One of 500 LaFerrari’s is definitely scheduled to be crushed into a cube because the owner couldn’t fork over the proper taxes.
If the South African Revenue Service was waiting for the right opportunity to make a scapegoat out of someone it’ll definitely be this owner and his precious LaFerrari. According to Car Buzz on their report on the incident they dropped earlier yesterday (Mar. 29,2017) a potential LaFerrari owner not only failed to pay the proper taxes on his supercar but then proceeded to hatch a hairbrained plan that was destined to fail. Check out some exclusive photos that are circulating social media showcasing this beautiful caged exotic in all its glory before it meets its maker.
This guy's #LaFerrari is destined to be turned into scrap metal by a car crusher. Here’s why. #Ouchhttps://t.co/ADBP1Jgl4v
— Indiatimes (@indiatimes) March 31, 2017
The owner of this LaFerrari didn’t imagine things would turn out the way they did but the reward of saving a couple hundred thousand dollars was worth the risk of being caught and losing the car altogether. Every car imported into South Africa (and other countries for that matter) face an import tax. For South Africa its a hefty 36 percent duty, a 14 percent VAT and an ad valorem tax that depends on the price of the vehicle ((.00003*MSRP) – .75. This particular LaFerrari had a value of 13.8 million Rand or about 1.02 million USD. Some quick math and the total tax would be about 80 percent or another $800 thousand.
The LaFerrari was brought into South Africa in 2014 were it sat at a warehouse for the better part of three years until the owner could either come up with enough money to pay taxes or a plan to free his precious LaFerrari without paying a dime to SARS. He chose the later which also happens to be illegal.
First, the owner said he was simply exporting the LaFerrari out of South Africa into the Republic of Congo. The LaFerrari would have to pass through Zimbabwe and Zambia. After passing through the border gate out of South Africa the LaFerrari spent at least 24 hours in Zimbabwe before the owner then tried to smuggle the LaFerrari back into South Africa. Details were scarce on exactly how he thought he could pull that off, but it failed.
The owner has an opportunity to plead his case to SARS or the South African Revenue Services but everyone else thinks it’s all a formality and this LaFerrari is as good as scrap metal.
It’s a sad story all around but it’s not like the South African government is going to let him get away with it. We’ll definitely follow up on what happens to this LaFerrari if by some stroke of luck he strikes a deal with SARS.
