Import duty/tax

[MikeDunn]

It doesn't - is it your size ?

[EtchedPixels]

As the Canary Isles are outside of EEC VAT rules all my deliveries from places like Hattons come VAT free. If I were to visit Hattons shop personally when over in the U.K. they would be obliged to charge me VAT making the goods more expensive than ordering them online (even taking into account the postal charge).

You can collect all the paperwork and recover the VAT when you are leaving the country in some cases. It depends whether the trader in question has done the needed bits for the 'Tax Free Shopping' scheme.

Not that Customs seem to like the idea, their usual defence against claimants at the airport is to have half hour queues and to require some items are claimed before check-in and some after security so you queue twice

Alan

[Lawrence]

It doesn't - is it your size ?

Having paid a bill of just over £21 to Parcel Force (I mentioned it on page one of this topic) then clearly not Mike, are you now implying I am dodging duties owed?    I still fail to understand why you felt anything was implied or you were being accused of anything irregular, and I am not sure if your comments are serious or slightly tongue in cheek  this is where use of the emoticons can be useful 

[Tdm]

As the Canary Isles are outside of EEC VAT rules all my deliveries from places like Hattons come VAT free. If I were to visit Hattons shop personally when over in the U.K. they would be obliged to charge me VAT making the goods more expensive than ordering them online (even taking into account the postal charge).

You can collect all the paperwork and recover the VAT when you are leaving the country in some cases. It depends whether the trader in question has done the needed bits for the 'Tax Free Shopping' scheme.
Not that Customs seem to like the idea, their usual defence against claimants at the airport is to have half hour queues and to require some items are claimed before check-in and some after security so you queue twice
Alan

That's not the case I have found Alan - no extra queuing at the Airport, there  is a box there for dropping your VAT reclaim forms in, Customs don't want to see what you are exporting unless it is worth more than £5,000. Done it dozens of times and had no hassel. Most large stores carry "Global Refund Forms" and that is what gets dropped in the special VAT reclaim box at the Airport (Manchester/Liverpool/Stanstead), and always had the money paid into my Bank a/c circa 14 days later.