Package from U.S.

Jean-F · 13 Jan 2022 at 13:59

The Running Man said:
The US recipient is an actor who may be charging a 100$ charge to procure, check, test and then rebox and ship a product to any potential purchaser as the purchaser cannot procure these goods any other way.

As the goods have been opened and inspected and potentially even worn/tested and will be without any warranty the value of them will be significantly less than if they were brand new.

Test me.

You are waaaay overthinking this.
You’re wasted on here, you could be earning minimum wage writing scripts for dismal U.K. TV crime shows.

varkanoid · 13 Jan 2022 at 14:41

Surveyor said:
There's a discussion because it's not a $20 item and it's not a gift..

Doesnt matter what it is you can still put a low value and mark it as a gift.

Surveyor · 13 Jan 2022 at 15:09

varkanoid said:
Doesnt matter what it is you can still put a low value and mark it as a gift.

I don't think anyone has said you can't do that but it does matter to those not wanting to be involved in tax evasion.

varkanoid · 13 Jan 2022 at 15:33

Surveyor said:
I don't think anyone has said you can't do that but it does matter to those not wanting to be involved in tax evasion.

I dont think tax evasion is a worry here on a $160 item which is a personal purchase.

I’m not especially looking for cheapest, just the easiest and most efficient.

Surveyor · 13 Jan 2022 at 15:42

varkanoid said:
I dont think tax evasion is a worry here on a $160 item which is a personal purchase.

On which UK VAT would be payable.

Jean-F said:
It’s a thread because it seemed to me that I’d have to visit HMRC, USPO, UK Post Office, and possibly FedEx sites to find out what I needed to know, or I could enlist the aid of the intelligent denizens of Overclockers GD, I chose the latter, plus he'd rather do this without lying about second hand T shirts etc.
Just as simple.

The Running Man · 13 Jan 2022 at 15:44

Surveyor said:
On which UK VAT would be payable.

It is second hand though. That's the crux of it.

If he sends it back to the vendor will they warrant it?

Pudney · 13 Jan 2022 at 16:13

varkanoid said:
I dont think tax evasion is a worry here on a $160 item which is a personal purchase.

Does that mean it's ok to shoplift if the amount is low?

The Running Man said:
It is second hand though. That's the crux of it.

If he sends it back to the vendor will they warrant it?

Inserting a friend into the chain doesn't mean it's second hand. It could be because the friend is only acting as an agent, or because there are specific linked transaction rules, or because there are general rules to prevent the artificial insertion of steps to lower tax payable. If something looks like a dog and barks like a dog it could actually be a coyote. Or a wolf. Or a fox.

varkanoid · 13 Jan 2022 at 16:20

Pudney said:
Does that mean it's ok to shoplift if the amount is low?.

Thats not the same its getting rather silly now no need to be so righteous. Years ago before we were in Europe I used to buy Amiga stuff from US and it was sent through as gift. Robbing the UK gov yeah stick it to the man. Shoot me. OP pay the £32 tax and close thread.

Lopéz · 13 Jan 2022 at 16:29

Surveyor said:
On which UK VAT would be payable.

The Running Man said:
It is second hand though. That's the crux of it.

If he sends it back to the vendor will they warrant it?

You still pay UK VAT on second hand items.

@The Running Man - by your definition, most shops are selling second hand items. They will generally purchase from a manufacturer or supplier, and then sell those items to the public. That's at least one owner they've had since they were created, therefore they're second hand...

Pudney · 13 Jan 2022 at 16:33

varkanoid said:
Thats not the same its getting rather silly now no need to be so righteous. Years ago before we were in Europe I used to buy Amiga stuff from US and it was sent through as gift. Robbing the UK gov yeah stick it to the man. Shoot me. OP pay the £32 tax and close thread.

If you lie about goods or values on custom forms it's no different to misrepresenting your income on a tax return. Both are tax evasion. The fact you are morally justifying one but not the other is down to you. You may not agree, but factually it's true.

Same as shoplifting is theft.

Edit: I'm also not being righteous. I'm being factual, the rest is down to your own conscience!

