Custom charges VAT on pre-ordered items

Sam324

Hello,

I pre-ordered items from Germany in Nov 2020. The full payment and sale tax are already paid for at the time of purchase(Pre-order).

The item finally shipped and I just received a letter from Parcel Force saying I need to pay VAT + £12 Clearance fee.
I spoke to the seller and said the sale tax is already remitted to the UK, so I should pay any additional VAT.

I understand I can use the BOR286 form to get the VAT back, but my question is how about the clearance fee? Can I claim the fee back via the form?
AFAIK, this is a mistake made by customs, they should reimburse any fee incurred by their mistake.

visidigi

How much was the item? Are you sure its just VAT and not duties?

sheramber

Sam324 said:

Hello,

I pre-ordered items from Germany in Nov 2020. The full payment and sale tax are already paid for at the time of purchase(Pre-order).

The item finally shipped and I just received a letter from Parcel Force saying I need to pay VAT + £12 Clearance fee.
I spoke to the seller and said the sale tax is already remitted to the UK, so I should pay any additional VAT.

I understand I can use the BOR286 form to get the VAT back, but my question is how about the clearance fee? Can I claim the fee back via the form?
AFAIK, this is a mistake made by customs, they should reimburse any fee incurred by their mistake.

How is it customs mistake? 

How would they know when you ordered/paid for it?

Sam324

sheramber said:

Sam324 said:

Hello,

I pre-ordered items from Germany in Nov 2020. The full payment and sale tax are already paid for at the time of purchase(Pre-order).

The item finally shipped and I just received a letter from Parcel Force saying I need to pay VAT + £12 Clearance fee.
I spoke to the seller and said the sale tax is already remitted to the UK, so I should pay any additional VAT.

I understand I can use the BOR286 form to get the VAT back, but my question is how about the clearance fee? Can I claim the fee back via the form?
AFAIK, this is a mistake made by customs, they should reimburse any fee incurred by their mistake.

How is it customs mistake? 

How would they know when you ordered/paid for it?

 The seller said the sale tax has been remitted back to UK after Brexit, if the seller saying the truth then I expect it will have a record in the customs database or it will show that on the commercial invoice on the parcel.

I have another order from the same seller, pre-ordered around the same time as this item, arrived last month, no import VAT as I paid it when ordering. I'm expecting the same in this case.

I should have used 'if it's turn out customs made a mistake', if that concern you for some reason.

Sam324

visidigi said:

How much was the item? Are you sure its just VAT and not duties?

It's over £135 and it's VAT as it shows on the letter from Parcelforce.

Thrugelmir

Sam324 said:

sheramber said:

Sam324 said:

Hello,

I pre-ordered items from Germany in Nov 2020. The full payment and sale tax are already paid for at the time of purchase(Pre-order).

The item finally shipped and I just received a letter from Parcel Force saying I need to pay VAT + £12 Clearance fee.
I spoke to the seller and said the sale tax is already remitted to the UK, so I should pay any additional VAT.

I understand I can use the BOR286 form to get the VAT back, but my question is how about the clearance fee? Can I claim the fee back via the form?
AFAIK, this is a mistake made by customs, they should reimburse any fee incurred by their mistake.

How is it customs mistake? 

How would they know when you ordered/paid for it?

 The seller said the sale tax has been remitted back to UK after Brexit, if the seller saying the truth then I expect it will have a record in the customs database or it will show that on the commercial invoice on the parcel.

Customs will have examined the paperwork before determining any charges. 

molerat

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users

Was the parcel marked that import VAT had been paid and with the sender's unique code  ?

Sam324

Thrugelmir said:

Sam324 said:

sheramber said:

Sam324 said:

Hello,

I pre-ordered items from Germany in Nov 2020. The full payment and sale tax are already paid for at the time of purchase(Pre-order).

The item finally shipped and I just received a letter from Parcel Force saying I need to pay VAT + £12 Clearance fee.
I spoke to the seller and said the sale tax is already remitted to the UK, so I should pay any additional VAT.

I understand I can use the BOR286 form to get the VAT back, but my question is how about the clearance fee? Can I claim the fee back via the form?
AFAIK, this is a mistake made by customs, they should reimburse any fee incurred by their mistake.

How is it customs mistake? 

How would they know when you ordered/paid for it?

 The seller said the sale tax has been remitted back to UK after Brexit, if the seller saying the truth then I expect it will have a record in the customs database or it will show that on the commercial invoice on the parcel.

Customs will have examined the paperwork before determining any charges. 

Sure, of course they do, but it doesn't mean they won't make mistakes, that's why BOR286 form is here for.

I don't know whose fault until I pay the import VAT and clearance fee to get my parcel delivered.

I should have worded it with 'if' / 'assuming', I'd have edited the post if I can. But my real question is 'IF customs made a mistake on import VAT, can I claim the clearance fee off that Parcelforce charged by using BOR286 form.'

Sam324

molerat said:

Was the parcel marked that import VAT had been paid and with the sender's unique code  ?

Thanks for the link. I don't know at the moment. I will only know when I have the parcel with me.
I guess I will have to pay up to find out.

LaDerniereSemaine

Sam324 said:

molerat said:

Was the parcel marked that import VAT had been paid and with the sender's unique code  ?

Thanks for the link. I don't know at the moment. I will only know when I have the parcel with me.
I guess I will have to pay up to find out.

The VAT that was paid was when we were part of the EU, but the delivery is obviously long after that.

The easiest solution is to get the seller to reimburse you for German VAT and for you to pay the bill to Parcel Force.

If you'd have bought something that took time to be sent out and went past the date we left the EU you might have a case.  In this case, you preordered something that was delivered over a year afterwards.  No chance.

sheramber

Why not phone Customs and ask them?