Dixons Tax Free - Duty Free Allowance

BenW82

Hi, I'm hoping someone can clarify this for me...

I've been looking at the Macbook's on the Dixons Tax Free website as I'm travelling from Gatwick to New York in November.

Due to going out of the E.U. I have a £145 allowance for goods coming back into the country and this apparently applies to anything bought at customs in the UK.

However Dixons state you can pick up your goods on your return to the country. Does this mean I will still have to pay duty on anything I buy when I pick it up from the airport?

If you do still have to pay duty, then there's no point buying anything expensive from Dixons Tax free if you're travelling outside the EU... right?

Thanks.

PBA

Before buying anything from the airport Dixons, check out some websites to see how much stuff would be if you buy it in the US (some of the big names are Circuit City, Best Buy, and of course WalMart). With the great exchange rate at the moment you'll almost certainly get a better deal buying over there. (Typing this on the laptop I bought for $499 in Michigan in the summer, when I got back PC World wanted £899 for the same model!)

dzug

One little gotcha you need to remember:

If you bring in something worth more than the limit of £145, you must pay charges on the full value, not just the value above £145.

(from HMRC website)

Froggitt

Im fairly sure they will deliver to your home if you want.

Froggitt

PS Dixons website may be cheaper than DTF...especially if you use one of their 10% off days.

vikingaero

Altarf wrote: »

You would be better buying it at Dixons Duty Free when you were flying to an EU destination. Dixons would then sell it to you VAT paid, but discount it by the value of the VAT. For example -

Flying to the US buying a Macbook with £1000 high street price, Dixons would charge you £851 as they didn't charge you VAT, but you would still have to pay £149 VAT to Customs when you returned, so would be no better off.

Flying to the EU, Dixons would still charge you £851, but this time it would be made up of £724 for the Macbook plus £127 VAT (as there is no such thing as 'duty free' within the EU and everything must be VAT paid), and thus there is no VAT for you to pay to Customs when you return.

So if you buy anything from Dixons (or any other 'duty free' shop that has a single price no matter where you are flying) when flying out of the EU they make 15% more profit from you. Rip Off Britain, alive and well?

I bought an iPod for the trouble and strife from Stansted Dixons Duty Free. The price was the High Street price less 17.5% VAT. I chose to collect the item at the BAA collections point on my return from Amsterdam and didn't get charged VAT or duty. AFAIK the collection point is past the customs bit and almost into the bit where you exit into the arrivals mob.

The non duty part is one of those quirks of the old duty free system. For more info see:

http://www.dixonstaxfree.co.uk/

burnsguitarman

I have just called Dixon's at Manchester airport to find out the situation regarding paying duty on arrival back in this country. I was told that you could buy at tax free prices whatever your destination and have the item delivered direct to a home address (for a small fee) that way there is nothing further to pay, (and you don't have to use your baggage allowance) sounds good to me. I know I won't get what I want any cheaper else where so it's ideal.