book bought from amazon us by mistake.. import tax

custardy

soolin wrote: »

Are you absolutely sure the charge applies to the book, it is very rare for RM to deliver an item waiting for import taxes to be paid. Is there a possibility that you have another parcel awaiting payment?

If it is the item then its unlikely RM will chase up the charge with the OP.
It will have been delivered in error.

shaun_from_Africa

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Value Added Tax is not in question. The tax being charged is Import Tax, which is completely different.

There is no such thing as "import tax"
When importing goods into the UK from outside the EU, the only taxes and duties tha may be charged are VAT, customs duty and excise duty.

VAT shouldn't be charged as books are rated at 0%.
Customs duty shouldn't be charged as this doesn't kick in until ghe goods cost £135.
And excise duty is only charged on alcohol and tobacco.

maninthestreet

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

There is no such thing as "import tax"
When importing goods into the UK from outside the EU, the only taxes and duties tha may be charged are VAT, customs duty and excise duty.

VAT shouldn't be charged as books are rated at 0%.
Customs duty shouldn't be charged as this doesn't kick in until ghe goods cost £135.
And excise duty is only charged on alcohol and tobacco.

Maybe the RM realised their mistake, and so delivered the parcel to the OP, as expected if no duty/vat was due?

custardy

maninthestreet wrote: »

Maybe the RM realised their mistake, and so delivered the parcel to the OP, as expected if no duty/vat was due?

Problem is the accounting. The DO doesnt have the remit to release a charge without payment.
As it stands the DO has had £12 'stolen' from the DO as charges are regarded as cash when held.
Really it needs to be returned to the customs depot (still Mount Pleasant?) for re classification or the recipient pay and challenge.

Hintza

LadyDee wrote: »

There are ways of dealing with importing things from abroad yourself in order to avoid having to pay the £8 charge but not sure how you do it, but I think it has to be arranged beforehand.

Aye by either turning up at the port yourself or employing and agent............oh wait a minute.........!!

shaun_from_Africa

Hintza wrote: »

Aye by either turning up at the port yourself or employing and agent............oh wait a minute.........!!

That's not the only way of self clearing imported goods.
All that needs to be done is for the sender to write "Goods to be customs cleared by importer" on the customs declaration.
However, this is not a quick process.


Once this has been done, the importing agent simply hands the package over to HMRC and they in turn will contact the addressee.
HMRC will send a declaration form to them, and this must be filled in and returned. After this, any import fees will be calculated and an invoice sent to the person named on the package. Once this payment has been received and processed, the goods will be released back to the importing agent and they will then send them to the addressee.

The-Truth

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Value Added Tax is not in question. The tax being charged is Import Tax, which is completely different.

So completely different in fact it doesn't exist!

[Deleted User]

The-Truth wrote: »

So completely different in fact it doesn't exist!

Import duty doesn't exist? The government doesn't seem to think so!
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/importing-goods-from-outside-the-eu


"generally have to pay import duty AND import VAT (plus VAT on import duty)"

As already established, VAT shouldn't be payable on the book itself.

Are we really arguing the semantic difference between import tax and import duty? It's all taxation.

shaun_from_Africa

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Import duty doesn't exist? The government doesn't seem to think so!
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/importing-goods-from-outside-the-eu


"generally have to pay import duty AND import VAT (plus VAT on import duty)"

Are we really arguing the semantic difference between import tax and import duty? It's all taxation.

Nobody has stated that import duty doesn't exist. What has been said is that "import tax" doesn't.
It is value added tax and import duty and not "import tax". A small difference but if dealing with HMRC it makes sense to get the terms totally correct.

As to arguing the difference.
If it's only semantics, why did you bring it up in the first place?

[Deleted User]

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

If it's only semantics, why did you bring it up in the first place?

I didn't bring it up in the first place.

The "mistake" is in the title of this thread...