Originally Posted by
The 585
Those look pretty nice, I'll have to check those out! They look good with the butterfly bars, as well.
Any idea if VAT applies to bikes bought secondhand or through a private seller? I wouldn't mind picking something up used if it can save some hassle.
I like a Rohloff for touring, but there are advantages and disadvantages to a Rohloff just like there are advantages and disadvantages for derailleurs. I have three touring bikes, two use derailleurs and one is Rohloff. Rohloffs are more expensive than a derailleur drive train.
I am really quite ignorant of VAT tax details, but it is my understanding that once the tax has been paid, it is not charged again on the same goods. Thus, a used bike would not be taxed a second time. But, I live in USA and am really guessing on this. It would be best to ask someone in Italy.
There are several European internet sellers of bikes and bike parts that I frequent. You can often buy stuff there to be shipped to USA (without paying VAT tax) much cheaper than you would pay in USA. Even if you are local to the EU in which case you would pay VAT tax, it is often still cheaper to buy from some of the European internet sellers. I bought my Rohloff hub from an internet seller in Germany in 2013 to be shipped to USA. It would have cost me 50 percent more to buy in USA, but I bought it to be shipped to USA from Germany. If I had bought it to be shipped to somewhere in the EU from that German seller, I would have also paid VAT tax which would have added 20 to 25 percent more. That would still be cheaper than the 50 percent more than I would have paid if I bought it from a USA seller. My point is that it is often cheaper to buy good components from some of the European internet sellers than buying here in USA, even if you are buying for shipment to the EU.
I have no clue if you are looking for a budget touring bike or a higher end one, but there are several brands in the UK (which still is in the EU for now), Netherlands and Germany that offer really nice touring bikes, with derailleurs or with Rohloff hubs. If you wanted one of them, if you bought it to be shipped to USA, you would pay about 10 or 11 percent duty when it is shipped here. And then if you took it back to teh EU, since VAT tax was not paid when you bought it, you might pay a customs duty to bring the bike into the EU. But if you wait until you are a resident of the EU, instead you would pay the VAT tax to buy it there.
I really am not an expert at VAT and customs duty issues, but I might sound like it. I am sure others know much more. But I have paid the duty on an expensive bike frame that I bought from the UK, and I have bought a lot of other stuff to be shipped to USA from Europe.