Caporegime
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Which goes back to me very first post
Digitalrev
- Thread starter Clum
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Caporegime
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
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- Wish i was in a Ramen Shop Counter
No I have never had an issue where duty wasn't paid and don't ever use those sites for anything clothes or otherwise. I did get a 70-200 from kerso and they left it on my doorstep. I could have got a 2nd easily claiming it wasn't delivered but I'm not that kind of person despite everyone telling me to.
Where did you get your 600X-RT from again?
Where did you get your 600X-RT from again?
Digital rev and already explained and have the emails from them where they claim to have paid all duty on it. I asked all the questions before using them and have said I wouldn't use them again. Besides I'm not one of the righteous moaning about everyone else dodging tax in GD.
Again anyway I have no problem with it, just can't see how it's any different from ******* and the other banned sites, you are still a tax dodger using them like anyone else this place pours scorn on
Digital rev and already explained and have the emails from them where they claim to have paid all duty on it. I asked all the questions before using them and have said I wouldn't use them again. Besides I'm not one of the righteous moaning about everyone else dodging tax in GD.
Again anyway I have no problem with it, just can't see how it's any different from ******* and the other banned sites, you are still a tax dodger using them like anyone else this place pours scorn on
That's the kicker for me, when people openly commit tax fraud but then complain at other tax dodgers, let alone people or companies who legally minimize their tax exposure. They then try to justify it that they are just one person buying a few things.
On a £2000 camera you have £400 of VAT + duty. The median income for a UK employee is £20,000, the income tax due on that is £2000. So the tax dodge on buying a £2000 camera is 20% of the median person's annual Income tax. That is a large chunk of missing tax revenue.
Customs and excise was devised originally to encourage a balance of trade and protect local industry- i.e. apples/cows/teapots imported from abroad should have a tariff applied in order to make locally sources apples/cows/teapots more attractive.
But where is my UK produced 16mm lens? Where is my UK produced 16MP mirrorless camera body? Thanks to the demise of the UK manufacturing industry there aren't any. And the demise of that industry is arguably thanks to a mix of public indifference and political mistakes in the past.
Therefore customs on most luxury goods are purely a state revenue generator. As such I'd happily buy certain goods from abroad and avoid paying the duty if it's possible.
On the other hand I wouldn't sit on my arse for the rest of my life pumping out children through the missus in order to stretch the benefit cheque. That is entirely a different thing, and I know a few who do exactly that, but it's not my place to judge them for their choices.
It's nobody else's place to judge me or anyone else for exploiting a good deal on a camera either- it's between me and the taxman.
But where is my UK produced 16mm lens? Where is my UK produced 16MP mirrorless camera body? Thanks to the demise of the UK manufacturing industry there aren't any. And the demise of that industry is arguably thanks to a mix of public indifference and political mistakes in the past.
Therefore customs on most luxury goods are purely a state revenue generator. As such I'd happily buy certain goods from abroad and avoid paying the duty if it's possible.
On the other hand I wouldn't sit on my arse for the rest of my life pumping out children through the missus in order to stretch the benefit cheque. That is entirely a different thing, and I know a few who do exactly that, but it's not my place to judge them for their choices.
It's nobody else's place to judge me or anyone else for exploiting a good deal on a camera either- it's between me and the taxman.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 76,117
- Location
- Wish i was in a Ramen Shop Counter
Digital rev and already explained and have the emails from them where they claim to have paid all duty on it. I asked all the questions before using them and have said I wouldn't use them again. Besides I'm not one of the righteous moaning about everyone else dodging tax in GD.
Again anyway I have no problem with it, just can't see how it's any different from ******* and the other banned sites, you are still a tax dodger using them like anyone else this place pours scorn on
But did you go back to HMRC and give them the money owe?
Since you are adament that the duty was not paid from your emails....did you check with HMRC that it was actually paid? did you get evidence? lol
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I think one thing worth considering is that grey imports make up only a very small percentage of camera related purchases in the UK. The majority of consumers are buying from UK retailers.
I myself bought from Digital Rev a couple of years ago, because spending £2600 on a camera, the saving was too much to pass up.
I wouldn't use them now though, because for myself and anyone who does any photo work professionally, camera equipment purchases become a capital asset or a business expense. As such, there is more benefit and protection to buy from UK retailers, than to buy grey.
