Import Duty on Internet Orders

isasmurf

As long as each parcel contains items totalling less than £18 you will not be charged. It the total of the all the items in a single package comes to more than £18 you will be charged.

bythesea_2

Erm. As I live abroad (outside the EU) and sell to you guys, can I comment?

I am often asked to lie on customs forms about the value. I understand why you do not want to pay the tax; you have seen that I sell items for half the lowest UK retail and the VAT/duty will be offsetting that advantage.

I have to say, the supposed illegality does not worry me. However I would be ineligible for full value insurance were the package to go missing since it was underinsured. So I am a bit wary of doing this.

I understand that some countries now plan to adopt a policy where intercepted parcels are charged at the going rate for the same goods in the UK; ignoring the customs declared value. There is very little chance of the sender in another country getting punished. Even though HMCE/IR pretend that they have extensive links. This is the Civil Service we are talking about

Rgds

bythesea_2

I think all of the Channel islands based fulfillment operations use this loophole (GBP18 per packet). So if you order 20 batteries the chances are you will get 10 packets thru the post!

Andy_G_3

R0CKY wrote: »

but it says VAT is due at either nil OR full 17.5% which is very confusing.

This should clear up any confusion :rotfl:

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000102&propertyType=document

Seems most books are not VAT exempt but all are import duty free.

Don't forget the Royal Mail £8 charge if the book(s) is/are over £18

Vanner_2

So what are you charged on, i bought a monitor for the car from e-bay, it
was £21.62, Dhl are trying to charge me VAT for a value of £82.06p when it
clearly states the invoice value, so they now want £15.60.

olly300

bythesea wrote: »

I think all of the Channel islands based fulfillment operations use this loophole (GBP18 per packet). So if you order 20 batteries the chances are you will get 10 packets thru the post!

They do.

Everything comes as separate items so if you order 5 cds you get 5 packages. They generally send them out to you as 2 or 3 at a time.

sparklymessygirl

Many thanks to those who have provided info in this thread. I have read the links but haven't found them particularly illuminating but no doubt am being a bit dim!

I have a minor victory of sorts to post so hope the info might be of some help to someone in the same position in the future (or me in the future if i forget what has happened and it happens again )

I ordered books online from the USA. Delivered by FedEx. Two weeks later big bill for Import duty, VAT and Admin fee :mad:

I thought the books would be free of VAT but would have import duty but I was wrong. (Saw AndyG's comments re this but couldn't understand the info in the link - but you were right!)

Phoned National Advice Service of the HMRC on 0845 010 9000 explained my ignorance and read the Tariff code to them (10 digit number on the paperwork from FedEx). A very nice man confirmed that my books were free of Import duty but were subject to VAT (so I had got it completely the wrong way round). He advised me to pay the FedEx bill (because FedEx have already paid HMRC on my behalf :mad: ) and reclaim from HMRC the wrongly charged import duty by completing form C285 available on the HMRC website.

Result - I am going to claim £11.11.

I have sent a stiff email to FedEx re their admin charge of £6.80. I cannot see how they can justify charging that as they don't seem to have bothered to check to see if they were overpaying "on my behalf" - and they are in the business of international delivery so should have a better idea than me that something was not right.

Sparkly

sparklymessygirl

Altarf,

Thanks very much for this - I think I need to investigate further!

Sparkly

moomoocookie

Hi I am new to this and have found it a very interesting site with lots of info. Just wanted to mention my experience. I buy alot from e-bay in the States and have been cought out once with the duty tax to be paid. I have no objection to paying hte VAT if my purchase is over the value, however I do object to paying the high fees that parcel force charge for 'handling and checking the parcel' I recevied a letter saying they were holding a parcel for me and would not deliver it until I paid the fees for customs and their handling fee. I ask them to explain what thier fee was for and they informed me it was to pay their staff at customs for opening and handling the packages . When I paid and my parcel was delivered it had not been 'opened' and checked by their staff so I called them and went mad:mad: . They refunded the portion of the fee that they had charged me as a 'gesture' of good will. Now when I buy i as them to mark as a gift and not exceeding a value of £35. and I always e-mail them to say that I accept that if my parcel was lost then I realise I can only be re-imbursed for the insurable value. It isn't a lie as such as the item purchased is a gift, only not one the sender paid for. :j

Cook_County

moomoocookie wrote: »

Hi I am new to this and have found it a very interesting site with lots of info. Just wanted to mention my experience. I buy alot from e-bay in the States and have been cought out once with the duty tax to be paid. I have no objection to paying hte VAT if my purchase is over the value, however I do object to paying the high fees that parcel force charge for 'handling and checking the parcel' I recevied a letter saying they were holding a parcel for me and would not deliver it until I paid the fees for customs and their handling fee. I ask them to explain what thier fee was for and they informed me it was to pay their staff at customs for opening and handling the packages . When I paid and my parcel was delivered it had not been 'opened' and checked by their staff so I called them and went mad:mad: . They refunded the portion of the fee that they had charged me as a 'gesture' of good will. Now when I buy i as them to mark as a gift and not exceeding a value of £35. and I always e-mail them to say that I accept that if my parcel was lost then I realise I can only be re-imbursed for the insurable value. It isn't a lie as such as the item purchased is a gift, only not one the sender paid for. :j

I think you are saying that you are deliberately evading tax. This is illegal, it is theft from the Crown and therefore a criminal offence, subject to criminal penalties. Committing crimes is not a recommended money-saving way of doing things!