Buying from Europe? Beware...

[Manstein]

Ahh fond memories of David Bellamy having to make a fast exit from Islay after stating the distilleries were damaging the islands eco system.

 

[Scotshave]

Ahh fond memories of David Bellamy having to make a fast exit from Islay after stating the distilleries were damaging the islands eco system.

Yes. Good old teetotal Bellamy...

 

[Manstein]

His departure from the airport on Islay is on film somewhere alas not Youtube. Nearly as funny as Charlie making a balls of landing there a few years later!

 

[factormax]

More buyers' experiences....

My 'Brexit bonus' proved to be a customs duty bill from DHL

Whether picture frames or trainers, buyers are counting the cost of ordering from the EU

www.theguardian.com

 

[TobyC]

Who ends up with the money and what is it for?

 

[Manstein]

Who ends up with the money and what is it for?

Presumably if you buy from from the EU post Brexit you'll pay 20% vat, customs duty and the carriers duty collection fee. It'll go into the government revenue fund to pay mainly government salaries with a bit left over for the social services etc!

 

[MarkP]

Shouldn't the EU seller deduct the local sales tax (VAT) as they're exporting the products? Otherwise we're paying sales tax twice. I don't mind paying UK sales tax but I wouldn't want to pay EU tax too.

 

[Manstein]

I've nothing come from the EU recently so haven't got a recent demand to refer to answer your question. I'm sure smuggling will be the next growth industry.

 

[Jester]

As I understand it, the current situation is that importers must fill in a form to claim back the VAT for every individual package that comes in rather than for a lump sum of deliveries as previously. So even if your order is a pot of soap, they must still fill out a form for that shipment to claim tax back. As you can imagine, this has massively increased the workload associated with importing to the UK, so many have just lumped the 20% on for us to pay, and they'll not bother with all the paperwork. I am happy to be corrected if I've misunderstood or over-simplified.....

 

[TobyC]

Presumably if you buy from from the EU post Brexit you'll pay 20% vat, customs duty and the carriers duty collection fee. It'll go into the government revenue fund to pay mainly government salaries with a bit left over for the social services etc!

So just new tax because they can, or are you essentially being fined for buying from the EU?

 

[TobyC]

As I understand it, the current situation is that importers must fill in a form to claim back the VAT for every individual package that comes in rather than for a lump sum of deliveries as previously. So even if your order is a pot of soap, they must still fill out a form for that shipment to claim tax back. As you can imagine, this has massively increased the workload associated with importing to the UK, so many have just lumped the 20% on for us to pay, and they'll not bother with all the paperwork. I am happy to be corrected if I've misunderstood or over-simplified.....

I'm sure it's not a paper form, it's computer stuff, still, that's extra hassle at both ends of the transaction, they need to streamline the process for all parties concerned.

 

[Jester]

I'm sure it's not a paper form, it's computer stuff, still, that's extra hassle at both ends of the transaction, they need to streamline the process for all parties concerned.

Agreed - will be online but historically it was a bundle for transactions over a certain period, not individual declarations.[/QUOTE]

 

[Digimonkey]

@Manstein

'I'm sure smuggling will be the next growth industry,' do you think that's why sea shanties have become a recent trend on social media? - I.

 

[Bob1955]

I was buying a item from USA for 7dollars, the p&p was 49 dollars just stupid really.
I don't even look at American items now

 

[TobyC]

I was buying a item from USA for 7dollars, the p&p was 49 dollars just stupid really.
I don't even look at American items now

That's insane.