EU international return import tax bill

BarryLA

Can anyone advise if there is a way to have £300 refunded?

Having seen a Ten C coat I liked in a UK shop I visited the Ten C website, which on google search said "Ten C United Kingdom" and ordered two items at a cost of £1300. At no point did I realise I was ordering form outside the UK

The items didn't fit so I returned them, to Italy.

The company refunded me the cost of the items, but I had to pay import tax to EU of £300 via FedEx
Ten C refuse to refund and direct me to T and Cs, but I did not know I was ordering outside of the UK. I would not have ordered if there was a chance of a 20% tax charge.

Thanks for any advice

Aylesbury_Duck

Can anyone advise if there is a way to have £300 refunded?

Having seen a Ten C coat I liked in a UK shop I visited the Ten C website, which on google search said "Ten C United Kingdom" and ordered two items at a cost of £1300. At no point did I realise I was ordering form outside the UK

The items didn't fit so I returned them, to Italy.

The company refunded me the cost of the items, but I had to pay import tax to EU of £300 via FedEx
Ten C refuse to refund and direct me to T and Cs, but I did not know I was ordering outside of the UK. I would not have ordered if there was a chance of a 20% tax charge.

Thanks for any advice

I think you have to claim it back from HMRC yourself.  You are the importer, so TenC are correct to not refund you the import tax, it's nothing to do with them.

born_again

Physical address where to send the product, please read before the refund policy here https://www.tenc.com/eshop/cms/action/list/type/help/isPublished/1/

MT3 NETWORK SRL
Via Mestrino, 47/L
35010 Villafranca Padovana (Fr. Ronchi)
Padova - Italy

It is also clear here.

Duties and taxes

Outside the European Union

Shipments to destinations outside the European Union are exempt from Italian Value Added Tax. However, they are subject to import taxes or customs duties, that will be determined when the package reaches its country of destination. Such customs duties are solely payable by the receiver of the package, who will pay said fees to the courier or to the proper governing authorities.

Shipments to the UK for orders over 135 ₤ will be subject to customs duties.

Deliveries to the United Kingdom will be subject to customs fees for orders starting from 135 pounds.

Failure to clear customs

The onus is on the customer to ensure that their package clears customs by providing customs with all the necessary information and/or fees. If your package does not clear customs, it will be returned to our warehouse. See our Return Policy for more information.

https://www.tenc.com/eshop/cms/action/list/type/help/isPublished/1/?_gl=1*10uirat*_up*MQ..*_ga*NTYzMDQ2MzMwLjE2NzkzMTIwNzE.*_ga_98RR0LZC3K*MTY3OTMxMjA3MC4xLjEuMTY3OTMxMjE0Ny4wLjAuMA..&gclid=CjwKCAjwiOCgBhAgEiwAjv5whNuTL7GkjkJ98T2_cwUZDoFwbbuzFI2kGe_fOrPkGNEiyIz8lguKkxoC5dsQAvD_BwE

Pretty sure you are looking @ HMRC to claim the duties back.

Keep_pedalling

It’s down to you reclaim VAT and any import duties on returned goods. Your claim is with HMRC not the retailer.

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

BarryLA

Thanks both - if I had known I was ordering from outside the UK, I would have looked more closely at T and Cs. 

BarryLA

"It’s down to you reclaim VAT and any import duties on returned goods. Your claim is with HMRC not the retailer."

I didn't pay any UK taxes. The fees were on return and paid to Italy.

Aylesbury_Duck

BarryLA said:

"It’s down to you reclaim VAT and any import duties on returned goods. Your claim is with HMRC not the retailer."

I didn't pay any UK taxes. The fees were on return and paid to Italy.

You've thrown me a bit there.  I had misunderstood your opening post.  Are you sure this isn't a matter of timing, and you received the import charge (to the UK) from Fedex around the time you sent the items back?  There is normally a delay, because Fedex will have paid any customs charges on your behalf when the items arrived in the UK, and then they'd bill you.

BarryLA

Ah ha! I think you are right. Have just looked through all the documentation.  Looks like UK tax after all.  It is a matter of timing. My bill came at the same time as goods arrived back in Italy.

Off to HMRC for refund. Thanks

Manxman_in_exile

BarryLA said:

"It’s down to you reclaim VAT and any import duties on returned goods. Your claim is with HMRC not the retailer."

I didn't pay any UK taxes. The fees were on return and paid to Italy.

If I were you I'd doublecheck with FedEx for confirmation of exactly what you have been charged and why.

If you followed the correct procedure with FedEx - for returning the goods to Italy - my understanding is there should have been no Italian import duty payable on return.  (But I might be mistaken)

You need to find out from FedEx why you've been charged and whether you handled the return correctly.

[Edit:  cross-posted with clarification from OP]

BarryLA

Must be one of these great Brexit achievements. 

Manxman_in_exile

BarryLA said:

Ah ha! I think you are right. Have just looked through all the documentation.  Looks like UK tax after all.  It is a matter of timing. My bill came at the same time as goods arrived back in Italy.

Off to HMRC for refund. Thanks

Let us know if you succeed.  I have a sneaking feeling that in order to have done this correctly you needed to have completed a HMRC form before you returned the goods...