Tax on goods from paris to uk

Grumpy_chap

londonboi1985 said:

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.

That's good for you as it gives you the certainty of how the VAT-reclaim in France and VAT (plus duty if appropriate) on import to UK will work.

It would be really helpful to enhance the power of the hive mind if you can share the rules as Customs have explained to you as then we are all able to give improved commentary in the future and the thread will have maximum value as a reference source to anyone else with a similar question in the future.

DullGreyGuy

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

No, we left the EU, the booze cruise etc no longer makes any sense. Some countries are vastly more generous than the £390 that the UK allows and in some countries Hermes, Chanel, Loro Piana etc are much more expensive than in the UK so the saving justifies the risk.

Buy abroad for the story, it won't be a saving.

DullGreyGuy

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.

In principle buying in a company's native currency should be cheaper because they have no FX risk. Companies dont change their overseas prices daily as the FX rate changes. Yes they'll buy instruments to hedge the risk but clearly the bank prices them to make money on those and so you really want to cover big swings on the small normal movements. Thats easier done just by using a bad FX rate.

Depending on home country there may also be pricing in different levels of consumer rights and local taxes. It's why things appear so cheap in the US compared to the UK because there is so little statutory protection and sales tax is typically 10% or less rather than the 20% or more in the EU.

As to what people here spend their money on? Not all here are looking for the cheapest for everything nor all want best value on all purchases. Some will be trying to keep their heads above water, some will be wanting to afford something silly but they want. No idea on the particular model the OP wants to buy, and their brand wouldn't be my first choice, but a wise choice can out perform the market. Some certainly have made good money from buying designer goods, using and holding them, and selling them notably later. My uncle bought an Omega for a months salary, equivalent to £2,500 these days, sold it for 20x that not long ago despite having worn it almost every day since buying it.

londonboi1985

eskbanker said:

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?

I am suggesting that I spoke to someone on the phone at HMRC and got an answer I needed and look forward to my trip to Paris. 

Have a lovely day. 

eskbanker

londonboi1985 said:

eskbanker said:

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?

I am suggesting that I spoke to someone on the phone at HMRC and got an answer I needed and look forward to my trip to Paris. 

Have a lovely day. 

Seems an unnecessarily evasive non-answer - as @Grumpy_chap pointed out above, if there was any difference between the guidance you were directed to on here and that offered by someone at HMRC, it would be useful to complete the circle for future reference....