With only 500 Ferrari LaFerrari coupes produced globally, any owner would go to great lengths to protect such a prized possession. However, one South African owner appeared to take a different path, allowing his LaFerrari to sit idle in a customs warehouse for three years due to unpaid import taxes. This situation escalated last month when the car was seized again during an unsuccessful smuggling attempt. Fed up, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has decided to crush the vehicle.
SARS explained, “Upon entering the country, the owner did not adhere to the proper import regulations, including the payment of required customs duties and VAT. Consequently, the vehicle remained in a bonded warehouse for three years because the owner failed to complete the necessary customs procedures,” as reported by fin24.
In February, after a prolonged period of inactivity, the owner attempted to process paperwork to export the LaFerrari to the Democratic Republic of Congo. While the hypercar did leave South Africa, it was intercepted the very next day as smugglers attempted to re-enter the vehicle through the same border crossing. This incident highlights that while wealth can secure a hypercar, it does not guarantee wise decision-making.
Today, SARS confirmed the car’s seizure, with CarBuzz noting that such cases typically lead to the vehicle being crushed. In addition to the tax evasion issues, new regulations now prohibit the importation of left-hand-drive vehicles into South Africa. This situation represents a significant setback for the low-mileage LaFerrari. Ultimately, all of this turmoil could have been avoided had the owner simply paid the necessary taxes from the outset.
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