or resident in which case it is 90 days with no extension possible. You also need to take the car out of the country with you or you’ll be hit with permanent importation taxes and end up paying what you were trying to avoid in the first place when you next go to leave Argentina. You won’t be able to legally sell it here or get a local patent. If driving it on the roads here outside of what you are permitted to the chances of being caught are very high given amount of vehicular check-points in the city and interprovincial roads where checking papers and looking for a minor discrepancy is a police pastime. With a foreign plate or interesting looking vehicle you’ll be stopped more than a locally plated FIAT Cronus for sure...

If and when you become a permanent resident you are allowed to import a vehicle for personal use without taxes that you have owned for at least 6 months prior and is valued up to a certain amount. I’m not sure if you still get that benefit if you skip from temporary resident to citizen without going through the PR stage?

 

[SecretShopper]

Or you could bring in USD cash and pay Argentine prices.. When you see an new car advertised in USD (or ARS) it is usually based on the official rate. The brecha largely eliminates the mark up and import duties making it quite cheap to buy a vehicle in real USD terms.

Only thing is owning a bike or car in Argentina regardless of your tax residency status is, it makes you liable to file and pay annual “wealth tax” on those assets plus the applicable vehicluar patents and taxes. Luxury tax may also apply if it is over a certain value.

As for bringing in a foreign car (as if you were say a Brazilian or Chilean tourist) the vehicle will only be allowed to be on the roads here for 180 days (and you can get an extension only once) unless you’re an Argentine citizen or resident in which case it is 90 days with no extension possible. You also need to take the car out of the country with you or you’ll be hit with permanent importation taxes and end up paying what you were trying to avoid in the first place when you next go to leave Argentina. You won’t be able to legally sell it here or get a local patent. If driving it on the roads here outside of what you are permitted to the chances of being caught are very high given amount of vehicular check-points in the city and interprovincial roads where checking papers and looking for a minor discrepancy is a police pastime. With a foreign plate or interesting looking vehicle you’ll be stopped more than a locally plated FIAT Cronus for sure...

If and when you become a permanent resident you are allowed to import a vehicle for personal use without taxes that you have owned for at least 6 months prior and is valued up to a certain amount. I’m not sure if you still get that benefit if you skip from temporary resident to citizen without going through the PR stage?

How would it make a difference what it's based on? If it's a USD price and that price is double then that's what it is. Unless I can offer pesos and get the blue to oficial exchange it doesn't matter.

 

[SecretShopper]

If I see a new car priced in USD and it's double the US price, say 40k USD, and I going to be able to offer them 20000000 pesos instead of 40000000? If not, the car continues to be double the price.

 

[antipodean]

You pay for cars here in pesos - even if the price is expressed in USD (from most official dealerships at least, check the small print to confirm it says the USD price is BNA official or something like this)

Step 1: US$40.000 = ARS 4.280.000
Step 2: ARS 4.280.000 = USD 20.380.

Note: Second hand cars are usually priced in pesos at dealerships. YMMV is buying and selling privately directly with owner.

 

[SecretShopper]

You pay for cars here in pesos - even if the price is expressed in USD (from most official dealerships at least, check the small print to confirm it says the USD price is BNA official or something like this)

Step 1: US$40.000 = ARS 4.280.000
Step 2: ARS 4.280.000 = USD 20.380.

Note: Second hand cars are usually priced in pesos at dealerships. YMMV is buying and selling privately directly with owner.

First... my math was wrong.. yeah 40 usd is around 4000000 pesos.

I didn't know this information. I only kept reading here about it all being double the price. Is it also normal to bargain on a new vehicle here?

 

[Rich One]

I'd love to buy a Harley or something here.... for American prices. But 0 percent chance I'd pay the markup here. Is it the same situation in the border countries? Has anyone ever investigated whether you could buy bikes and autos at normal American and European prices? And obviously what it would take to title it in said country and drive over with mercosur plates.. I know I'd be forced to do border runs with the bike but I'd rather do that than pay 27k for a used Harley here when the new one costs 12k in the states.

Buying a car in Argentina in pesos will save you $$$ plus lots of aggravation. Plates , parts , mechanics, resale value, leaving every 180 days. At the border after several crossings Customs will ask you to get Argentinian plates...My experience.

If prices in Chile were 50 % lower may consider it

 

[Quilombo]

Speaking with friends who've bought used vehicles here (new from a dealer likely a different story), prices, like apartments, when listed in USD expect to receive USD, whether it's in cash or a transferencia. If they accept pesos it's almost always at the blue rate, somewhere between the buy/sell spread of the day of the transaction.

 

[antipodean]

Nuevos aumentos: patentar un auto es un 30% más caro desde hoy

Para calcular las nuevas valuaciones, la Dirección Nacional de Registros de la Propiedad Automotor explicó que se confronta la tabla anterior con los valores provistos por organismos públicos u organismos que nucleen a comerciantes habitualistas y fabricantes

www.infobae.com

Here is some timely news about some of the patent and government imposed costs faced by car owners in Argentina that may make some people think twice!

 

[SecretShopper]

I'm going to have to go to a new car dealership and gets some answers