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Am currently out in the USA on holiday but am coming back out in next 3 months or so with work for a couple of weeks. Looking at prices of new bikes etc was thinking about purchasing one and bringing back. I did it in the past, bringing a scrappy old frame in a box out and taking a new ti lite speed back. But that was 15 years ago.
Any one know the rules now or had experience of this?
The rules are the same now as then. You have to declare it to customs and pay VAT and import duty. Few do, so it's like ok fraud.
Just get it nice and muddy. And take a bike bag, not box.
Job done.
Buy it, ride it, pay the extra baggage and take it home (after you've cleaned it). It's no more complicated than that to travel with sports equipment.
You can do exactly as you have said, although again I would use a bag. Did it with a bike a few years ago and will probably do it with my next one.
Or you can do what njee wants you to do and buy the same bike here for the same amount in pounds as in dollars and give this chap a large whack of VAT for him to spend shoring up his mates businesses and shafting the poor.
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I know what I'd do.
I know I'll be "paying" for a trip to Canada next summer from the "saving" I'll be making on a bike I'm planning on buying while out there. From doing my maths I think I will save about £110 by going to Canada to buy it once flights are accounted for, compared to the UK rrp.
Opt to be Non Dom and save the tax that way?
Pay the tax or evade the tax, fairly simple.
Edit
Remember your warranty is with the retailer not the UK distributor
I think the original plan of throwing an old frame and wheels in a bag and shipping new one back...of course will need to test ride it.
Even with local sales tax a $2200 bike is approx £3500 in uk so savings are massive.
Am looking at a salsa so the issue of warranty is a suspect one anyway in the UK at the moment.
Taking an old frame is pointless, it doesn't help you prove that the bike was purchased in the UK. The chances of being stopped are slim but it's still tax evasion so if your comfortable with that then off you go.
Coming thro Atlanta 2 weeks ago, a couple of people were stopped at customs after reclaiming their bikes in bags off the bag drop. US Customs basically gave them a receipt for the bikes entering into the country so they would have no issues entering the UK on their return.
Have just checked and duty and VAT on the bike is £700ish but still way cheaper than attempting to buy in the UK
It may help but if pushed you would still have to prove the bike was purchased in the eu. Just take a walk down the declare lane should be quicker than the nothing to declare.
The chances of being stopped are slim but it's still [b]tax evasion[/b]
It sounds cooler if you call it "smuggling" though. 😉
Or you can do what njee wants you to do and buy the same bike here for the same amount in pounds as in dollars and give this chap a large whack of VAT for him to spend shoring up his mates businesses and shafting the poor.
Woah woah woah, I said nothing of the sort! Just don't kid yourself it's anything but tax evasion. I'd still do it.