Import Duty / VAT

estebanrey said:
It was so abused though as the customers who claimed it were all the same. It was mainly Asian people buying tons of jewelery (I mean the kind of amounts that would embarrass Mr T) and you knew that these were just the relations of people who lived here buying stuff to sell on at a profit.

...waits to be accused of 'racism'.
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smart buggers
 
[TW]Fox;21938021 said:
Well no, thats not how it works. The form you sign alone isn't enough to get the refund - they only get it when the goods are shown, along with the receipt and the completed refund form, to customs official at the point of departure from the UK.

If the goods are not physically taken out of the UK and verified by a customs official, no refund is received.
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Yes I realise that but it's not hard to get around if you have family members that are constantly going in and and out of the country. Present it at customs, get the refund, come back a week later with it in your language or wearing it and bingo.

Or just mail it back, given jewellery is small you'd probably get away with it as long as you send them in padded envelopes rather than large sealed boxes.

One guy had bought 20 necklaces that were all the same as well as numerous rings and watches. There was no way it was for personal use.
 
I always think its pot luck with imports and more likely who happens to be the officer. tbh charging import on a tshirt is taking the mick maybe they ought to be focusing on on the criminal side of importing ie drugs.
 
Edinho said:
I always think its pot luck with imports and more likely who happens to be the officer. tbh charging import on a tshirt is taking the mick maybe they ought to be focusing on on the criminal side of importing ie drugs.
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finding drugs doesnt give the goverment any money
 
question
i might be importing a mobility scooter charger from America, as disability products are exempt from VAT in the UK, how do i get the sender to label it so i don't get charged it?
or how do i make as sure as possible i don't get charged vat?
or will i have to claim it back and pay the handling charge?
 
IMO, you should be able to buy anything from anywhere in the world and just pay their price and that's it.

If you were to criticise capitalism, the Government would quickly tell you great competition is and how competition makes the whole system work. So why shouldn't UK PLC have to compete itself with the rest of the world?

Imagine if you normally shopped at Sainsbury's but one day you went to Tesco because they were selling the same washing powder for a couple of quid less and you received a letter from Sainsbury's claiming you owed them £2.
 
estebanrey said:
IMO, you should be able to buy anything from anywhere in the world and just pay their price and that's it.

If you were to criticise capitalism, the Government would quickly tell you great competition is and how competition makes the whole system work. So why shouldn't UK PLC have to compete itself with the rest of the world?
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Because we couldn't compete like that without lowering our standard of living through the floor?
 
[TW]Fox;21939033 said:
Because we couldn't compete like that without lowering our standard of living through the floor?
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Or scrap VAT and put up income tax. What's the point in taxing me twice when you could just get it out of the way at source?
 
Edinho said:
I always think its pot luck with imports and more likely who happens to be the officer. tbh charging import on a tshirt is taking the mick maybe they ought to be focusing on on the criminal side of importing ie drugs.
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HMRC don't do it themselves, so don't blame them! All they really do is focus on the criminal side.
 
estebanrey said:
Pull out of the EU then. Become like Norway who are just part of the EEA.
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Norway and Switzerland are restricted by the EU as well.

Just to be clear one of the points of the EEA is that one country doesn't have an unfair advantage through having vastly different VAT rates
 
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Pudney said:
Norway and Switzerland are restricted by the EU as well.

Just to be clear one of the points of the EEA is that one country doesn't have an unfair advantage through having vastly different VAT rates
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But the rules don't prevent vastly different VAT rates, they only dictate the minimum should be 15%.

For example, Hungary have a VAT rate of 27% which is the highest in the EU and they could set it even higher if they wanted.

So one country could charge 30% and another 15%. Hardly maintaining a 'level playing field' is it? The rules seem ideological to me rather than based on fairness .
 
File it in the bin.

I had a similar one after I bought something from the States. The duty was £2 and they wanted near £20.

Ignored the 2 letters, not heard anything in about 5 months
 
estebanrey said:
But the rules don't prevent vastly different VAT rates, they only dictate the minimum should be 15%.

For example, Hungary have a VAT rate of 27% which is the highest in the EU and they could set it even higher if they wanted.

So one country could charge 30% and another 15%. Hardly maintaining a 'level playing field' is it? The rules seem ideological to me rather than based on fairness .
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Your idea was to cut VAT to zero which is what my posts are originally meant to deal with.

You are right that there is no maximum, it's a country's own choice if they wish to set theirs at a far higher rate than other countries, I would dare to presume not wanting to hamstring your own economy is used to prevent rates going too high.
 
I've always regarded customs to be VAT + approx £8 courier charge. The 3 times I've been hit with customs:

In 2005 : £70 item + £30 shipping from USA, customs added £30. A bit steep I thought.

In 2009 : £150 item + £50 shipping from USA, customs added £40. A bit more reasonable as £40 is 20% of £200.

Also in 2009 : £45 item + £25 shipping from USA, customs added £14. Again reasonable as £14 is 20% of £70.
 
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