Import Duty

[Denbo]

On top of the administration fee charged by Royal Mail, is there any way of calculating what the import duty will be against a rising scale of US Dollar value?

[Shaun W]

Try this https://www.dutycalculator.com

Notes on duty & taxes rates

• Records Vinyl has an import duty rate of 3.5% and VAT rate of 20% .
  

Notes on import taxes due

• Duty result is nil because the total value of the products does not exceed £135.00
  
• Please note that your shipping provider may add an additional handling fee
  

[Guest soultan]

ive always found it amazing that u pay vat on the duty. the dutiable amount is added to the value of the item and only then is vat applied. pretty sure the cost of carriage is also added in before the vat too. its such a scam it makes the post office handling charge seem very reasonable.

[Denbo]

Try this https://www.dutycalculator.com

Notes on duty & taxes rates

• Records Vinyl has an import duty rate of 3.5% and VAT rate of 20% .
  

Notes on import taxes due

• Duty result is nil because the total value of the products does not exceed £135.00
  
• Please note that your shipping provider may add an additional handling fee
  

Thanks Shaun

[Denbo]

ive always found it amazing that u pay vat on the duty. the dutiable amount is added to the value of the item and only then is vat applied. pretty sure the cost of carriage is also added in before the vat too. its such a scam it makes the post office handling charge seem very reasonable.

Yes, the cost of carriage is added, as well as the cost of any insurance. I can't see how either of those two costs have anything to do with the value of the item, nor how either of them add value to the item, which is what Vat is, isn't it, value added tax.

[Smudger]

Just had this for the first time ever, $40 record added vat £5.06p handling charge £8 from post office( was still well worth it though) but a shock all the same.

Here's how it reads:-

Customs charges are applied to imports into the EU with a value over £15 for vat (imports from the channel islands the value is £0}.All items valued over £135 will attract import duty.Imported gifts valued over £40 sent between private individuals will also attract vat'

For more info see UK Border Agency website search "Notice 143"

https://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/customs-travel/customs/postal/

Edited September 25, 2012 by smudger

[Denbo]

Thanks smudger

[Keithw]

just a thought - what would you put down if someone was borrowing a 45 to dj - say worth 200 quid

then sending it back - what would they put on form

just a thought

[Denbo]

just a thought - what would you put down if someone was borrowing a 45 to dj - say worth 200 quid

then sending it back - what would they put on form

just a thought

Just guessing but perhaps it would have to go down as a Gift?

[Guest soultan]

just a thought - what would you put down if someone was borrowing a 45 to dj - say worth 200 quid

then sending it back - what would they put on form

just a thought

haha......well u can have a temporary import. thing is it would prob cost u more in paperwork than paying the vat. there is a document called a carnet that does the job and prob one or two other ways to achieve the same thing, but as i say, the cost of the paperwork makes it prohibative.

you may like to note that "personal effects" are not ssubject to vat or duty. something is considered your personal effects once u have owned it for six months......

to get away with a carnet or personal effect status would require some effort from the sender of the item to ensure their side of the customs paperwork is correct for what u want to achieve.

whatever happens u will prob end up getting screwed, such is life.

[Brillo]

this is quite timely as i just got hit for £56 duty on a record I only paid £50 for! Luckily DHL delivered it "duty unpaid" and are now chasing me for the duty so they can swivel for that but it seems good old HMRC are tapping every vein for revenue. Just got stung today for £50 mpore duty on a dress my daughter ordered from the States so they are checking everything.

[John Reed]

I've just been charged £3.69 import duty and on top of that an £8.00 admin fee by Royal Mail

[Soul-slider]

Yes Brillo, you are correct, they are checking everything. My postman told me that the other day. Some used to slip through but not anymore.

Basically anything valued at £15 or over from the States (and others) will get the duty.

[John Green]

Yes Brillo, you are correct, they are checking everything. My postman told me that the other day. Some used to slip through but not anymore.

Basically anything valued at £15 or over from the States (and others) will get the duty.

Hi Soul-Slider,

I haven't bought a record from the US for a long time until this week and it has just today been shipped to me.

Does this mean that the postman will put a note through my door saying the record will have to be collected from the main office after vat etc of £6.80 + handling has been paid?

