Tax on goods from paris to uk

londonboi1985

Hello all,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum section feel free to move if needed.

After a bit of help as banging my head on the wall looking up the uk goverment website.

I am going to Paris in a few weeks and want to purcahse a bag when over there from the gucci store.  The bag is 1580.00 euros.  I understand i can get a tax refund form from gucci and use the machine at gar du nord to claim the tax back on the good via the form/machine.  However when i arrive into st pancras from the eurostar do i then still need to claim the bag at border control as good to declare because i am over my persoanl allowance of £390 or is a bag from gucci direct excempt from this.

Sorry if this seems a silly qeustion i am just wanting to make sure i am doing everything legal and right as not one to break the law.

many thanks in advance for any replies and help i really appreciete the time you take to reply.

Mark_d

If this gift is for own use or a gift then you don't need t declare it.

londonboi1985

Hi there it is a personal purchase for me.  The gov website isnt very clear on that so i can just walk through the normal channel and not declare it and if i do get pulled over just say it is for me myself which it is and they wont hit me with tax on arrival ?

JGB1955

Bringing goods into the UK for personal use: Arriving in Great Britain - GOV.UK makes if clear that if you are bringing in an item worth more than £390 you have to declare it.

EDIT - unless you can prove that the goods are made in the EU using only EU ingredients or materials, the tax calculator works out the amount payable as £298.  See below:

If the total value is more than £1,000

If the total value of all the items you declare is over £1,000, you can claim a zero rate of customs duty if you can prove each item was grown or made in the EU.

This proof could be an invoice or document from the person or business you bought the items from which includes the:

• item you are buying
• place and date you bought it
• ‘statement on origin’

The ‘statement on origin’ is formal wording from the person or business you bought the items from which confirms:

• the material used to make the item was from the EU
• their registered exporter number (if the total value of all the items you declare is over £5,500)

You could also prove that you know how the items were made in the EU by using documents or records which show the item meets the rules of origin. The ‘importer’s knowledge’ section of the proof of origin guide explains how you do this. This applies if you bring in (import) these items for either personal or commercial use.

A Border Force officer might ask to see this evidence. If you are unable to show this, you will have to pay any customs duty you owe.

Grumpy_chap

Mark_d said:

If this gift is for own use or a gift then you don't need t declare it.

I do not believe that to be correct.
AIUI, import VAT duties will apply:
https://www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use/arriving-in-Great-Britain

londonboi1985

This is why it’s confusing the website isn’t very clear 

DullGreyGuy

londonboi1985 said:

Hello all,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum section feel free to move if needed.

After a bit of help as banging my head on the wall looking up the uk goverment website.

I am going to Paris in a few weeks and want to purcahse a bag when over there from the gucci store.  The bag is 1580.00 euros.  I understand i can get a tax refund form from gucci and use the machine at gar du nord to claim the tax back on the good via the form/machine.  However when i arrive into st pancras from the eurostar do i then still need to claim the bag at border control as good to declare because i am over my persoanl allowance of £390 or is a bag from gucci direct excempt from this.

Sorry if this seems a silly qeustion i am just wanting to make sure i am doing everything legal and right as not one to break the law.

many thanks in advance for any replies and help i really appreciete the time you take to reply.

You can ask for the refund of French VAT when you leave France

When entering the UK you will have to pay UK VAT, which is 20% like in France. If Duty is payable depends on where the item was made, if it's Italy then no duty and just 20% VAT. If China then you'll have duty to pay and the VAT is calculated on the combined purchase price and duty. 

If you claim the VAT back in France it wouldn't be very prudent to not then pay the UK VAT; they do talk to each other. You can also deal with it online before travelling at https://www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use/declaring-goods 

londonboi1985

DullGreyGuy said:

londonboi1985 said:

Hello all,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum section feel free to move if needed.

After a bit of help as banging my head on the wall looking up the uk goverment website.

I am going to Paris in a few weeks and want to purcahse a bag when over there from the gucci store.  The bag is 1580.00 euros.  I understand i can get a tax refund form from gucci and use the machine at gar du nord to claim the tax back on the good via the form/machine.  However when i arrive into st pancras from the eurostar do i then still need to claim the bag at border control as good to declare because i am over my persoanl allowance of £390 or is a bag from gucci direct excempt from this.

Sorry if this seems a silly qeustion i am just wanting to make sure i am doing everything legal and right as not one to break the law.

many thanks in advance for any replies and help i really appreciete the time you take to reply.

