After registering the car in Switzerland you send papers back to the car dealership and then you get your VAT back best, to confirm this with the dealer though.

Anyone with more recent knowledge should feel free to correct me on this since it's a while since I was there.

As far as I know, they will make the sale to you free of VAT in Germany if you are buying for export.  German car dealers will only release a sold car to a buyer when the registration, plates and insurance are all in place, so unless you are planning to register the car in Germany (and I guess you are not) you will need to arrive with all of these.

In preparation you will need to arrange for Swiss registration, plates etc. on your return with a Swiss car dealer/workshop and a Swiss insurer will be able to give you temporary insurance (5 days or so) to cover the pick-up and return to Switzerland.  Either the dealer or the insurer (I forget which) will give you special export plates.

Allegedly this is all quite routine, so they should all know what you need when you approach them.

If you are buying a new car it's all much easier as the German manufacturer can often arrange local delivery via a Swiss dealer.

If you do have a go at this, please let us know how it goes.

Andy

I just (month ago) imported a car from Germany. It is a bit more running with papers but we saved a lot of money ;)

You have to ask your dealer if he will do the return of VAT. I had to pay first the German VAT as security and after registering car here I got it back. My car dealer did all the documents needed for Germany and I got plates for export for 15 days. But I had to fill a very nasty online form for swiss side, some companies take 140 chf to do it, but its possible on your own.

If the car had a german registration for longer then 6 month you dont have to care about tax on fuel consumption. You will have to pay 8% swiss VAT and 4% "Zollgebühr" plus some fees. But all together less then 19% german VAT.

If you want more details write me.

Nadja

Is there also possible to import a new car from Germany?

My understanding, if the car is owned less that a year when you import the car, you will be charged full VAT taxes.

You need to prove you have owned the car for a while and that proved the car is not worth much.

Then watchout for the potential stict additional cost to get the vehicule to pass the 'Expertise/smog/other tests' that this was a very very tricky / financially risk idea. 

mind also about its compliance with Swiss law (especially if it's a special edition model / type)

Thanks Dave and Thomas... Both contributed a lot! 

Hello,

i did it and it's not hard, just requires cash at the border, as they dont take card payment.

basically you get 19% vat back in germany, IF it can be sold ex vat (!) 'mehrwertsteuer ausweisbar' very important, that can only be done if it is an ex company car, and going through a dealer, privat sales arent tax excempt.

the swiss also charged me extra for bigger CC engine emission.

good luck

Hello J r,

Could you recommend any website to search for cars in Germany?

I have seen some. 

In addition, could you give the contact number of the seller that closed the deal with you? If so send me a PM. (I am not sure if you can reccomend someone or an website here in "public")

Thanks in advance.

Gui

i used autoscout24.de - also mobile.de is good ... just make sure it says - Mwst ausweisbar - there is even a little button under search options - every dealer will have some cars like that, but as i said, they have to be  ex company cars, so it cant be done with all and any cars 

ah also, tell the dealer u are exporting, than you dont even have to pay the vat first

Great J r!

Thanks! With that and saving some cash I come back to offer you a beer! 

Thanks!

u are welcome