Buying a Camera in the US?

[disneycymru]

Customs do know from the serial number where you bought your camera, and you do have to pay VAT on gifts.

A fellow student when I was at college bought himself an expensive SLR when visting Hong Kong. Three years later when returning from a day trip to France, customs confiscated the camera. He had to pay customs duty, VAT and a fine to get it back.

My Father in Law lives in Florida. He had a stone carving that he had been using as a doorstop for 20 years or so. My wife asked if she could have it and he shipped it to England. To be safe, he declared a high value on the package for insurance purposes as it had sentimental value. When it arrived, we had to pay VAT on the full insurance value.

Andrew

I would suggest that your fellow student should have taken this matter a lot further you are allowed to import £145 worth of goods on every visit and this camera could have been legitimately bought on a previous visit. The Camera could have been purchased second hand, the retail value is dependant on what consumers are prepared to pay for a product. Furthermore this would suggest that every time you take a product bought abroad when travelling abroad you need to take the receipt! I would suggest this was an over exhuberent Customs Officer who didn't fully think through the potential implication of his actions. As stated earlier it is the Law even if the British Parliment are having it imposed on them from Brussels and you should not be surprised if you are asked to pay duty on items which are clearly brand new and expensive.

 

[Richard Bruvofetc]

So,going back to my original question; there are no real issues about buying the camera in the US. However, I need to ensure that if I buy one I add the "cost" of returning it to the UK. VAT is simple at 17% (but what happens if I paid US tax?). The other thing to look at is duty; does anybody know what rate this would be?

 

[patdavies]

I would suggest that your fellow student should have taken this matter a lot further you are allowed to import £145 worth of goods on every visit and this camera could have been legitimately bought on a previous visit. The Camera could have been purchased second hand, the retail value is dependant on what consumers are prepared to pay for a product. Furthermore this would suggest that every time you take a product bought abroad when travelling abroad you need to take the receipt! I would suggest this was an over exhuberent Customs Officer who didn't fully think through the potential implication of his actions. As stated earlier it is the Law even if the British Parliment are having it imposed on them from Brussels and you should not be surprised if you are asked to pay duty on items which are clearly brand new and expensive.

I bought a new digital camera in Florida on my last trip in May '05. I dutifuly declared it (along with another $700+ worth of goods). I only had to pay VAT on the camera. I was advised in no uncertain terms to carry the receipt on future journeys in order to prove that VAT had already been paid.

 

[AlanUK]

So,going back to my original question; there are no real issues about buying the camera in the US. However, I need to ensure that if I buy one I add the "cost" of returning it to the UK. VAT is simple at 17% (but what happens if I paid US tax?). The other thing to look at is duty; does anybody know what rate this would be?

Imprt duty is quite complicated as it depends on the item classification you may find the following article interesting...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3571401.stm

It's a shame that it's an EU law and limit that is imposed upon us as the chancellor stated in his 2005 budget statement that he would like the limit raised to £1000 which would see most of us tourists through the green channel with a clear conscience.

 

[Arissa]

Does anyone know if the £145 goods restriction applies to each indivual in the family or per family? Also is there an age restriction?

Cheers

Arissa

 

[UKVermonter]

Back in 1996 I was in Ireland for 2 weeks visiting a friend and made a few purchases and when I flew back at the airport in Shannon I was able to get the VAT back on some of the items I had bought showing the sales slips but I did declare what I had purchased to customs and had to pay some duty but the VAT back did help. I guess what I was wondering is there a place at U.S. airport a place to get the tax back you pay in the states to help offset what you have to pay on the duty fees.

 

[homerdog]

Hmmm, they can tell serial numbers on electrical items yet they can't stop mass illegal immigration

Just seen this! Customs officers do not have any jurisdiction with regard to immigration, it's down to the UK Immigration Service.

 

[homerdog]

Furthermore this would suggest that every time you take a product bought abroad when travelling abroad you need to take the receipt!

You do, if you want to be able to prove that any item is not liable to duty and/or VAT. The onus is on the importer to prove to Customs that the item is not so liable. It is also true that Customs can trace the origin of an item from the serial number.

The other thing to look at is duty; does anybody know what rate this would be?

The duty rate for digital cameras is currently 0% (in other words, duty is chargeable, but at the moment the rate is set at zero).

Does anyone know if the £145 goods restriction applies to each individual in the family or per family? Also is there an age restriction?

It is a personal allowance, so applies to every traveller. The £145 is in addition to the value of any tobacco, alcohol and perfume purchased. Under 17s can't have tobacco or alcohol. You can't 'pool' your allowances together either, e.g. to cover the cost of an expensive item.

 

[Richard Bruvofetc]

Zoinks! This thread still going .

I decided to buy in the UK afterall. I visited a few camera shops in Orlando and actually found that bar a couple (where the difference was only a couple of pounds) I could actually buy the Panasonic Lumix FZ7 cheaper over here.