Have any of you purchased razors etc. from eBay in the United States? The choice on the American site is much wider than the UK site but I'm wary of the potential cost of additional customs duty and import VAT. What sort of sums did those of you who have bought from the US end up paying in duty and VAT?
Customs duty and import VAT on US purchases.
- Thread starter Largo
- Start Date
- Messages
- 8,392
- Location
- Little Feckwittering-on-the-Moor
- Messages
- 3,266
- Location
- West Yorkshire
Hunny, just to be absolutely sure about this, there are no customs implications for legal purchases within the EU, right?
- Messages
- 3,572
- Location
- ATH
That is correct, Andy.
I have been consistently buying stuff from the UK (I am in Latvia) and also sending gifts to family back home (Greece) via the UK again in the last 6 months, no issues whatsoever.
I have been consistently buying stuff from the UK (I am in Latvia) and also sending gifts to family back home (Greece) via the UK again in the last 6 months, no issues whatsoever.
- Messages
- 8,392
- Location
- Little Feckwittering-on-the-Moor
Arrowhead said:
If it's within the EU, as long as it's not a prohibited item (like hard core porn, guns, etc) then there's nothing at all HMRC can really do about it, otherwise they find themselves in breach of the Single European Act and HM Govt. attract some rather interesting financial penalties.
- Messages
- 3,266
- Location
- West Yorkshire
Thank you gentlemen.
- Thread Starter
- #8
Thanks, Hunny. I should have noticed that thread.
I knew the basics of how duty and VAT are applied, but what I was really trying to establish is the level of duty that is payable on razors bought from outside the EU. Following some of the links in your post, I found the EU TARIC code for razors - 8212 - but it seems that you have to actually phone HMRC to find out the level of duty associated with it. It's frustrating that this information isn't on a publicly accessible database.
I knew the basics of how duty and VAT are applied, but what I was really trying to establish is the level of duty that is payable on razors bought from outside the EU. Following some of the links in your post, I found the EU TARIC code for razors - 8212 - but it seems that you have to actually phone HMRC to find out the level of duty associated with it. It's frustrating that this information isn't on a publicly accessible database.
- Messages
- 8,392
- Location
- Little Feckwittering-on-the-Moor
Now they only apply duty on items over £105, the VAT (and the bloody astronomical Royal Mail brokers fee) is the only important part though.
- Messages
- 441
Good morning Largo!Largo said:
WARNING!! Do beware here my friend. I have personal and recent experience of this scenario. I was fortunate enough to win a vintage Boker straight razor from a seller in the states on ebay. Postage/shipping costs were high ($13), but what really took the edge off ,(pardon the pun),the deal, was the amount I ended up having to pay! In order to recover the razor from the P.Office, I had to cough up £19.00 Customs & Excise duty. Yes,£19.00!! Because I got such a great deal initially on the price, I worked out that I was still "well in pocket" overall, and so the deal could have been much worse! There is a situation whereby a seller can show a lower value on the outside of the package, this is what C&E base their charges on. Also, I believe it can be shown as a gift to you, but I am not sure how this works really, only that it works out cheaper, much cheaper! However, my vendor was not willing to go into any of that stuff for me, and consequently I ended up paying a lot extra. I now feel I cannot purchase any thing ever again from the USA for fear of a repeat performance! There is a Forum member who can advise you on this much better than I can, but I can not recall who it is at the moment. I daresay, as a result of your post, he will eventually make himself known to you. Anyway Largo, I've carried on enough about this, just take great caution in this area, get the advice you will need, and hopefully you will be ok somewhere down the line.
Best regards, spandex..
- Messages
- 8,392
- Location
- Little Feckwittering-on-the-Moor
Spandex, can you break down that £19? If you take off the RoyalMail's highway robbery £8 fee, there''s £11 left.
£11 VAT suggests that the whole package was valued around £62 - so in that case the gift process wouldn't have made a difference at all (as all it does is - at HMRC discretion - double the amount before they start applying VAT from £18 to £36 - and as there's no "allowance" you pay on the whole amount not the whole amount minus the £18 (or £36 if it's a gift))
Any packages marked as gifts should be of an occasional nature (that's HMRC speak for birthdays, wedding anniversaries, Christmas..) and HMRC have ways and means beyond your wildest imagination of finding out "stuff".