[The disc was $45 with $7.50 shipping.and bought via GEMM]

[John Reed]

I think that by not combining postage on multiple purchases and pay for them to be sent individually would stop some of the custom charges; it would have been cheaper for me to have had the two records sent to me individually than pay the customs charge

[soulmaster]

I had a record from the us last week value on packet of $87 did'nt pay anything extra but the writing was very small and faint so my postie must need glasses thank god.

[Cover-up]

It's not gonna be your postie who decides, he just delivers... The £8 admin fee is a joke. You're paying someone to basically do their job, which is working out the tax. How can it cost £8 to work out a very simple sum?

[45cellar]

Interesting point regarding Individual, rather than Multiple.

The last couple of Customs charges for me happened to be records from Canada.

Is this a coincidence I wonder, can the route to UK make a difference depending on Area sent from.

[Soul-slider]

Hi Soul-Slider,

I haven't bought a record from the US for a long time until this week and it has just today been shipped to me.

Does this mean that the postman will put a note through my door saying the record will have to be collected from the main office after vat etc of £6.80 + handling has been paid?

[The disc was $45 with $7.50 shipping.and bought via GEMM]

Only if the seller puts the value on the customs slip. Some sellers are aware of the charges and put a lower value.

You may be lucky.

[Guest julesp1905]

It's not gonna be your postie who decides, he just delivers... The £8 admin fee is a joke. You're paying someone to basically do their job, which is working out the tax. How can it cost £8 to work out a very simple sum?

Do you really think the charge is for totaling a bill?

[Gogger]

my last 2 items have been hit with these charges , multiple purchases and £12 plus for each one , i think royal mail have realised theres some easy money to be made , i am going to appeal the last one as the seller put the total under the limit,

[Cover-up]

Do you really think the charge is for totaling a bill?

Yes.

[Guest julesp1905]

my last 2 items have been hit with these charges , multiple purchases and £12 plus for each one , i think royal mail have realised theres some easy money to be made , i am going to appeal the last one as the seller put the total under the limit,

HRMC levy custom charges, Royal Mail pay them them on behalf on the buyer to release them from customs and are permitted to charge an admin fee for additional staff, buildings, unpaid fees and other associated costs. The regulator set the costs, it is not one Royal Mail have simply come up with.

[Gogger]

HRMC levy custom charges, Royal Mail pay them them on behalf on the buyer to release them from customs and are permitted to charge an admin fee for additional staff, buildings, unpaid fees and other associated costs. The regulator set the costs, it is not one Royal Mail have simply come up with.

hi i work for royal mail myself so i'm not really trying to knock the business , there just seems to be a increase in this lately ,dont mind the vat if its due , but i think 8 pound is a bit much for the add min all the best john.

[John Reed]

I'd like a bit of help here. I've just had delivered the record I had to pay duty on and I wasnt charged duty at all, I was just charged VAT, but on what? It's marked as a gift and has a value of $30. According to this notice and HMRC's web site "Imported gifts valued over £40 sent between private individuals will also attract VAT", but its below the threshold or does HMRC believe US Dollars are worth more than Sterling...

[pikeys dog]

Went to the local sorting office today to collect an oversized package.

Lo and behold, behind the counter, they now have a new set of shelves, built in the last few months, purely for items attracting "Customs" charges.

I asked the postie about this, and although he wouldn't admit to there being a purge on customs fees, he did say that he was processing many more than ever.

[Tiberius]

I'd like a bit of help here. I've just had delivered the record I had to pay duty on and I wasnt charged duty at all, I was just charged VAT, but on what? It's marked as a gift and has a value of $30. According to this notice and HMRC's web site "Imported gifts valued over £40 sent between private individuals will also attract VAT", but its below the threshold or does HMRC believe US Dollars are worth more than Sterling...

Worth pointing out that on the HMRC website it states as one of the provisos that "To qualify as a gift" -

"There is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly by anyone in the UK".

Therefore, if you decided to pursue it, you could possibly be asked to prove you didn't buy the item, which may or may not prove tricky. Clearly, doing the maths, the vat was levied on the stated $30 value. You could always get in touch with HMRC either by phone or the online form and see where it leads. For all our sakes hope it's not a new trend.

