Import duty/tax

[Rob H]

I'm trying to buy a DCC Concept item but no stockists in the UK currently have them in stock.
I've been in touch with DCC Concepts direct and they are willing to post it to me, my query is, will I get hit for duty/tax? The value exc p&p is $25, approx £13.00. I think anything under £15 is except but not sure
Any help appreciated,

Rob.

[Ray Haddad]

We ship often to the UK and none of our customers have been taxed with duty. We do warn that they may be hit with duty but it hasn't happened yet in the UK. Russia, Ukraine, India and sometimes (but not always) Canada, yes.

[woodbury22uk]

 You may be liable for VAT if the value of goods plus postage exceeds £15, but the real killer is the ten quid or so charged by the delivery company for presenting the packet to customs.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/buying.htm#3 gives the details under the heading "Tax on goods bought from a non-EU Country" - All other goods.

[PostModN66]

The only time I have bought anything from the US I was hit with duty.

I didn't mind the duty so much - it was the post-office handling charge that I objected to.  The item was about £5, the duty was £1 ish but the handling charge was £12!!

Holy mackerel, surprising they don't make a profit!!!

Cheers  Jon   

[Ray Haddad]

Yikes! Must be the materials in the parcel that make a difference. We sell second hand books and so far, nobody in the UK has reported paying duty. We put the honest price of the customs form and some of them have gone way, way over that amount suggested here. It may be because we don't sell new items. Also, when a book is a UK printing, we always mention that this item is a "returning UK item." Just to sort of help out a little.

[Claude Dreyfus]

I buy a lot from Japan, and have been hit by an import change about 90% of the time. As has been mentioned, the charge applies to goods with a value of £15.00 or over...but be warned, there is no consistency here; I have seen them include the postage you have to pay in the VAT calculations.

As has been mentioned, the real gripe is the handling charge Parcelfarce apply to a package when it is presented to customs. Great! I get charged for the privilege of having my parcel held up for days on end - my record was three weeks! - and getting hit by VAT. The question is, why should it be £13.00+? I have already paid for the delivery, and £13.00 seems a lot for me to pay just for customs to sit about with their fingers up their a**s whilst my shiny new purchase gathers dust in their depot! 

Rant mode over! 

[PostModN66]

Yikes! Must be the materials in the parcel that make a difference. We sell second hand books and so far, nobody in the UK has reported paying duty.

I suspect that many will have paid it and not thought it necessary to tell you - we sort of accept it.   What it does mean is that bigger orders are more cost-effective as you only pay the handling charge once.

Cheers  Jon 

[Caz]

Here's the info from the Royal Mail website;-

QUOTE

If you are receiving a package from overseas (unless it’s from another EU Country), please be aware that it may incur customs charges. Any package assessed as being liable for customs charges will also incur a Royal Mail handling fee of £8.
Any goods imported into the UK over the value of £15 are liable to import VAT. Gifts between private individuals over the value of £36 are also liable for VAT. Goods and gifts over these values may also be liable for customs duty. You no longer have to pay customs duty for goods up to the value of £135, however you will still be required to pay import VAT and excise duty where applicable.

END QUOTE

[keithfre]

It's the same here in Holland. And when checking whether the value of the package is over the charging threshold the customs authorities include postage. We then pay VAT (currently 21%) on that total plus a handling charge (12 euros last time, IIRR).

[BudgieJane]

Yikes! Must be the materials in the parcel that make a difference. We sell second hand books and so far, nobody in the UK has reported paying duty. We put the honest price of the customs form and some of them have gone way, way over that amount suggested here. It may be because we don't sell new items. Also, when a book is a UK printing, we always mention that this item is a "returning UK item." Just to sort of help out a little.

As far as I am aware, you do not pay import duty or VAT on books in the UK.

[Ray Haddad]

Well, BudgieJane, that does explain it all. Thank you.

[scottmitchell74]

Man, that sucks for you guys. I've noticed that it's actually cheaper for us to have something shipped all the way to the States plus shipping but minus VAT than it is for some of you to walk to the corner shop and buy something. 

That's partly why I don't mind and sometimes prefer to do all my shopping online even when buying from a US retailer. Tax is only charged if you purchase in-State. So if I order something from New Jersey I only have to pay face value plus shipping.

[Lawrence]

I buy a lot from Japan, and have been hit by an import change about 90% of the time. As has been mentioned, the charge applies to goods with a value of £15.00 or over...but be warned, there is no consistency here; I have seen them include the postage you have to pay in the VAT calculations.

As has been mentioned, the real gripe is the handling charge Parcelfarce apply to a package when it is presented to customs. Great! I get charged for the privilege of having my parcel held up for days on end - my record was three weeks! - and getting hit by VAT. The question is, why should it be £13.00+? I have already paid for the delivery, and £13.00 seems a lot for me to pay just for customs to sit about with their fingers up their a**s whilst my shiny new purchase gathers dust in their depot! 

Rant mode over!

Just had a package from HobbySearch, got it sent EMS (Tracked) this time instead of SAL, Parcel Force treat EMS as express so charged me £13.50 handling fee instead of the £8 it would have been for a regular SAL package.
By the way, Parcel Forces idea of Express delivery does not extend to Saturdays, they wanted another £12 for that privilege, I think it was a Mr R Turpin that I spoke to 

[MikeDunn]

As no-one who has replied seems to have bought directly from Richard, let me chip in ...

I've sourced some items direct from him when the 'usual suspects' were utterly incapable of selling me them in this country.  Richard was very helpful, and the sale went through very easily - and at a lower cost than if I had sourced here !  I think the value was around £80, with currency conversions I paid a fair bit less.

Delivery was quite quick - several days, I seem to recall, and came in via the Postie - no duty etc to pay.  Now - you may not be as lucky in this respect, but fingers crossed 

Mike

[tutenkhamunsleeping]

Parcel Forces idea of Express...

The faster things go, the more they cost to bring to a complete halt for a couple of weeks