Import tax

[Neal Bull]

I just can’t believe it, I’ve been charged 

for a$22 parcel just bloody greed 

I thought you only got charged  on a higher vat parcel won’t be buying from

the states if this keeps on the seller should help

[Richard]

You should officially be charged import tax if goods over USD15 I think it is.

Been done for this numerous times and you should factor in when buying. If you get away with not being charged happy days but should take it you will be charged to be in the safe side.

Plus of course the post office handling charges

This will also come in from EU when we Brexit

Edited January 4, 2020 by Richard

[Tim Richmond]

We have relatives in Auz, for years we have 'exchanged' parcels at Xmas, a couple of years ago, we got a card from the postman telling us there was a parcel at the local sorting office, with duty to be paid before collection. The parcel was  valued at about £30, containing small gifts. When I queried it at the sorting office, I was told that the PO had been relaxed over the years in 'picking up' incoming parcels (with a customs declaration/value) where duty was due. The PO add £3 (I think) as an admin fee, looks to me as though the fee is the motivation for the change in stance. Bearing in mind the PO is an inefficient/out of date/dinosaur type of organisation, who are losing customers by the day, the new stream of income must be greatly appreciated! HM Revenue & Customs must be pleased also!

Be aware.

Tim.

[Guest Shufflin]

got caught out with this quite a few times last year, biggest one was an extra £60

asked about it, was told it's random but I wonder

[Richard]

Yep over £15 on goods not USD15 as I said earlier, £39 on gift.

The post office fee is £8 on top

As already said EU rules will change when Brexit.

Edited January 4, 2020 by Richard

[Neal Bull]

Ok thanks 

[Sutty]

I got done in December for customs on a declared $19.99 package, which was under the £15 limit. You have to pay before the p.o. will release the package, the charge was £12 in my case, £4 customs and £8 p.o. fee. The p.o then directed me over the phone to the hmrc website to jump through hoops to get the customs money back. Looked like the £8 was going to be kept by the p.o. for collecting so I didn’t bother. Basically, what they did was illegal as they stole from me, but what can you really do when they behave like scum?

better than when they tried charging me a ridiculous amount on a jap package that was 750 yen (£5) and they valued it as £750. The discussion at the p.o. was pointless and I refused the package!

Edited January 4, 2020 by Sutty
Yada yada

[Neal Bull]

It’s a joke

[Chalky]

3 hours ago, Neal Bull said:

I just can’t believe it, I’ve been charged 

for a$22 parcel just bloody greed 

I thought you only got charged  on a higher vat parcel won’t be buying from

the states if this keeps on the seller should help

Was it $22 plus postage?  The postage is included.

[Neal Bull]

$$22 plus post 1. 45

[Chalky]

10 minutes ago, Neal Bull said:

$$22 plus post 1. 45

The post will have taken it over the max value

[Neal Bull]

Yes though so 

[Rick Smith]

I bought an album from the states and when it didn't arrive checked the US Post tracker and found it had been held by the UK post office to pay tax. I never received the card the post office usually send and when I contacted the post office they said they'd sent the package back to the sender. The sender never received it and I was left with sweet FA because the post office wankers couldn't do their friggin job. No apology, they didn'd give a monkeys. It doesn't encourage you to buy from the USA particularly when the UK postal service is full of imbeciles and grasping tax parasites. wanting to nail you for a 50 year old record.

[Guest Shufflin]

1 minute ago, Rick Smith said:

It doesn't encourage you to buy from the USA particularly when the UK postal service is full of imbeciles

for one of mine I got the card through letter box then selected the re-delivery service, they 'lost' the record betwen the local & main office and told me to make a claim after 2 weeks of messing around, wonder where it went

[Neal Bull]

Yeah frigging corrupt government , post Office, why charge a handling 

fee, when it’s their job to deliver, not ponce about waiting to cash in on 

customers who are unfortunate and having to pay  import tax , shame 

on the post office and customs, when the post Office always say it’s not 

us it’s the customs. 

[Chalky]

11 hours ago, Neal Bull said:

Yeah frigging corrupt government , post Office, why charge a handling 

fee, when it’s their job to deliver, not ponce about waiting to cash in on 

customers who are unfortunate and having to pay  import tax , shame 

on the post office and customs, when the post Office always say it’s not 

us it’s the customs. 

The post office clear it through customs for you or I.  They pay the import charges etc and then there is their costs on top, therefore £8.  I don’t particularly agree with the fee but it would probably cost you considerably more to travel to say Heathrow and clear it yourself.  

[Neal Bull]

I agree, I think we will have to pay import 

tax on Euro stuff soon 

[Chalky]

15 minutes ago, Neal Bull said:

I agree, I think we will have to pay import 

tax on Euro stuff soon 

Unless they sort a trade deal.  If they also sort one with the US import tariffs will end. 

Edited January 6, 2020 by Chalky

[Neal Bull]

Hope so 

[Steve G]

2 hours ago, Chalky said:

The post office clear it through customs for you or I.  They pay the import charges etc and then there is their costs on top, therefore £8.  I don’t particularly agree with the fee but it would probably cost you considerably more to travel to say Heathrow and clear it yourself.  