[Denbo]

Worth pointing out that on the HMRC website it states as one of the provisos that "To qualify as a gift" -

"There is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly by anyone in the UK".

Therefore, if you decided to pursue it, you could possibly be asked to prove you didn't buy the item, which may or may not prove tricky. Clearly, doing the maths, the vat was levied on the stated $30 value. You could always get in touch with HMRC either by phone or the online form and see where it leads. For all our sakes hope it's not a new trend.

I think you'll find that the upper limit before attracting import duty / vat is now £18.

$30 is more than £18, just.

It's what I remember reading somewhere, so please check for yourselves, just in case I'm mistaken.

[Tiberius]

I think you'll find that the upper limit before attracting import duty / vat is now £18.

$30 is more than £18, just.

It's what I remember reading somewhere, so please check for yourselves, just in case I'm mistaken.

Do you have a link to that? HMRC site still says £40 for a gift (in section 2.4) here -

https://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&propertyType=document&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014#P56_5044

I think the old level for import duty was £18, since reduced to £15.

[Denbo]

Do you have a link to that? HMRC site still says £40 for a gift (in section 2.4) here -

https://customs.hmrc....000014#P56_5044

I think the old level for import duty was £18, since reduced to £15.

Okay, I did say check.

So what you're saying is that for VAT, see the link and it's £40.

And import duty is separate / different and is now £15.

Is there a link for that?

Thanks.

[John Reed]

Worth pointing out that on the HMRC website it states as one of the provisos that "To qualify as a gift" -

"There is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly by anyone in the UK".

Therefore, if you decided to pursue it, you could possibly be asked to prove you didn't buy the item, which may or may not prove tricky. Clearly, doing the maths, the vat was levied on the stated $30 value. You could always get in touch with HMRC either by phone or the online form and see where it leads. For all our sakes hope it's not a new trend.

So they've even though its marked as a gift and below the £40 value celing, they have deemed it to have come from a commercial transaction and therefore charged me VAT. What a bugger........

Edited October 31, 2012 by John Reed

[Denbo]

So they've even though its marked as a gift and below the £40 value celing, they have deemed it to have come from a commercial transaction and therefore charged me VAT. What a bugger........

Sounds / looks like you've got grounds to appeal the £11.69 charge.

[John Reed]

Sounds / looks like you've got grounds to appeal the £11.69 charge.

And here is where I think the rub is.... Of the £11.69 charge. £3.69 has to be claimed back from HMRC by filling out this form.

Customs+Duty+and_or+import+VAT1.pdf

And then you have to contact Royal Mail to argue about the £8 handling charge.

More trouble than its worth, I feel.

[Denbo]

And here is where I think the rub is.... Of the £11.69 charge. £3.69 has to be claimed back from HMRC by filling out this form.

Customs+Duty+and_or+import+VAT1.pdf

And then you have to contact Royal Mail to argue about the £8 handling charge.

More trouble than its worth, I feel.

It's not on is it? They reckon / know you ain't gonna bother for £3.69 and if you do, they'll argue the toss that the £8 admin fee stands, even though the whole thing was a cock-up of their own making.

Personally, just to be awkward, I'd argue the toss. And if I got no joy, I'd drag the Ombudsman in for good measure.

Thing is though, after all that, especially if I won my case, I'd be a marked man down the Sorting Office and literally everything posted to me from abroad would get the evil eye and I'd get slapped with every charge you can imagine.

Shouldn't be like that though, should it?

[Tiberius]

Okay, I did say check.

So what you're saying is that for VAT, see the link and it's £40.

And import duty is separate / different and is now £15.

Is there a link for that?

Thanks.

No, not quite. As I see it you will pay import vat on "commercial items", ie goods you've bought, above £15 in value, and on "gifts" above £40 in value. In addition you will be laible to pay customs duty for goods valued above £135.01 if the duty is calculated above £9 (less than £9 customs duty is waived).

All the above the information is in the same link I posted. Section 2.3 lists the limits for imports other than gifts along with exceptions such as alcohol, tobacco etc.