You can ask for the refund of French VAT when you leave France

When entering the UK you will have to pay UK VAT, which is 20% like in France. If Duty is payable depends on where the item was made, if it's Italy then no duty and just 20% VAT. If China then you'll have duty to pay and the VAT is calculated on the combined purchase price and duty. 

If you claim the VAT back in France it wouldn't be very prudent to not then pay the UK VAT; they do talk to each other. You can also deal with it online before travelling at https://www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use/declaring-goods 

So really it is not worth getting it in paris then and should just get it here in the uk as essenmtially when claiming the VAT back in France you only get 12 percent not the full 20 percent due to costs yet when paying it here in the uk i would be paying the full percent.  pretty stupid if you ask me lol

eskbanker

londonboi1985 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

londonboi1985 said:

Hello all,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum section feel free to move if needed.

After a bit of help as banging my head on the wall looking up the uk goverment website.

I am going to Paris in a few weeks and want to purcahse a bag when over there from the gucci store.  The bag is 1580.00 euros.  I understand i can get a tax refund form from gucci and use the machine at gar du nord to claim the tax back on the good via the form/machine.  However when i arrive into st pancras from the eurostar do i then still need to claim the bag at border control as good to declare because i am over my persoanl allowance of £390 or is a bag from gucci direct excempt from this.

Sorry if this seems a silly qeustion i am just wanting to make sure i am doing everything legal and right as not one to break the law.

many thanks in advance for any replies and help i really appreciete the time you take to reply.

You can ask for the refund of French VAT when you leave France

When entering the UK you will have to pay UK VAT, which is 20% like in France. If Duty is payable depends on where the item was made, if it's Italy then no duty and just 20% VAT. If China then you'll have duty to pay and the VAT is calculated on the combined purchase price and duty. 

If you claim the VAT back in France it wouldn't be very prudent to not then pay the UK VAT; they do talk to each other. You can also deal with it online before travelling at https://www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use/declaring-goods 

So really it is not worth getting it in paris then and should just get it here in the uk as essenmtially when claiming the VAT back in France you only get 12 percent not the full 20 percent due to costs yet when paying it here in the uk i would be paying the full percent.  pretty stupid if you ask me lol

What led you to the impression that buying in France would be cheaper?  It seems pretty unlikely that anyone on a money-saving site would be countenancing spending that sort of money on a bag anyway, but now you know the costs involved, you can make a like-for-like comparison between buying here and buying there.

londonboi1985

eskbanker said:

londonboi1985 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

londonboi1985 said:

Hello all,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum section feel free to move if needed.

After a bit of help as banging my head on the wall looking up the uk goverment website.

I am going to Paris in a few weeks and want to purcahse a bag when over there from the gucci store.  The bag is 1580.00 euros.  I understand i can get a tax refund form from gucci and use the machine at gar du nord to claim the tax back on the good via the form/machine.  However when i arrive into st pancras from the eurostar do i then still need to claim the bag at border control as good to declare because i am over my persoanl allowance of £390 or is a bag from gucci direct excempt from this.

Sorry if this seems a silly qeustion i am just wanting to make sure i am doing everything legal and right as not one to break the law.

many thanks in advance for any replies and help i really appreciete the time you take to reply.

You can ask for the refund of French VAT when you leave France

When entering the UK you will have to pay UK VAT, which is 20% like in France. If Duty is payable depends on where the item was made, if it's Italy then no duty and just 20% VAT. If China then you'll have duty to pay and the VAT is calculated on the combined purchase price and duty. 

If you claim the VAT back in France it wouldn't be very prudent to not then pay the UK VAT; they do talk to each other. You can also deal with it online before travelling at https://www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use/declaring-goods 

So really it is not worth getting it in paris then and should just get it here in the uk as essenmtially when claiming the VAT back in France you only get 12 percent not the full 20 percent due to costs yet when paying it here in the uk i would be paying the full percent.  pretty stupid if you ask me lol

What led you to the impression that buying in France would be cheaper?  It seems pretty unlikely that anyone on a money-saving site would be countenancing spending that sort of money on a bag anyway, but now you know the costs involved, you can make a like-for-like comparison between buying here and buying there.

Because big brands like that are normally cheaper in paris  also i didnt know my financial choices were up for a discussion on a forum online from someone i dont know!.  Have just spoke to customs on the phone gave them a call and got a answer directly from them which helped alot and booking my tickets later so thanks to all for the helpful advice giving on here as always.

eskbanker

londonboi1985 said:
Have just spoke to customs on the phone gave them a call and got a answer directly from them which helped alot...

Are you suggesting that the answer they gave differed from that linked above?