Increased Duty free Allowances

jackieblack

:T Finally, having been talked about for months, there are new allowances for those travelling outside the EU!:j

This is from HMRC website:

From 1 December 2008, when travelling from a non-EU country (including the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar) you can bring the following into the UK for your own use without paying UK tax or duty:

• 200 cigarettes; or 100 cigarillos; or 50 cigars; or 250g of tobacco
• 4 litres of still table wine
• 16 litres of beer
• 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22 per cent volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), sparkling wine or other alcoholic beverages of less than 22 per cent volume and
• £300 worth of all other goods including perfume and souvenirs.

If you have any more than these allowances you must declare the goods in the red channel or use the red point phone. If you do not, you are breaking the law and we may prosecute you.
From 1 January 2009, the other goods allowance will increase again from £300 to £340. However, there will be no further increases to any of the other allowances.
Additionally, from 1 December you can combine some of your alcohol or tobacco allowances, and there is a lower other goods allowance for passengers travelling by private plane or boat for pleasure purposes.

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD_010220&propertyType=document

sturll

Just a thought - and i wonder if Phatbear may be able to answer.

Firstly is £300 the UK current market value on the goods(a); or the amount in dollars converted when you bought them(b); or when you arrive back in the UK(c)

a - For example at the current rate (1.48) if i buy a Laptop for $444 (£300) and the same laptop is for sale at £499 in the UK which price will take precedent?

b - $444 converted at the rate i bought them being £300

c - Say the rate has fallen even further to 1.36 when i arrive in the UK, my $444 laptop has now cost £326

Secondly when they say amount per person can i buy £900 worth of goods and distribute this across myself and my 2 children traveling with me? Would it make a difference the type of goods? i.e childrens toys/clothes or could i give them both an ipod for instance?

Thirdly, can two people own a share in one item? For example if my mother and i buy a Laptop for £600 with the intention of sharing it can i carry it and legally walk through the green channel on the assumption that since the intention is part ownership i only have £300 worth of goods?

Andy_L

sturll wrote: »

Thirdly, can two people own a share in one item? For example if my mother and i buy a Laptop for £600 with the intention of sharing it can i carry it and legally walk through the green channel on the assumption that since the intention is part ownership i only have £300 worth of goods?

If you actually read JackieBlack's link:rolleyes:
"You and anyone you are travelling with cannot pool your individual other goods allowances to bring in an item worth more than the limit. The person bringing the item in will have to pay charges on the full value of the item. "

sturll

Andy_L wrote: »

If you actually read JackieBlack's link:rolleyes:
"You and anyone you are travelling with cannot pool your individual other goods allowances to bring in an item worth more than the limit. The person bringing the item in will have to pay charges on the full value of the item. "

That would have been far better had it lacked the sarcasm.

sharkabouttown

Question that I'm having a bit of trouble finding the answer to..

If I buy goods duty-free in the air-side shops at the UK airport on the outward leg of my holiday, does it contribute towards the £320 duty-free limit?

(Thinking of buying a Samsung Netbook on an outward flight to the Canaries.)

roddydogs

I though cheap alcohol was a No-No?

PolishBigSpender

sharkabouttown wrote: »

Question that I'm having a bit of trouble finding the answer to..

If I buy goods duty-free in the air-side shops at the UK airport on the outward leg of my holiday, does it contribute towards the £320 duty-free limit?

(Thinking of buying a Samsung Netbook on an outward flight to the Canaries.)

Unless I'm completely wrong, these shops aren't actually 'tax free'. They simply pay the VAT for you, so it appears to be free of VAT - but it's not 'duty free' in the real sense of the word.

Therefore, it wouldn't be subjected to the limit as any duty has already been paid.