Parcel Force Clearance Fee

deanos

custardy wrote: »

i dont get your point?the VAT is the import duty

VAT & Import rax are 2 different charges, the invoice should at least break the charges down, unless the item is exempt from import tax but i doubt it is.

custardy

well the break downs we get show VAT payable on an imported item.
this is the only charge levied by HMRC

deanos

They also charge import tax, you probably only see it as 1 charge.

superscaper

custardy wrote: »

well the break downs we get show VAT payable on an imported item.
this is the only charge levied by HMRC

Why do HMRC quote a duty rate as an additional charge to the VAT, e.g. http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD_009989&propertyType=document

and http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_001454&propertyType=document

deanos

Ive copied this from another forum..........



Your Customs Allowance
Customs charges may only be applied from goods sent into the UK from outside the EU. Orders from within have already had the relevant VAT and duty paid in that EU member state. Jersey is not classed as within the EU, but as a Special Territory , and as such are liable to VAT.
The current allowances for DVDs, CDs and the such are £18, or £36 for gifts.
If an item is VAT-exempt (such as books), you will not be liable for charges on those items
Postage and packing must be remembered. If the total value of goods in the package that are liable to duty and VAT is less than £18 WITHOUT P&P, you will not be liable for a charge. If the total value of goods in the package exceeds £18, the VAT and duty is charged on the total value of the goods INCLUDING P&P

The £36 allowance for gifts only applies to unsolicited gifts from one individual to another (such as a birthday present). Goods marked as "gifts" from a company fall in to the same category as any other purchases and so the £18 allowance applies.


How the charge is calculated
Customs (Import) Duty of 3.5% (varies on type of item)
VAT @ 17.5% - the VAT is charged on the value of the goods PLUS the customs duty
Administration charge of the courier

For example, if the cost of goods and P&P comes to £30, you would have the following:
£30 for goods
£1.05 customs (import) duty
£5.43 VAT on £31.05

The administration charge of the courier varies. Here are the current charges you can expect:

Royal Mail £8.00 (RM site )
Parcelforce - £8 for standard parcels, £13.50 for high value (> €1000) and express parcels. (Thanks to DeadKenny for this info). (Parcel Force )
DHL £1.25 or 2% (whichever is greater) for non-business users (DHL site - Information - About Duty & Vat for more information).
UPS is £11or 2.5% (whichever is greater) UPS site in section marked "Disbursements" (Thanks to Chris for the info and smst for update 14/02/06).
FedEx personal handling charge is 2.5% of the combined duty & vat charge (not including total value of goods) or £6.80 (whichever is greater) as of Jan08 (thanks to Chris for the update). If you have been charged more than this, you have probably been charged the business rate and should query this (cheers cm-9 for the info). As before they do not charge or inform you at time of delivery. Instead they send you an invoice in the post up to a month later (they also include a copy of the original customs declaration and a breakdown of the charge)

Another important factor is the value of the goods. If the value is not declared in GBP, HMC&E will use their own monthly rates to convert the value to GBP. The monthly rates are checked once a week and changes made if they differ by more than 5% from the last published rate and amended from midnight on Tuesday/ Wednesday of the following week. (Source - http://www.hmce.gov.uk/business/rates/rates.htm ).

HMC&E can also value the item(s) if they feel that the declared value is false, and will apply what they feel the value should be and you will be charged accordingly.

How you pay
With packages coming in through Royal Mail, the postman will leave a note telling you that you have an item with a charge at your local delivery office, and you will have to go and collect it. If they leave it/hand it over and do not collect any money, you have got away with it.

Couriers such as FedEx, DHL and the such will normally pay the VAT & duty on your behalf and invoice you some time later. Be careful to check that they have only charged you the non-business user rate of admin charge - if it is around £10 or more, they have mistakenly charged you the business rate and you should take it up with them.

If you think you have been overcharged or charged incorrectly on the customs charge, you will need to contact HMC&E - they have a national advice line on 0845 010 9000 which is a good starting point.

custardy

superscaper wrote: »

Why do HMRC quote a duty rate as an additional charge to the VAT, e.g. http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD_009989&propertyType=document

and http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_001454&propertyType=document

you would need to ask HMRC
ours are labeled up @ mount pleasent and the ones ive processed only show a charge in the VAT section

superscaper

custardy wrote: »

you would need to ask HMRC
ours are labeled up @ mount pleasent and the ones ive processed only show a charge in the VAT section

As deanos said you probably only see it as one charge but is probably made up of the import duty as well. I've only ever heard of duty and VAT being separate charges and you're the first person I've ever heard of to contradict that. I think it's probably more to do with your labelling system than the actual charges. The last parcel we received with import duty did actually have it broken down into separate charges written on a separate posted invoice (from RM I think).

karlcw68

I did some research on this a few years ago and managed to have Fedex fees waived. I would post a link to the info but not allowed so contact me for details.

soolin

Bumped by possible spam- please be aware this thread is 3 years old.