Import VAT. I cant afford to pay it.

brunel07

Hi,

I imported some LED tape light for my house from China. A fair amount of it. The total was around £550. In my infinite wisdom I didnt factor in the import tax into the cost of the product.

My package arrived, I signed for it, and took it home. The following week I received a bill from DHL for £117 for not only a processing fee, but also VAT. The cost and quantity of the product was written on the side of the box, and they based their figures of this.

Now, im in a bit of a hole here. I saved up the pennies to get this box, and I dont have a spare £117 to shell out. Is there any circumstance whereby I wouldnt have to pay this additional money to DHL?

• Is the fact that they billed me a week after I collected it contestable?
• Since it is a gift to my girlfriend, is it still taxable?
• Do students get any kind of reduced VAT on things like this?
• It is techincally for the lighting for a company, could it be a company expensive?

Im pulling at straws here, is there anything I can do? Any help would be really apprerciated.

James

soolin

I can see no possible way of getting out of this amount, goods from outside the EU attract various rates of duty and tax and a usually fixed handling fee.

Also I think I would be very careful in saying completely opposed things on an open internet forum like this, you say:

Since it is a gift to my girlfriend, is it still taxable?
but also
It is techincally for the lighting for a company, could it be a company expensive?