[Closed] Buying Product from U.S. not available in UK - Import duty?

haha no I'm afraid that's wishful thinking!

Good luck that argument, why wouldn't you pay?

Would be one of the greatest tax loop holes imaginable.

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fr0sty125 - Member
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don't think that makes any difference

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Twice as much tax.

if it was imported and sold within the UK it would have Import Duty and VAT added to it, you are importing it into the UK you get to pay the taxes due on it.

Yeah, and don't just bring it in and think you will get away with it.

I ordered a doohickey from a US company for work a few years ago (an automatic people counting device for an unstaffed service area - couldn't get what I wanted from UK company) anyway I had no idea re import taxes but the courier company did. They paid it and billed me. So much for bringing that one in under budget ! Doh.

If you know someone in the US who could buy it and bring it to the UK as a "present" for you, or if you can go to the US and bring it in yourself, you still get to call yourself an "international seatpost smuggler" but the risks are not very large.

🙂

Is there an importer somewhere else in the EU?

As above Import Duty and 20% VAT will be due on the item. I suspect many things arriving mail order slip through the net though, it depends on what the seller/shipper puts on the label.

BigDummy - you still get to call yourself an "international seatpost smuggler" but the risks are not very large.

Surely that depends on the length of the post and where you conceal it...

Risky business, requires help. You'd need quite a large smuggling ring to do it.

^ This literally made me laugh out loud 😆

Import charges will depend on the type of goods imported and their value, which is stated on the Customs declaration form CN22 or CN23. Goods are not chargeable if the total value of goods in the consignment does not exceed £15. Goods over £15 are liable for VAT.

There is a different rate for imported personal gifts, which is £36. Gifts above £36 will attract VAT, and if the value is above £135, according to their type, Customs duty and/or excise duty may be due. For goods to qualify as a gift they must be sent between two private individuals, for example as a birthday present. An item bought online to give to someone else as a present is not considered to be a gift for Customs purposes.

Thing about the duty rates (not VAT) is the impression I get is they are related partly to the availability of the same product in the UK and are aimed at compensating for income lost to the gov because you imported it instead. In theory therefore something that is not a product produced by the UK should have lower or no duty. But that's usually not the case though there are some things that attract low duty rates.

It's done by category anyway, so a particular item not available makes no differences if the UK is a manufacturer of other items in the category. E.g. like saying you want no duty for a brand of bike only available in the US, but the UK does manufacture bikes so you are still depriving UK of revenue.

It's almost exactly the other way round I think. If a country makes something and charges a huge import tax they can be accused of protectionism. If they don't make it they can charge what they want as for example the tax on cars in Denmark

.....

just get them to mark it as an engineering sample.....light bicycle have a habit of doing that. 😆

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My old Santa Cruz Blur LT2 frame was a gift from my mate in Canada who was coming home for Christmas. 8)

Also, if the supplier doesn't do the correct paperwork, then Royal Fail will charge you about £10 to do it.

Also, if the supplier doesn't do the correct paperwork, then Royal [s]Fail[/s] Win! will charge you about £10 to do it.

Hardly a fail is it, to make easy money out of other people's laziness.

If you supplied me with incorrect paperwork (probably trying to defraud somebody) I'd charge to do it properly

It's a risk you take, a lot of things manage to get in without being flagged, however some don't. I've done it loads, maybe 25% of items get caught.

If you get it sent by any service that will be handled in the UK by Royal Mail, then you stand more of chance of it being let through. E.g. USPS for anything from US. Don't choose an expedited delivery option that will be sent via couriers. Royal Mail charging is based on things being waived under the nose of Mt Pleasant and they collect the charge if they decided to charge it. Couriers evaluate it themselves and are more likely to hit you, and with higher handling fees. Some will collect the money on release of the parcel, some will bill you later.

So, for the record, if you want to pay the VAT & import duty up front (to avoid having to pay Royal Mail for the privilege) how do you go about it?

I looked on the Royal Mail website, but couldn't find anything obvious.

Some companies, such as LandsEnd.com, use a service called Borderfree, which enables you to pay all the charges upfront. I don't know who else provides this facility though.

mikewsmith +1 - I presume none of those suggesting ways to evade import taxes ever complain about those companies legally avoiding taxes?

Nope, couldn't give a rat's arse

[url= http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/saved_calculations/view_details/192681542/ ]Potentially useful link[/url]

£34.48 VAT due, assuming a purchase price of $250 and $20 shipping.

BTW: The allowance for stuff you can bring in with you (from outside the EU) is £390 - no need to declare anything, or pay anything.