Duty Free Allowance

[mickg7dyd]

Hi,
E-mailed HMRC recently and here's the reply I got after several attemps.

Our Ref: 224697
15 September 2005

Dear Sir

Thank you for your e-mail regarding the increase in the duty free
allowance.

The proposal to increase the allowance was put forward in the Budget,
unfortunately it will not become law until it is ratified by the E.U.
Member
States.

We have no information when this will happen.

I would advise to check our website at www.hmrc.gov.uk or the press.

I regret I am unable to offer any further assistance at this time.

Yours sincerely

John Errington
H.M.Revenue & Customs

It do find it extremely frustrating that we have to wait for foreigners to decide how much money we are allowed to spend on goods abroad, oh well I guess that's what they call a democracy these day's.

Mick.

 

[Deedee]

don`t forget what you buy in the resort does not count towards your duty free allowance so why not do as i do and stock up before you get to the airport. Wrap the booze in bubble wrap and towels in your case!!!!

 

[Goofyish]

I'm sure that even if you buy alcohol before you get to the airport it still counts towards your allowance; if not the alcohol allowance then it would be part of £145 spending limits for gifts and souvenirs.
Also any goods bought duty free at the UK airport before you leave will count against your allowances if you bring them back into the country!

 

[patdavies]

don`t forget what you buy in the resort does not count towards your duty free allowance so why not do as i do and stock up before you get to the airport. Wrap the booze in bubble wrap and towels in your case!!!!

Not so. This is only true if the items are bought duty-paid in an EU country.

Everything that you buy in the US and bring back counts towards your £145 allowance.

The proof is that I was charged duty and VAT on a new digital camera bought in Wal-Mart.

 

[Booknut]

Is that £145 per person? That's not an awful lot!

 

[FizzyPop]

I always thought it was per person

 

[homerdog]

The proof is that I was charged duty and VAT on a new digital camera bought in Wal-Mart.

You should only have been charged VAT, as the duty rate on digital cameras is currently zero

As mentioned, Deedee is wrong about goods bought in the resort.

The £145 allowance is for 'other goods'. This does not include tobacco products, perfume, wine or spirits, for which they are specific limits.

I'm sure the HMRC officer will have more important things to worry about than that though

 

[Deedee]

I was told about this by a rep so they shold know what they are talking about. How many times have you come back early in the morning to find people at customs any way!!

 

[JANNYANS]

On my last trip in gatwick in May in the early hours there were officers on duty and they were taking goods from people mainly cigarettes and drink

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

PLUS the last time we came through, they were x-raying some cases as well.

However, being in the "taxation is theft" camp, I do not see why our governemnt (the EEC) should tell us what we can and cannot bring into the country.

 

[patdavies]

Homerdog,

I have just checked the receipt and you are absolutely right - it was only for VAT.

Apologies if this misled anybody.

Obi Wan

What p***ses me off more is that the UK chancellor cannot raise the limit for import to the UK. I understand the reasons why this is so, but fail to see why unelected commisars - sorry, commissioners - in Brussels should have this degree of control of my country.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Homerdog,

Obi Wan

What p***ses me off more is that the UK chancellor cannot raise the limit for import to the UK. I understand the reasons why this is so, but fail to see why unelected commisars - sorry, commissioners - in Brussels should have this degree of control of my country.

Exactly Homer dog.
Even if all trhe UK elected MEP's voted one way, they could not win the battle in that expensive monolith in Brussels (or the alternative also expensive monoilith in Strasburg!)

 

[tink too]

I think the first few times I went (with my parents when I was little) we were only allowed to spend £32 on "other products" not including the small duty free allowance! Try visiting WDW and only buying £32 worth of stuff!

I think the extra suitcase my parents bought to bring home all the souvies and cheap clothes/trainers used up all the allowance!

I also don't think the duty-free allowance has increased at all in the last 20 years or so - still 1 litre of spirits and 200 ciggies!

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

I was told about this by a rep so they shold know what they are talking about.

I'm afraid your Rep was talking rubbish. The personal allowance limits are the limits, it doesn't matter whether you paid sales tax/duty in another country (outside the EU) or whether you bought them in a duty-free shop.

Regards

Rob

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Homerdog,

I have just checked the receipt and you are absolutely right - it was only for VAT.

Apologies if this misled anybody.

Obi Wan

What p***ses me off more is that the UK chancellor cannot raise the limit for import to the UK. I understand the reasons why this is so, but fail to see why unelected commisars - sorry, commissioners - in Brussels should have this degree of control of my country.

Surely this would need approval by the Council of Ministers or the EU Parliament? The Commissioners are like Permanent Under-Secretaries in UK Government Departments: senior figures with a fair degree of autonomy, but not able to pass legislation which is the job of the elected members.

 

[Deedee]

Also if you wear the clothes and trainers over there even for a while, they can not prove you didn`t take them with you. As we have said it is up to us how we spend our money and how much we spend.

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

PLUS the last time we came through, they were x-raying some cases as well.

However, being in the "taxation is theft" camp, I do not see why our governemnt (the EEC) should tell us what we can and cannot bring into the country.

To be strictly accurate, you can bring back into the country whatever you want, but if it is above your personal allowance you have to pay tax & duty on it. Although there might be some downsides to having a common policy for allowances across the EU (eg all countries need to agree on what those limits are) there are upsides: for example, within the EU there are no limits to what goods we can bring back to the UK for our personal use.

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Also if you wear the clothes and trainers over there even for a while, they can not prove you didn`t take them with you. As we have said it is up to us how we spend our money and how much we spend.

I'm afraid that's not correct either. It is up to YOU to prove that you have paid duty on goods you import, rather than up to Customs&Excise to prove that duty is payable. Simply removing labels, packaging, etc from goods or even wearing them in the case of clothes does not mean that C&E will not be able to charge you import duty if they feel that the goods are new.

You are right that it is up to us how much money we spend when we are abroad (the days of restrictions on how much money you could take out of the country are long ago), but we should be aware that above certain limits we may have to pay VAT and import duty on whatever we bring home.

Regards

Rob

 

[FizzyPop]

I know each adult can bring £145's worth of stuff back, but what about children? are they allowed £145's worth of stuff?

 

[wilma-bride]

Duty free allowances on non-European Union journeys

There are still duty free allowances for passengers arriving from countries outside the EU. No one under 17 is entitled to the tobacco and alcohol allowances.

Type of goods

Spirits, strong liqueurs over 22% vol or fortified or sparkling wines, some liqueurs - 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs or 2 litres of fortified or sparkling wine or liqueurs

Still table wine - 2 litres

Perfume and toilet water - 60cc/mlof perfume or 250cc/ml of toilet water

Gifts, souvenirs, other goods - £145

Cigarettes - 200
or
Cigarillos - 100
or
Cigars - 50
or
Tobacco - 250 grammes

HTH
Joh