Just saved myself £90 by Ordering my UGGs from this US site!

vix2000

I thought the limit was about £18?

jenniewb

vix2000 wrote: »

I thought the limit was about £18?

Haffiana wrote: »

Just to add to anyone considering buying from the USA - ALWAYS calculate VAT and import duty before importing, and use that website I mentioned or one similar.

For example, if you had ordered a pair of boots that were worth £120 or less (total cost including shipping), you would have paid no import duty at all. This is also why it is rarely better to order several pairs at once from the US to save on shipping.

Apparently not.

Nicolefury

Those sand baileys are so so tempting...

vix2000

2.3 What are the limits for customs duty and import VAT?

• Commercial consignments of £18 or less are free from customs duty and import VAT. For example, goods purchased over the internet with an intrinsic value not exceeding £18, will not be charged any duty or VAT but this does not include alcohol, tobacco products, perfume or toilet waters, see paragraph 2.5, 2.6 and section 3.
• If you are sent a gift with a value of £36 or less, and which complies ,with the rules shown in paragraph 2.4. it will be free from customs duty and import VAT, but this does not include alcohol, tobacco, perfumes and toilet waters.
• Customs duty becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £120 but duty is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £7.

from the inland revenue website. Seems like vat is payable on items over £18, but customs duty only on items over £120. As far as I can fathom it is 2.5%. I can't work out if its 2.5% of the amount over £120 or on the whole amount.

Haffiana

Vat is payable on all imports over £18. It is payable at 15% of the total value of the item and any other costs, such as postage/shipping and insurance. Please note if the item itself is below £18, then the shipping costs are ignored. If the item is over £18, then the shipping costs are added to that, and Vat charged on the total.

Import duty is a different charge from Vat. It is charged for all imports over £120, and it is charged IN ADDITION to the Vat.

Import duty is rated at different percentages for different items. In the case of sheepskin/leather footwear (ie Uggs) the import duty is 17%.

In short, you will pay Vat for any order over £18, including shipping, and you will also pay import duty if the order (inc shipping) comes to over £120.

This is why it may be better to order items separately from the USA and keep the value under £120, rather than combine an order to save on shipping. You need to calculate whether the import duty will be greater than the shipping saved.

For an item costing $199, then using HM Gov's November exchange rate, the total import tax (Vat only in this case as the item is below £120) is just under £18.

There will also be a charge from the carrier for sorting out the import tax on your behalf and collecting it from you. This can be anything from £8 - £25.

aone

I want to buy a pair of uggs from shoe-store.net. They come $153.95 including shipping.Which according to currency converters is roughly £92.That's £60 cheaper than I can get them here. Would I have to pay customs on top of this?