Duty Free Allowance

[rob@rar.org.uk]

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

Yes they are, although as Joh said, no alcohol or cigarettes. I think I'm right in saying that you can't combine allowances, so, for example, you can't add up your personal allowance with a child's allowance to bring back an item costing £290 and not pay duty on it.

Regards

Rob

 

[wilma-bride]

Yes they are, although as Joh said, no alcohol or cigarettes. I think I'm right in saying that you can't combine allowances, so, for example, you can't add up your personal allowance with a child's allowance to bring back an item costing £290 and not pay duty on it.

Regards

Rob

That's correct Rob - the allowance is per person so only £145 each not £145 times however many in your party.

Joh

 

[FizzyPop]

Thats cool We mainly buy clothes over there, but I never knew the kids where entitled to £145

 

[Laurafoster]

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!!!!

Anything you but in the country does indeed count towards your duty free allowance! as you are not paying tax on it! a friend of mine though that before and when we went through customs they were stopped as the xray machine had picked it all up and she was made to pay the VAT on it all.

 

[gbrchill]

So, the answer is obviously to make more frequent trips to THE mouse and spend less on stuff to bring home on each one - to stay under the £145 limit.

Alternatively make sure you have all the receipts handy and go through the RED lane and declare the goods and pay the tax and duty.

Chris.

 

[Miffy2003]

. How many times have you come back early in the morning to find people at customs any way!!

Every time I have flown back into Gatwick there have been Customs officials there. Flight times have varied but they are always early morning getting into the UK, with my most recent one being at 6.30am. Sorry

I have been told (though have no personal experience of this) that there is rarely a Customs presence at some regional airports (eg Cardiff which lands at 4am or something like that).

Personally, I wouldn't bank on there not being someone there.

 

[Miffy2003]

So, the answer is obviously to make more frequent trips to THE mouse and spend less on stuff to bring home on each one - to stay under the £145 limit.

LOL Chris, if only I could afford the flights more often

 

[florida sun]

Every time I have flown back into Gatwick there have been Customs officials there. Flight times have varied but they are always early morning getting into the UK, with my most recent one being at 6.30am. Sorry

I have been told (though have no personal experience of this) that there is rarely a Customs presence at some regional airports (eg Cardiff which lands at 4am or something like that).

Personally, I wouldn't bank on there not being someone there.

You are right on this Karen, I have flown back into Cardiff 4 Times now, the last being in August, landing at 3.40am, and not a customs man to be seen, BUT you can guarentee that if I WAS over my personal allowence,one would pop out from somewhere, so I never take the chance lol.

Sue

 

[homerdog]

Every time I have flown back into Gatwick there have been Customs officials there. Flight times have varied but they are always early morning getting into the UK, with my most recent one being at 6.30am. Sorry

Have you seen which other flights also arrive at the same time? That might have something to do with it! They're not really bothered about the Orlando flight, bigger fish to fry

 

[patdavies]

This last 12 months, I have made 2 trips to the US and both times come back with about $ 800 worth of goods.

Both times I used the red channel. The first time, the customs officer on duty asked why I was in the red lane and I told him. He asked if it was only for personal use and when I replied "Yes", he waved me through. This was a flight from SFO.

The second trip, from MIA, again I went to the red lchannel and was again asked why. I explained why and offered reciepts. The customs officers were only interested in the camera and charged me the VAT due. Everything else was just waved through. As I left the red channel. I saw that loads of people were being stopped in the green channel.

The moral of this is that even if you go through the red channel, you don't always have to pay the duty.

 

[gbrchill]

The moral of this is that even if you go through the red channel, you don't always have to pay the duty.

I'll second that. On the two occasions I've been through the red channel I had to pay a nominal amount of duty/VAT once and was waved through on the other.

Chris.