Offshore registry threat?
 

Can anyone shed any light on the latest changes in the UK decision to changes it VAT exemption law for aircraft over 8000T ?
I believe it is a way of making private aircraft owners now have to use an AOC operation to exempt themselves from paying VAT-just more expense for the Private jet industry-dont they realise this will cost the aircraft owners much more,they perhaps will not bother will the constant hassle of owning a private jet,leaving us all without jobs !!!:confused:

Lets face facts here.
IF a company can afford a jet and fly it on a regular basis...then they can afford to pay.
Why should this type of company be exempted, I would ask?

Actually, to be fair to the UK government (just for once), they were forced to comply with existing EU law. It was possible until Dec 31st last year to import an aircraft of over 8 tonnes into the EU and gain "free circulation," by simply making your first point of landing in the EU in England, and registering the importation in an appropriate way - irrespective of whether the aircraft was private or commercial. EU countries objected, and UK relented.

End of story.....unless some clever German lawyer gets his teeth into this area of EU law, and again redefines the word "commercial" - as he recently did to the glee of many of us lucky M reg drivers. Way to go!

Deefer

Wealthy owners will still buy their planes using offshore money and companies and appoint a UK company as VAT agent to reclaim, so it is a non event. They have always done the same for a/c under 8t. For companies and owners that use onshore companies, they can still reclaim the VAT.