Done over at Le Touquet..

[UV]

Done over by the Customs at Le Touquet today! ....So some Advise for all N Reg owners!!

At Le Touquet today (10 June) we were early for our departure and walked around the apron awaiting our departure.

After a re-visit to the terminal, passing people who appeared to be lazy workers on the apron, we returned to our aircraft (N Reg).

As we prepared to leave we were visiited by the Douades, French Customs. Same guys who were sitting outside the terminal!

I had previously heard RUMOURS that:

A) Photo copies of Docs will do and;
B) Once done over you will go into the system and wont be bothered again.

They confirmed BOTH Wrong!!

We had the original docs but all they wanted to see today were:
1) Cert of Reg (ORIGINAL)
2) Pilots Licence (ORIGNAL)
3) VAT Receipt (ORIGINAL)... of course!!

In truth they were only interested in the VAT receipt!!

ORIGINALS OF ALL ARE REQUIRED BUT ONCE SEEN, YOU MAY YOU MAY WELL BE RE-VISITED...

All very polite, photocopies taken.. (originals MUST be seen) and we prepared to depart BUT;

Intertestingly, we started, but waited ( nearly 15 mins) until our Flight plan could be found and simoultanousely they also started and waited (in their Cessna 206 or 207) and followed us to the hold and departed immediatley behind us. (They were going to St. Omer only.. they said)!! Looked.. but actually they did not seem to follow us.

Aircraft is a Blue and White Cessan 206 or 207 Reg F-GZBC with small lettering "Francais Douannes" on the engine cowling. But they have numerous aircraft.

So....Have ORIGINAL DOCS ONLY...DONT RELY ON COPIES.. .

ONLY APPEAR TO BE INTERESTED IN N REG.No Surprise!

UV

[2Donkeys]

French Customs are not permited (by law) to request the VAT status of other EU-registered aircraft. That limits them these days to asking for that documentation on N-regs.

The FARs require you to carry the original Certificates of Registration and Airworthiness in an N-reg at all times. They also require you to carry your licence and a passport with you on every flight even if flying in England (if you are relying on an FAA licence). Without all of these, you are flying illegally, and not just in France.

The French now have a central registration system for VAT data on aircraft. The thinking is that once registered, they will not waste time bothering you again. I was "done over" at Verchocq and have been waved past ever since.





2D

[fireflybob]

What is the matter with the French? This issue of being asked for VAT proof etc seems to be cropping up more and more often and was covered in the latest Light Aviation mag.

I thought the whole idea of the EEC was we would not have to put up with such petty bureacracy?

Perhaps the British Customs & Excise should start doing the same to French registered aircraft when they land in the UK?

[2Donkeys]

Fireflybob

You may have missed the point of the thread. The French only do it to "N" registered aircraft. They aren't allowed to do it to "G" regstered aircraft, any more than British customs can demand proof of the VAT status of an "F".

They do it because there have been a fair few scams worked in the past. These days, everybody knows about Danish "loophole", so scams are less widely perpetrated :D

2D

[fireflybob]

2Donkeys - thanks for the correction

[Keygrip]

2D.

They do? What is the Danish Loophole.

Truly - I've never heard of it (at least, not under that name).

[2Donkeys]

Denmark has a 0% rate of VAT (Value Added Tax) for aircraft imported into that country from the rest of the world - whilst at the same time being a member of the European Union.

As a result, there is now a raft of Danish companies that will agree to "own" your aircraft for you on initial import into the EU. You pay them a fee, and you receive an aircraft which is VAT-paid, albeit at 0%, valid within the rest of the EU. This is much better than paying 17.5% in the UK.

A consequence of this loophole becoming better known, is there is rather less incentive to bend the VAT rules these days. The result is that the French douaniers have fewer revenue-earning opportunities on N-reg aircraft than in times past.

2D