So I personally feel that people seeking to buy import camera gear are doing so because they aren't professionals and the particular gear they are seeking is largely of professional cost, so thats what drives people, like I did, to want that saving. This really is a relatively small number of people in the grand scheme of things.
I myself bought from Digital Rev a couple of years ago, because spending £2600 on a camera, the saving was too much to pass up.
I wouldn't use them now though, because for myself and anyone who does any photo work professionally, camera equipment purchases become a capital asset or a business expense. As such, there is more benefit and protection to buy from UK retailers, than to buy grey.
So I personally feel that people seeking to buy import camera gear are doing so because they aren't professionals and the particular gear they are seeking is largely of professional cost, so thats what drives people, like I did, to want that saving. This really is a relatively small number of people in the grand scheme of things.
have to agree, we all pay way too much already!
But did you go back to HMRC and give them the money owe?
Yes.
I didn't ask hmrc I asked rev to produce evidence.
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OCUK allow links to loads of sites with illegal content like Reddit, this is probably the most inconsistently moderated forum I've ever used.
In any case while the government continue to charge vat on clothes, food, utilities etc, tax evasion is the moral thing to do.
Indeed. In the last year I paid over £10k in income tax and NI, spent over £6k on fuel which is 60% tax and then got hammered for vat on absolutely everything else included gas, electricity, water and food.
If saving a few quid on camera gear while making a +£15k contribution makes me a tax dodger then I'm happy to be one and will continue to be one.
My figures don't include any customs/excise/duty but were based purely on VAT due.
Secondly, so what that "customs on most luxury goods are a state revenue generator". That is exactly the point, generate revenue from luxuries and not necessities. It is one of the most moral forms of taxation there is! Much fairer than income tax or death tax.
Inheritance tax REALLY winds me up. You pay tax all your life and the government think it's fair to tax what they've managed to save, and the more you save the worse it is. Personally I think it's disgraceful. In fact I was playing that game 'Democracy 3' the other day and it lists that tax as "a way that most think is fair to stop wealthy people getting more wealth", which seems incorrect to me, as I see it as a way to keep the poor, poor.
On another tax note, I just bought a UAV from DJI. The order came direct from China as the resellers over here had no stock. The price was the same as if I bought it here, but on checking the documentation I cant see tax mentioned anywhere. I emailed them whilst waiting for the delivery to check this as I was concerned I was about to be stung for £200 tax and import, but never got a reply. I'm assuming they consider me stupid and it didn't need answering, but a reply would have been nice! Oh, and I never got charged anything, so I'm assuming it was inclusive of tax as the website has a region setting which I assume tallies the price in the background. It's odd though.
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OCUK allow links to loads of sites with illegal content like Reddit, this is probably the most inconsistently moderated forum I've ever used.
In any case while the government continue to charge vat on clothes, food, utilities etc, tax evasion is the moral thing to do.
There is no VAT on food, only processed items. this is perfectly sensible, buy fresh health ingredients and pay no VAT, buy a microwave pizza and pay tax.
Utilities are charged a reduced 5% VAT since they are essentials. What I believe should happen is there should be a tax free limit that is linked to number of residents in the house with an adjustment for children/old people (and potentially adjusted for weather so cold periods have a higher tax free limit). However, beyond the tax free limit utilities should absolute be taxed - taxation on utilities is an important way to ensure people take care to turn off lights and be sensible with their heating, add insulation, wear warm clothes instead of head for the thermostat.
Clothes are another complex issue. Clothes are fundamental (and legally required in public) but there is no way that luxury branded clothes should be tax free. The only feasible solution would be to have a tax free allowance on certain clothes items e.g. no tax on the first £5 of a T-shirt, £10 of trousers, £1 on underwear, £20 on shoes etc. If you buy the basic necessities then you get no or low charge, if you want a brand name sweater or designer jeans then you get taxed.
Anyway, as I said I don't get if people purposely commit tax fraud but please don't ever complain at others doing so, politicians expenses, or companies like Amazon that legally minimize their tax exposure within the rules of the law.
It's not sensible, food is food. Tax on it is unethical, period. And you'll find tax on healthy fruit products like smoothies which have virtually no processing at all.
And 5% on utilities is still 5% that shouldn't be there, the rate doesn't matter, even 1% is wrong. The assertion that 5% vat on a massive bill of over £1000 in any way encourages people to save electricity is laughable. You are trying to defend the undefendable!
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well, we have gone super off topic now. I suggest we move this to speaker corner.