Import tax question.

FinglisHobbit

FinglisHobbit

FinglisHobbit

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We are visiting my GFs mum in LA this summer. It will be my girlfriends birthday when we are out there and her mum generally gets expensive gifts.

When we return from the holiday how will taxation work on gifts?
Does it still fall into the £390 limit.

I did a quick google but it was mainly throwing up pages relating to cash inheritance gifts.
 
So I guess there isn't a way around the £390 limit even if it's something given as a gift. Bummer.

Ah well. Tax is tax I spose. Keeps me in health care!
 
I admire people who declare stuff at airport customs.

As above, individual allowance is £390. Over that it's 2.5% duty, and VAT on the total.
 
covenantuk said:
Throw away the packaging. Pack it in your case. Almost impossible for them to prove it's an import.
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You are not innocent until proven guilty with import - the onus is on you to prove you've already paid the relevant charges (e.g. a receipt for purchase of the item within the UK showing VAT etc. where needed).
 
How expensive is the item we're talking about?

I know what most people on here would do.

Obviously if we're talking ££££'s, then i think you'll find it quite hard to get away with.
 
When I went to the US I bought a surface 3 pro, a Nikon bridge camera and was also given some beats headphones and a nice watch to bring back.

A colleague bought all his PC parts and brought them back.

As long as you don't overdo it and keep things as if you've just had them before then don't see any issues.
 
A tip is to bin the box it came in and just pack it away as if it were a pair of socks or something. A box is a sure giveaway that youv'e just bought it. I got a Nexus tablet in Boston and binned the box it came in. Just put the Nexus in with my other gear in my carry on bag and nothing was said about it when it was searched.
 
koooowweeee said:
Get them to post it to you. Because it's being posted from a family member there's no way they can say it's not a gift
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More likely to get hit by import duty/VAT that way. Unless it's declared low value but then it's not insured.

To all the posts above, yes it's obviously easy to bring new goods into the country through airports, but that doesn't stop it being tax evasion.

I think we should congratulate the OP, especially post #3.
 
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