It is so strange that people think the PO should receive your parcel, ship it to your local P.O, store it, notify you of its arrival, collect the duty the government insist on from you, pass it on to HMRC, validate the accounts, and do all this for free.   

Edited January 6, 2020 by Steve G

[Neal Bull]

Don’t expect it for free just reasonable 

charges

[Billy Jo Jim Bob]

4 hours ago, Neal Bull said:

Don’t expect it for free just reasonable 

charges

There are two types of charges at different values, Import Duty and VAT. As Chalks has already said the postage counts towards the actual import cost, so you can also blame the US postal service for doubling their rates a couple of years ago. If the customs flag it then the PO has to pay up and then collect from you and as Steve says its actually better for you that they do it otherwise it would cost a fortune in travel and expenses.

Best policy is to ensure you only buy from US sellers who will declare a low value. I wont bid or buy on any listing where they state that actual costs will be declared on the package and I also try to avoid those who use the Ebay global shipping programme which seems to sting you for duties no matter what the value is.

[Neal Bull]

Yes you’re  absolutely right 

[Modernsoulsucks]

I wonder if the number of packages coming through the door gets you noticed.

I get say six per year from USA usually 50-ish albums and 20-ish 45s.

Whilst mate declares low I can't hide postage which is usually around $100.

Not got charged yet.

[Guest Shufflin]

9 minutes ago, Modernsoulsucks said:

I wonder if the number of packages coming through the door gets you noticed.

that's what I think it is

[Steve G]

1 hour ago, Modernsoulsucks said:

I wonder if the number of packages coming through the door gets you noticed.

I get say six per year from USA usually 50-ish albums and 20-ish 45s.

Whilst mate declares low I can't hide postage which is usually around $100.

Not got charged yet.

I'd doubt it Rod. Customs are set in clearing centres near the airport. the PO is just the collection agent. ATB Steve

Edited January 6, 2020 by Steve G

[Modernsoulsucks]

Customs must keep a record to ensure PO collects duties owed ?

Computerised ?  Highlights frequent users ?

Just a thought.

[Obes]

After getting stung this way and having bought a $150 lp from the states, I asked the seller to declare a low value to avoid it happening again.  He said he couldn't, as he had to insure it properly, and also didn't want to break the law. He ended up getting a friend from the UK to bring it over and I collected it from a Scientology centre in Edinburgh! Weirdest record deal I ever had... 

[Davlee]

On ‎06‎/‎01‎/‎2020 at 21:36, Modernsoulsucks said:

Customs must keep a record to ensure PO collects duties owed ?

Computerised ?  Highlights frequent users ?

Just a thought.

It used to seem random  , but I have been hit with Vat / Customs + Vat + Post Office fees several times since December.... more times than the whole of previous 12 months . Anyone else having the same experience..?

Looks to me like Govt are tightening up on this easy income stream. Someone has to pay for all those election promises.

 

Buying from USA might have to go on the back burner for a while.

Edited January 13, 2020 by Davlee

[Kevinkent]

14 minutes ago, Davlee said:

It used to seem random  , but I have been hit with Vat / Customs + Vat + Post Office fees several times since Decemeber.... more times that the whole of previous 12 months . Anyone else having the same experience..?

Looks to me like Govt are tightening up on this easy income stream. Someone has to pay for all the election promises.

HMRC and/or the Post Office are possibly employing/training more customs staff on import tax checking in preparation for brexit and when the tax will eventually be due on goods from Europe. In the meantime that means more staff to practice on/look out for, items from the rest of the world which may otherwise have slipped the net. Just a guess.

- Kev

[Steve G]

Customs are short of staff. I think part of this at least depends on the volume of goods coming into the country. January is usually a quieter month so more time for staff to check things coming in. December by contrast is manic, and although I believe they put more staff on it,  a lot of stuff slips through. There is no rhyme or reason to it as far as I know.   

[Psamsara]

Do you have any rough idea when the stuff from Europe will get taxed in UK?

[Chalky]

28 minutes ago, Psamsara said:

Do you have any rough idea when the stuff from Europe will get taxed in UK?

When the transition period ends at the end if this year I would imagine unless some agreement is made. 

[Steve G]

3 minutes ago, Chalky said:

When the transition period ends at the end if this year I would imagine unless some agreement is made. 

It all depends on the nature of any agreement reached with the EU. My prediction is that despite the hot air and rhetoric, we will have a close trading agreement with the EU at the end of the transition period. 

[Psamsara]

Thanks   Need that info as i'm ordering some stuff to my mate in London, to avoid getting taxed here.

Ok, so i need to order as much as i can until the end of the year.

[Chalky]

47 minutes ago, Steve G said:

It all depends on the nature of any agreement reached with the EU. My prediction is that despite the hot air and rhetoric, we will have a close trading agreement with the EU at the end of the transition period. 

I doubt very much will change in reality at the end of it all trade wise.