Disability relief from Customs and VAT ??

adamt

I have recently purchased a Rife machine from America to treat Lyme disease - this machine is not medically approved and is just experimental (although there is nothing but positive results from users)

So it arrived today and i had to pay £150 in custom charges, however i have read i am entitled to disability relief.

I have phoned 5 differend HMRC numbers just to get given a different one each time, or being told there not sure?? i emailed them but they just replied with standard "one size fits all" reply!

This is ridiculous as it seems they have made it near impossible to claim for disability relief.

I have read through the HMRC site and the closest bit of help i got was:

If the package is not clearly marked it may not be delivered until you have paid the duty and VAT. You should pay these charges and then write to Customs at the postal depot where the charges were raised. Explain what happened and enclose the original NIRU certificate, the VAT declaration and the document showing the charges. If we are satisfied that the goods qualify for relief, we will repay the duty and VAT.

My package was not marked as i was unaware of this relief and didnt tell him my situation.

Does anyone have any idea how i get this certificate and VAT decleration?
Has anyone tried claiming relief from imported goods?

I dont understand why they make it so hard to work out what to do, its like they dont want us to have relief!

thank you

cattie

As far as I know when you buy an item made specifically for a disabled person as an aid, you need to have the seller fill out a vat exemption form at the point of purchase.

I've never bought any aids from abroad so sorry can't help you there.

daska

I once tried to import a piece of equipment. I did manage to find the most helpful person... but gave up because it was so complicated that I couldn't assemble all the paperwork correctly. It ended up cheaper to buy it here than spend the time trying to claim back the various charges.

Penny-Pincher!!

adamt wrote: »

I have recently purchased a Rife machine from America to treat Lyme disease - this machine is not medically approved and is just experimental (although there is nothing but positive results from users)

So it arrived today and i had to pay £150 in custom charges, however i have read i am entitled to disability relief.

I have phoned 5 differend HMRC numbers just to get given a different one each time, or being told there not sure?? i emailed them but they just replied with standard "one size fits all" reply!

This is ridiculous as it seems they have made it near impossible to claim for disability relief.

I have read through the HMRC site and the closest bit of help i got was:

If the package is not clearly marked it may not be delivered until you have paid the duty and VAT. You should pay these charges and then write to Customs at the postal depot where the charges were raised. Explain what happened and enclose the original NIRU certificate, the VAT declaration and the document showing the charges. If we are satisfied that the goods qualify for relief, we will repay the duty and VAT.

My package was not marked as i was unaware of this relief and didnt tell him my situation.

Does anyone have any idea how i get this certificate and VAT decleration?
Has anyone tried claiming relief from imported goods?

I dont understand why they make it so hard to work out what to do, its like they dont want us to have relief!

thank you

If it was brought outside the UK then you wont be governed by UK VAT exclusions and custom/tax charges would be applied.

Generally, anything over approx £18 will be charged via customs unless it is marked as "GIFT"

Also, if its not medically approved, I dont see how we could ask for relief.

PP
xx

adamt

thanks for the replies, does anyone else know where i stand with disability relief on a rife machine from America?

adamt

bump :rolleyes:

qwertyuiop12345

As these products seem to be officially regarded as fraudulent (apparently people have even been convicted of crimes in the US for selling them) I think you will struggle to persuade anyone that this is a disability related product qualifying for any kind of relief. I hope you didn't waste too much money on it.

starchild1972

I have to agree with the above poster, RIFE machines well, I was e-mailed by someone claiming it would help aspergers....radio frequencies and aspergers...hmmm!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Rife

Sorry but you have been totally ripped off.