Gift From USA/ Avoiding Tax!

as400

Not quite the right place to post possibly but if I order a jacket from the US and want to avoid paying VAT and importation tax on it how should I go about it?

If the item is wrapped up as "Gift" and "No Value" will it get through?

I wouldn't want to buy someone a birthday present and have them have to pay tax on it!

Slayerx

It really depends I buy a lot of videogames from Canada and the US and if there marked as a gift I avoid tax and have done for a few years.

point3

as400 wrote:

Not quite the right place to post possibly but if I order a jacket from the US and want to avoid paying VAT and importation tax on it how should I go about it?

If the item is wrapped up as "Gift" and "No Value" will it get through?

Technically this is evasion of tax and many companies may refuse to be involved in the collusion. Even if the business agrees to send it in this manner, UK Customs still reserve the right to open and inspect packages at random and to charge import VAT and duty as appropriate.

You may be lucky though - but you will have to decide whether it is worth the risk! The only sure way of avoiding customs surcharges is to buy goods of less than £18 in value.

HTH

Cook_County

This is called tax evasion, not money saving. It is a criminal offence. Individuals such as SlayerX are technically living off the proceeds of crime. Customs & Excise can and frequently do track such folks down on behalf of the rest of us.

as400 can travel to the US, pick it up and bring it back through the green channel if the cost of total goods imported is below £145.

Slayerx

The website send me the goods marked as goods its not as if I ask for them to do it.

as400

Jesus I had no idea!...OK guys the FBI are a knocking on my door and SOCA have a tracking device on my car, Bin Laden has nothing on me!....I've learnt my lesson and pwomise not to talk about tax evasion and criminal activities any more.

Thanks for showing me the way!

Cook_County

I would suggest you read HMRCs words on this subject. They state specifically that individuals such as SlayerX "may be liable to financial penalties or criminal prosecution. Furthermore the goods themselves will be liable to forfeiture."

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

pin

as400 wrote:

Jesus I had no idea!...OK guys the FBI are a knocking on my door and SOCA have a tracking device on my car, Bin Laden has nothing on me!....I've learnt my lesson and pwomise not to talk about tax evasion and criminal activities any more.

Thanks for showing me the way!

No need to get scarcastic, the guys are only telling you that you may be breaking the law. While it may not be as bad as theft, etc, it still is breaking the law. This site isn't about breaking the law.

MarkyMarkD

pin

I'm not sure why you think that theft from the government (i.e. the rest of the country's tax-paying population) "isn't as bad as theft".

Mikeyorks

It can blow up in your face!

Last year I bought a french chandelier, on Ebay, from a US seller. Asked him to show the value of the item as his 'reserve' price. Despite I had paid more - that appeared, to me, to represent his more expert view of the true 'value'

For some reason best known to him - he showed the full price paid + sizeable shipping costs. But marked it as a gift !!

I was charged nearly £80 import duty / VAT. Didn't leave me much room for appeal??

ard123en

vat is payable on postage and value

have to ask as400 is your name taken from ibm servers ?