Best way to get a parcel sent to UK from Belgian shop (customs, VAT etc)

Annemos

I want to buy a made-up net curtain from Belgium. (The fabric is not sold here any more and and I am trying to match an existing set!) 

(I would go for a quick visit to Belgium,  if it wasn't Covid times!) 

The curtain shop in Belgium can make up the curtain. 

I also have a good friend in Belgium who lives near the shop. 

I presume the Belgian Shop will not be registed for UK VAT. 

Can anyone tell me the easiest way to get the parcel over to my address in the UK? (I am worried about how I pay VAT/ customs.) 

Do DLH etc do the service, where they will collect the British/VAT customs and pay it over to HMRC on my behalf? 

How does this all work these days? 

Many thanks for any help. 


PS I know between the US and UK there is a company called MyUS.com who set up a US mailing address for the buyer. So the US shop sends the package to MyUS.com. The package then ends up in your mailbox with them and then they do all the rest, when sending it to the UK with a courier service.

Spoonie_Turtle

Annemos said:

I want to buy a made-up net curtain from Belgium. (The fabric is not sold here any more and and I am trying to match an existing set!) 

(I would go for a quick visit to Belgium,  if it wasn't Covid times!) 

The curtain shop in Belgium can make up the curtain. 

I also have a good friend in Belgium who lives near the shop. 

I presume the Belgian Shop will not be registed for UK VAT. 

Can anyone tell me the easiest way to get the parcel over to my address in the UK? (I am worried about how I pay VAT/ customs.) 

Do DLH etc do the service, where they will collect the British/VAT customs and pay it over to HMRC on my behalf? 

How does this all work these days? 

Many thanks for any help. 


PS I know between the US and UK there is a company called MyUS.com who set up a US mailing address for the buyer. So the US shop sends the package to MyUS.com. The package then ends up in your mailbox with them and then they do all the rest, when sending it to the UK with a courier service.

If it's under £135 then is just needs to have a customs form filled out with the value and a description of the item, then when it arrives in the country (if by normal post) Royal Mail will send you a grey card telling you the fee needs paying, plus a handling fee of £8.  You pay that - online is easiest - then they deliver it to you like normal post.

I don't know what exact requirements there would be a for a business in terms of filling out the customs form, but if they won't post directly here then your friend could do it.

[If it's over £135 then there will be customs duty as well as import VAT, and it's a different form that needs filling in.  I don't know if it's more complicated than the one for under £135 as I've never needed to know.]

RFW

If it's a net curtain it shouldn't be too heavy/bulky.

The advice above is correct.

Your Belgian friend could buy the item for you as a gift and if it is under £39 and declared as such then you wouldn't have to pay VAT or duty.
You could send your friend a gift voucher or something as a return gift.

https://spice-spotlight.scot/2021/02/15/sending-and-receiving-post-from-the-eu-whats-changed/

Annemos

Thank you both very much for this information. 

Very useful indeed. 

(The Belgian curtain shop is currently on a 2-day week due to Covid. So, I am not sure when I will get the curtain. Friend is trying hard to get it! ) 

Thrugelmir

RFW said:

Your Belgian friend could buy the item for you as a gift and if it is under £39 and declared as such then you wouldn't have to pay VAT or duty.

Packages can be spot checked. 

Annemos

To be honest, with a one-off item like this which I really want to get..... it is not so much the costs that I am concerned about.

Just the way of doing it and paying the correct VAT and customs dues. 

I may need to look for that other form if the cost is greater than 135 pounds.

RFW

Thrugelmir said:

RFW said:

Your Belgian friend could buy the item for you as a gift and if it is under £39 and declared as such then you wouldn't have to pay VAT or duty.

Packages can be spot checked. 

Indeed. I didn't say anything that was either dishonest or illegal.

RFW

Just as another thought. Ebay offer the global shipping programme. You could, conceivably, set it up so you buy it from your friend on Ebay and then the Ebay system would sort out the customs and VAT via the Global Shipping Programme.

There are brokers you can use who do similar but as a one off that seems like a possible idea.

Annemos

That's an interesting thought. Just had a look. There is indeed a Belgian Ebay site. 

Would be even better if the Curtain shop would sell through it! 

martindow

It is possible that the Belgian shop is geared up for UK exports and has registered for UK VAT.  If this is the case you would pay the VAT at source and there would be nothing more to pay here.  If it is a small shop then this is not very likely I'm afraid.  A lot of smaller businesses have decided not to export EU to UK and vice versa.

If the value is over 150 Euros, then it is simpler as the carrier deals with the customs clearance in the UK and charges the recipient VAT, possibly duty (although this is likely to be minimal) and a clearance fee.

Annemos

Many thanks.... yes it has all become much more complicated these days. 

Things we used to be able to get have disappeared. Just not worth them registering etc. 

My friend says...well you should be able to get it here! 

But if you have lived abroad, there is the odd matching item, that it is still worth trying to obtain.