Help with duty charges from Android Authority

Emmy1

Hiya :hello:

I won a HTC U11 (a mobile phone, worth around £700) from Android Authority The prize will be shipped from the USA and I was wondering if any of you have won anything from them before, and what the duty costs to the UK would be should I accept the prize?

Thanks for all your help!

Em x

mjm3346

VAT should be £140 and I don't think there are import duties, depends how it is declared.

2013yearofthehouse

VAT will be charged at 20%, but I would guess they would declare the value for how much it sells for in USA (which is often lower than it's sold for in UK, even after taking into consideration the exchange rate). I think I've seen prices of $649 or $749 for sales in USA, so converted and 20% applied could mean a VAT charge of £100 to £120 rather than £140. Although this is just a theory and it may well be £140.

Mobile phones are duty free (or at least they used to be, haven't checked recently), so it should just be VAT that you'll be charged (plus the £8 to £12 handling fee from RM or courier).

Well Done on your win!

hdh74

do all Android Authority prizes come from the USA then please?

Juzza12

I think if it gets stopped for VAT you will also get hit for customs duty as the value is over £135.

It may slip though though.

https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

If you do end up having to pay anything, Royal Mail or the courier will also charge a handling fee. RM charge £8, I think the most a courier will charge is around £12.

Juzza12

hdh74 wrote: »

do all Android Authority prizes come from the USA then please?

I'm pretty sure they are.

lucinad

wow you are so lucky to have won with androidauthority! i dont even bother entering now as they have soooooooooooo many entrants! my chances of winning are so slim

mjm3346

Juzza12 wrote: »

I think if it gets stopped for VAT you will also get hit for customs duty as the value is over £135.

It may slip though though.

https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

If you do end up having to pay anything, Royal Mail or the courier will also charge a handling fee. RM charge £8, I think the most a courier will charge is around £12.

If there is customs duty to pay one of the trigger points is £135 but everything I could find had no customs duty on mobile phones, have you found something to say there is?




I think this is the import code

The commodity code for importing is 8517120000.

Goods are subject to VAT standard rate.

Importing from outside the EU is subject to a third country duty of 0.00 % unless subject to other measures.