Discovery commercial with rear seats

[Beefsmith]

Am I missing a trick with these vehicles? I priced up a new one and on the road it’s £53,000. So I started looking at used ones and have come across a number that have rear seats in them on private sales, where as new ones don’t have rear seats. Obviously it’s an aftermarket addition to get round the vat. But what are the chances of being caught out if you get an inspection?

 

[njneer]

Am I missing a trick with these vehicles? I priced up a new one and on the road it’s £53,000. So I started looking at used ones and have come across a number that have rear seats in them on private sales, where as new ones don’t have rear seats. Obviously it’s an aftermarket addition to get round the vat. But what are the chances of being caught out if you get an inspection?

Very dodgy ground I would say on lots of levels, commercial is certified with no rear seats hence the commercial status and different tax bracket, bolting the seats back in changes its use and as such anyone benefiting from the better tax rate whilst using the vehicle with seats in could conceivably be , at best , done for back dated tax and , at worst , it might be conceivably considered fraud.
Lets not even consider your liability if involved in an accident with rear seated passengers....

 

[AnyOldName]

The insurance co will probably sh1t if they find out too. In a previous life we had a transit van with extra seats added in the back, we just used them on refinery sites as it could be difficult to get as many vehicle passes as we’d like but when the insurance found out they said if we had an accident anywhere, even without people sitting in those seats and the policy would be void.

 

[Barleycorn]

I know someone who has a Disco commercial with rear seats, some scam importing it from Ireland, but perfectly legal

 

[essexpete]

Can you not operate one like a van with a second row of seats?

 

[glasshouse]

I know someone who has a Disco commercial with rear seats, some scam importing it from Ireland, but perfectly legal

Can u get a landcruiser too?

 

[farenheit]

Guys, if you can't afford a Discovery, just don't get a Discovery.

 

[glasshouse]

Guys, if you can't afford a Discovery, just don't get a Discovery.

Wheres the fun in that?

 

[Nithsdale]

A long time ago now... but dad did this with a Daihatsu Fourtrak. It was all done above board and legally. He bough it new, then took it back in and got the Daihatsu garage to fit the seats and register it as a 5 seater. Still complied as a commercial and we had no issues over the 10 years we owned it.

 

[Robt]

They are currently fully legal and above board as long as they are occasional seats from the likes of Atlantech or Scott seats. These fold to allow a full pay load to be placed in back. ( it’s a loop hole but a legal one) you can’t just bolt genuine discovery seats back in them

 

[Exfarmer]

Am I missing a trick with these vehicles? I priced up a new one and on the road it’s £53,000. So I started looking at used ones and have come across a number that have rear seats in them on private sales, where as new ones don’t have rear seats. Obviously it’s an aftermarket addition to get round the vat. But what are the chances of being caught out if you get an inspection?

if you purchase it second hand privately , it is not you who has done the fiddling if any has been done. If they are registered for VAT , they should account for VAT on the sale

 

[Tonym]

I had the Scott seats and they came with a Vat exemption certificate. It was something with how much % of the load area was left with the seats folded up if I remember correctly. I the 7 years I had it I was never asked for the certificate by the at man.

 

[glasshouse]

I had the Scott seats and they came with a Vat exemption certificate. It was something with how much % of the load area was left with the seats folded up if I remember correctly. I the 7 years I had it I was never asked for the certificate by the at man.

Where are scotts?

 

[D14]

I had the Scott seats and they came with a Vat exemption certificate. It was something with how much % of the load area was left with the seats folded up if I remember correctly. I the 7 years I had it I was never asked for the certificate by the at man.

Were the seats comfortable for long journeys out of interest?

 

[Nithsdale]

They are currently fully legal and above board as long as they are occasional seats from the likes of Atlantech or Scott seats. These fold to allow a full pay load to be placed in back. ( it’s a loop hole but a legal one) you can’t just bolt genuine discovery seats back in them

That may be how dad got round it. The factory rear seats in a Daihatsu Fourtrak folded forward then up, flat against the back of the front seats. This gives you a almost a full load area in the rear. They would meet the requirements you outline without any modification or after market seat needing bought

 

[fieldfarmer]

Were the seats comfortable for long journeys out of interest?

I sat in one and no they weren't, it was more like a bench in the back of pick up for occasional use, I just ignored the possible tax saving and bought a disco 4 hse and love it.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

They are currently fully legal and above board as long as they are occasional seats from the likes of Atlantech or Scott seats. These fold to allow a full pay load to be placed in back. ( it’s a loop hole but a legal one) you can’t just bolt genuine discovery seats back in them

to be fair ive got a landmark and the seats fold righht down flat of up leaving the full load space as was in my late fathers commercial.

you can claim gain on a hse or any model just not the full thing at once, its something like 18% of its value per year so its not ll bad thats what i did with mine as i need 6 seats.

 

[fieldfarmer]

to be fair ive got a landmark and the seats fold righht down flat of up leaving the full load space as was in my late fathers commercial.

you can claim gain on a hse or any model just not the full thing at once, its something like 18% of its value per year so its not ll bad thats what i did with mine as i need 6 seats.

That's what I was told, not !00% relief on purchase but a percentage over the life of the truck.

 

[Beefsmith]

if you purchase it second hand privately , it is not you who has done the fiddling if any has been done. If they are registered for VAT , they should account for VAT on the sale

Yes but if I then subsequently buy it second hand + vat and then claim it back surely I’ve also done wrong? If you don’t claim the vat back then there’s no point.

 

[Exfarmer]

Yes but if I then subsequently buy it second hand + vat and then claim it back surely I’ve also done wrong? If you don’t claim the vat back then there’s no point.

They sold it to you as VAT qualifying and charged you VAT on the invoice. I think if there is any fraud that is on their part but if they charged the VAT with a proper invoice , you are entitled to claim it back. There is of course no loss to the Tax man