[Guest turntableterra]

name='Brillo' timestamp='1351264810' post='1815169'

this is quite timely as i just got hit for £56 duty on a record I only paid £50 for! Luckily DHL delivered it "duty unpaid" and are now chasing me for the duty so they can swivel for that but it seems good old HMRC are tapping every vein for revenue. Just got stung today for £50 mpore duty on a dress my daughter ordered from the States so they are checking everything

i got a jimmy burns when it was rare, the seller put full value on the duty slip and i go slammed 10% of $7000 = $700 import tax. the guy reckoned it had to be insured......insurance only covers to 1000. any how i had the last laffffffff. flogged it for $11500 a year later

[Rupert]

i just one, first time in ages. £34.95 import vat & 13.50 clearance fees.

this was on a £155 record.

well cheesed off.

[Guest julesp1905]

It's not on is it? They reckon / know you ain't gonna bother for £3.69 and if you do, they'll argue the toss that the £8 admin fee stands, even though the whole thing was a cock-up of their own making.

Personally, just to be awkward, I'd argue the toss. And if I got no joy, I'd drag the Ombudsman in for good measure.

Thing is though, after all that, especially if I won my case, I'd be a marked man down the Sorting Office and literally everything posted to me from abroad would get the evil eye and I'd get slapped with every charge you can imagine.

Shouldn't be like that though, should it?

The charges are applied in Langley, your sorting office has nothing to do with them , just accepts the payment, so i wouldn't worry about that, RM employees are just as heaved off about this sudden purge by HMRC, it is after all us that take all the flack!

[Supercorsa]

Only paid import duty once, but reading this thread had me worried. Recently bought a record for $400 (thanks to a PPI claim ) and paid $20 for registered postage. Thought to myself surely for that amount of postage the seller will declare true value of record, therefore leaving me open to a large customs/import charge. Anyway record arrived this morning, left in the bin cupboard as usual, no signature required. Parcel states postage at $16.95, but value of record as only $10. Part of me grateful for no import charge, another part left wondering what if the record was damaged, where that would have left me with a valuation of just $10?

[John Reed]

I bought a record from a seller on Ebay who in the item description stated that he would only declare the full value of each item sold on the custmes docket. So as the records was about £150, I had an expection of a customs charge. Lo and behold along came the record with a declared value of $10, I was quite happy about that.

Edited November 6, 2012 by John Reed

[Gogger]

call this number if you want to talk about the charge 08450109000 , not the number on the label , it will save you calling twice. seller never put as gift on package , was soon shot down in smoke

[Guest Bearsy]

Just been hammered with £157 charge including all parcel force fees as seller put full price on package :-(

I won't ge buying naff all of value from USA again

[Pete S]

Just been hammered with £157 charge including all parcel force fees as seller put full price on package :-(

I won't ge buying naff all of value from USA again

thats why I stopped buying from the States, it was after ebay made the sellers put on that message about full customs must be declared, it scared half of them to death

[Spook]

Just been hammered with £157 charge including all parcel force fees as seller put full price on package :-(

I won't ge buying naff all of value from USA again

A quick message to the seller before bidding, ask what are their thoughts on marking the CN22 value as $10 instead of Final Value. Also explain that marking it low attracts less attention in the post and allows you to bid more on their 45 !!

I have found 99% will mark it low, only had one who would not, couple of comments below including the one who would not :

Sure, it's no problem. We will mark a low value on your purchases when shipping.

Of course. Not a problem.

yes i can put a $10.00 value on custom form

Hi, yes that would be fine. Thanks, Clay.

Yes, we do put the final value on the customs declaration. I am sorry about any troubles that puts you through. Please bid accordingly.

no problem

I can declare a low value on the customs form

They won't mark low - Don't Bid or Bid Low to include any duty charges.

If they mark low no problems.

Best David

PS This arrived after I put this post up $ 8

Edited December 17, 2012 by spook

[Guest Bearsy]

i read back through the ebay posting and to be honest the fella i bought from had said that it would be fully insured and declared as he wanted to cover his arse for insurance reasons etc etc.

i called HMRC and it dont matter what it is basically they will charge VAT if they can and when i said to him ive had others that i aint been charged VAT on that was more than $40 and also $135 dollars he said that i am very lucky i never got an charges, like posts above say it has to be below a certain amount to get away with any charges so i got to bite the dust and pay up. oh well dont make it such a good a purchase as i thought it was

Edited December 17, 2012 by Bearsy

[Soul-slider]

I have decided NOT to buy anything from the USA over £15