Brexit Import Tax

Robbieo67

On the 30th Dacember 2020 I ordered a 3d printer from a company with a .co.uk e-mail address which turned out to be Dutch (about £280 including 20% VAT), they dispatched the order on the 31st December and it got as far as the Dutch local sorting office, it is now a month later and according to the tracking data, the package hasn't moved. I e-mailed the supplier but haven't had a response.
I suspect I am going to fall foul of import duty like others I have seen in the news.
Anybody any idea where I stand regarding the import duty and whether I am liable? Can I refuse the extra and return the item? And do I have any recourse through my credit card company?

Thanks.

[Deleted User]

It's not import duty, you're paying VAT on goods coming into the UK (plus a handling fee from the firm) one of the many "benefits" of leaving the EU. You ordered the parts, you are liable for it.
You can't refuse the extra, you don't pay, you don't get the goods and they will be returned to the supplier.
I can't see how you'd get an S75 or chargeback on this as the supplier has sent the goods, the problem is with customs and the post office - though the fact they aren't responding might work in your favour. I'd ring them and email and use a contact form on the site if they have one then at least you have covered your bases before you try and go to the CC company

Robbieo67

Thanks, do I understand correctly that I am expected to pay VAT twice? VAT at 20% was included in the original purchase price.
I thought I was ordering from the UK when I placed the order as the website was a .co.uk and this caught me out, the information was there if you looked but wasn't  obvious - might be worth flagging to others to check the origin.

Thrugelmir

The package most likely doesn't have the correct documentation to be processed in the Netherlands. From 1st January 2021 as an export should be zero rated. With applicable import duties levied on arrival in the UK. No different to importing from the US, China and other non EU countries. 

I'd suggest cancelling the order and starting again. The item will most likely end up being returned to the supplier. 

pogofish

You could easily avoid the handling fee and limit any costs to the duty actually payable by doing your own import paperwork - The chapter and verse on which has been posted here longsince in an appropriate forum!

Zellah

Robbieo67 said:

Thanks, do I understand correctly that I am expected to pay VAT twice? VAT at 20% was included in the original purchase price.
I thought I was ordering from the UK when I placed the order as the website was a .co.uk and this caught me out, the information was there if you looked but wasn't  obvious - might be worth flagging to others to check the origin.

No, you won’t be charged VAT twice. If you’ve already been charged UK vat by the seller then the delay is most likely down to the local  postal service. FWIW I often buy goods from both Amazon USA and Amazon Germany (usually items not available in UK) and get charged UK vat / import fees in advance by Amazon. This means I don’t get  charged anything by HMRC and delivery to UK is much faster. Obviously pre 1st Jan Amazon.de would just have charged me German vat (19%).  

[Deleted User]

Zellah said:

Robbieo67 said:

Thanks, do I understand correctly that I am expected to pay VAT twice? VAT at 20% was included in the original purchase price.
I thought I was ordering from the UK when I placed the order as the website was a .co.uk and this caught me out, the information was there if you looked but wasn't  obvious - might be worth flagging to others to check the origin.

No, you won’t be charged VAT twice. If you’ve already been charged UK vat by the seller then the delay is most likely down to the local  postal service. FWIW I often buy goods from both Amazon USA and Amazon Germany (usually items not available in UK) and get charged UK vat / import fees in advance by Amazon. This means I don’t get  charged anything by HMRC and delivery to UK is much faster. Obviously pre 1st Jan Amazon.de would just have charged me German vat (19%).  

It will depend on how the goods were declared on the commercial invoice (probably doesn't have one as it was shipped 31st which is causing delay). If OP paid VAT and then the commercial invoice was sent DAP for example, they might want to try and get VAT off OP.

OP - I'd suggest you get the seller to recall their product and send a new one showing you have paid VAT with appropriate documentation 

Sandtree

In the pre-Brexit world you would have been charged 21% which is the Dutch VAT and when it came into the UK there would have been no charges as you would have already paid an appropriate sales tax within the EU.

If the transaction was fully post Brexit then you would have been charged no Dutch VAT and as its over £135 it is up to the merchant if they want to sell it with no UK VAT in which case you will pay it on import plus the courier handling charge or they can send it DDP so they pay the import charges which would include the 20% UK tax.

The grey area is items where order and delivery spans the Brexit change and various people are finding mixed results of what is happening. 

MEM62

Deleted_User said:

It's not import duty

There may be a duty element.  It would depend on where the goods were made.  

[Deleted User]

MEM62 said:

Deleted_User said:

It's not import duty

There may be a duty element.  It would depend on where the goods were made.  

Also depends what they (didn't) declare on the HTS code, must stuff should be tariff free though 

MEM62

Deleted_User said:

MEM62 said:

Deleted_User said:

It's not import duty

There may be a duty element.  It would depend on where the goods were made.  

Also depends what they (didn't) declare on the HTS code, must stuff should be tariff free though 

It is only duty free if is of EU origin.  If the goods were imported into the us from somewhere like the US then duty would apply when the goods are imported into the UK as we do  not have a free trade agreement with the US.