Taxes when shipping from US ?

LazyD

Hello,

I'm considering buying a watch for someone from usa. It would amount to something like £600 including shipping, same watch here would cost at least £1200.

What I'm asking is, how likely am I to be stung by import duty and if I do get stung what are they likely to add?

All comments welcome, thanks.


EDIT: Should have included this already I guess: The cost of the watch is $795 and delivery will be $60 so a total of $855, this will be fully declared on the international package.

KarenBB

I think if it's all declared on the package you'll be stuck for import duty. Worth checking with the tax man.

Stompa

and VAT.

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_001454&propertyType=document

wolfehouse

if you send it fedex they will automatically send it through customs and pay it and send you the bill which will be incomprehensible. that would be 17.5% on both purchase and inflated shipping price and will probaboly come in at around 1/3 more on top of what you paid. (and their charge for clearing customs)

if you send it by royal mail they would hold it at their collection office for payment of tax before releasing it (as presumeaboly you would want to insure it so would need to declare the value). not every package gets held up with them but if you want it insured, then they will surely do...

LazyD

Thanks for the replies.

So if it's $855 I will get a bill for 17.5% on top of that which is $150, bringing the total to $1005.

Is this correct?

That would amount to about £675, still a huge saving...

krisskross

Fed-ex and all the other shippers charge for the trouble they have to go to.

I just bought something from America costing $60, had a £14 customs + handling charge to pay. With the £ dropping like a brick against the $ stuff of fairly low value now comes into the tax man's clutches.

peachyprice

Plus import duty of about 4.5%

Stompa

LazyD wrote: »

So if it's $855 I will get a bill for 17.5% on top of that which is $150, bringing the total to $1005.

Is this correct?

What about import duty?

deanos

LazyD wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

So if it's $855 I will get a bill for 17.5% on top of that which is $150, bringing the total to $1005.

Is this correct?

That would amount to about £675, still a huge saving...

Roughly if your item cost $855 inc shipping thats £570 roughly using todays rates

£570 + £25.65 import tax (4.5% for watches) = £595.65 + VAT = £699.88 + courier charge


The administration charge of the courier varies. Here are the current charges you can expect:

Royal Mail £8.00
Parcelforce - £8 for standard parcels, £13.50 for high value (> €1000) and express parcels.

DHL £1.25 or 2% (whichever is greater) for non-business users

UPS is £11or 2.5% (whichever is greater)

FedEx personal handling charge is 2.5% of the combined duty & vat charge (not including total value of goods) or £6.80 (whichever is greater) as of Jan08 . If you have been charged more than this, you have probably been charged the business rate and should query this

annebri

just had $94 stuff from nfl site delivered had to pay £24 .18 on top to ups c.o.d for tax. not really worth doing it as had to pay £12 delivery anyway so that makes it £36.18.

LazyD

Thanks for your replies.

So I'm looking at something like £720 all in?