The Running Man · 13 Jan 2022 at 16:55

Lopéz said:
You still pay UK VAT on second hand items.

@The Running Man - by your definition, most shops are selling second hand items. They will generally purchase from a manufacturer or supplier, and then sell those items to the public. That's at least one owner they've had since they were created, therefore they're second hand...

Correct my point is that second hand clothes are worth a fraction of the new price. ebay can attest to this.

Therefore with the item being second hand it will not be worth the original price, having no warranty, being opened inspected and potentially tested.

Therefore it's value will not be that of the original purchase price.

varkanoid · 13 Jan 2022 at 16:56

sorry forgot how pedantic GD was will exit swiftly. Pity you missed the Young Ones reference and sarcasm. :cry:

Surveyor · 13 Jan 2022 at 18:21

The Running Man said:
Correct my point is that second hand clothes are worth a fraction of the new price. ebay can attest to this.

Therefore with the item being second hand it will not be worth the original price, having no warranty, being opened inspected and potentially tested.

Therefore it's value will not be that of the original purchase price.

Meanwhile, back in reality, the US person is acting as a middleman shipper and the UK person is reimbursing (or prepaying) them the full $160 (plus shipping etc.).

One More Solo · 13 Jan 2022 at 20:35

The Running Man said:
Correct my point is that second hand clothes are worth a fraction of the new price. ebay can attest to this.

Therefore with the item being second hand it will not be worth the original price, having no warranty, being opened inspected and potentially tested.

Therefore it's value will not be that of the original purchase price.

*facepalm*

builder22 · 13 Jan 2022 at 21:04

these boots are made for walking - but they're stuck in the USA

rIcK · 14 Jan 2022 at 05:34

I just bought something from the US, I slapped it in a duty calculator website. Put aside the worst case scenario ( handling fees from courier + VAT). Ordered it and with any luck it will be missed. If not I've got to pay an extra £30...

Not the end of the world.

Nutty_Death · 14 Jan 2022 at 06:42

The Running Man said:
Correct my point is that second hand clothes are worth a fraction of the new price. ebay can attest to this.

Therefore with the item being second hand it will not be worth the original price, having no warranty, being opened inspected and potentially tested.

Therefore it's value will not be that of the original purchase price.

Ive sold lots of things as new on eBay that I purchased and then resold in its original and unopened state.

Jean-F · 14 Jan 2022 at 21:01

To quote The Stones, “It’s all over now”.
$163 for the boots, $85 shipping, I’ve a photo of the shipping invoice with a tracking number, and I’ve sent $265 to my friend which includes her PayPal fees, so she has a couple of bucks left over for a slice of pizza pie.
My kid’s given me £200, seems dear to me but he doesn’t GAF, he’ll just go out and earn it, his attitude has always been to only worry about money if he hasn’t got any.

jpaul · 14 Jan 2022 at 22:59

you mean it's too late to place any more bets on the customs/vat outlook ? have the package contents been declared in any manner

(Nearly made my first post-brexit(ish) aliexpress purchase today see they have an obligatory VAT payment on everything for a uk destination address - 20% hurts)

Jean-F · 15 Jan 2022 at 00:30

jpaul said:
you mean it's too late to place any more bets on the customs/vat outlook ? have the package contents been declared in any manner

(Nearly made my first post-brexit(ish) aliexpress purchase today see they have an obligatory VAT payment on everything for a uk destination address - 20% hurts)

Lap of the Gods there jp, my friend in NYC sent me a photo of the USPS receipt for shipping, it said $84.95, ETA 8-10 business days, and she added, “FYI I had to complete a Customs Form.”
As she’s a respected child psychologist, I don’t imagine that she lied about contents and value.
As the weight says 5 lb 12.7 oz I’m guessing that the $84.95 is just for shipping, so maybe the mailman will ring my buzzer and say, “Fetch £X amount to the door for your Customs fee.”
I thought that if the USPS calculated that any Customs Duties were due, they’d have taken it in the U.S. and sent it to HMRC UK, but what do I know?
I’ll soon find out I guess.