If you can prove (by means of an invoice included in the package) that the package including postage was valued lower, you can appeal to HMRC and if successful they will refund the overpayment - and if you get the whole VAT amount back, you can then appeal to RM to get the brokers fee back too. I've done both in the past and it was painless.
£11 VAT suggests that the whole package was valued around £62 - so in that case the gift process wouldn't have made a difference at all (as all it does is - at HMRC discretion - double the amount before they start applying VAT from £18 to £36 - and as there's no "allowance" you pay on the whole amount not the whole amount minus the £18 (or £36 if it's a gift))
Any packages marked as gifts should be of an occasional nature (that's HMRC speak for birthdays, wedding anniversaries, Christmas..) and HMRC have ways and means beyond your wildest imagination of finding out "stuff".
If you can prove (by means of an invoice included in the package) that the package including postage was valued lower, you can appeal to HMRC and if successful they will refund the overpayment - and if you get the whole VAT amount back, you can then appeal to RM to get the brokers fee back too. I've done both in the past and it was painless.
- Messages
- 3,833
my personal experience has been that sometimes vendors increase the 'value' of items to ensure you are well covered if you have to claim - yeah thanks!
i have yet to deal with a seller be it t'bay or *&* BST who will 'gift' you - i put this down to the fact that US postal workers have access to big guns and lots of ammunition, which when combined with a high fat diet, ponytails and dubious mental capacity means you don't want to upset one of them!
That said, even the most i have had to pay is £30 on some golf clubs. The biggest and most galling part of all this is the sodding PO charge - oh look you've charged me £8 to send me a letter saying i owe you £8!!!!! :x
i have yet to deal with a seller be it t'bay or *&* BST who will 'gift' you - i put this down to the fact that US postal workers have access to big guns and lots of ammunition, which when combined with a high fat diet, ponytails and dubious mental capacity means you don't want to upset one of them!
That said, even the most i have had to pay is £30 on some golf clubs. The biggest and most galling part of all this is the sodding PO charge - oh look you've charged me £8 to send me a letter saying i owe you £8!!!!! :x
- Messages
- 441
Hi hunny,(just luv that shortened u/name)hunnymonster said:
Just as I thought, complicated or wot! You see, all this kind of stuff is so inhibiting for anyone wanting to purchase from the "states"!! Anyway, I am at work at present, so will have to log out of the Forum and get stuck into some work I have just been given. The initial sum of money involved was $101.00- £68.00 at the exchange rates applicable last month + P&P + C&E. Can't remember what the brakdown was I'm afraid! Talk to you again this evening..
'Bye for now, all the best,
spandex..
I think tbh , whatever your buying has to be either cheap as chips (bellow £18) or one hell of a steal .. else your just gonna get stung.
Its annoying and your dead right becuase there's a way better array of razors for reasonable prices on the US Ebay and the UK one is a bit hit and miss and of recent - Pricey.
I just wish more UK people were digging these things up and holding onto them rather than just going 'dads old razor? who on earth would want that .. Bin it.' -
Several people ive spoken to about my hobby have said they recall binning old DE razors. Oh the humanity...
Its annoying and your dead right becuase there's a way better array of razors for reasonable prices on the US Ebay and the UK one is a bit hit and miss and of recent - Pricey.
I just wish more UK people were digging these things up and holding onto them rather than just going 'dads old razor? who on earth would want that .. Bin it.' -
Several people ive spoken to about my hobby have said they recall binning old DE razors. Oh the humanity...
- Messages
- 3,833
Attero said:
Of course the only drawback being the dreaded 'CONUS Only'. The irony is though, although they won't send me something in the post, they are quite happy to ask their divinity to 'Bless me for looking' - cheers Satan :twisted:
- Messages
- 8,392
- Location
- Little Feckwittering-on-the-Moor
spandexcodpiece said:
No need - £68 means you paid (sadly) the right amount more or less... as ever though the broker's fee applied is a disproportionately high fraction :roll:
It's absolutely not complicated though - if what you buy is more than £18 worth, there's a risk of paying VAT (at the same rate as here - so 0% for books, 17.5% for most things) & a broker's fee (Royal Mail £8, couriers £10 min, or DHL £1.25min). If it's more than £105 then you may attract VAT, duty and a broker's fee.