Import duty

[Steve and Sarah]

Hi Guys

This is a bit of general question (Not really trip planning) but some of you are bound to know the answer.

Basically if I was to order something from the US and have it delivered to good old blighty then I assume that it will be liable for payment of VAT/Import Tax if it is valued over a certain level..?

If so how is this import duty taken/paid...?

The item I am looking at ordering is massively cheaper in the US and even with the full 17.5% added then it will still be loads cheapeer than buying in the UK (Even from Ebay).

Many thanks in anticipation.

 

[Claire L]

Depends upon the item as it may also have a bit of import duty on top of the VAT. HM Revenue & Customs have a list of common goods imported so hopefully you will find the likely rate on there.

As for payment I think HM Revenue & Customs send you a letter a short while after the delivery arrives with you.

Claire

 

[wayneg]

I have had stuff sent for a few years now including about 30 Monopoly games form USA (I collect them)
I have maybe had 45-50 items sent from DVD's to camara lens.
Everything except 1 item I have recieved thru Royal mail with no import tax.
The other item came thru UPS, it was one of my Monopoly games, cost me approx £10 to buy, £10 for shipping and £25 fees and tax, no idea how they got that price, they included a booklet explaining it but I binned it.
I was charged by UPS before they would leave it.

 

[penlanspice]

Chances are it won't get stopped, but you could be unlucky. I have items usually around every month from the US delivered and not many get stopped to be honest, but it does depend on the carrier they use. Every time I have bought from disney on line I always get a letter after the parcel asking for the fee (they use DHL, so they charge you not customs) with the post office if it gets stopped in customs they will send you a letter to pick it up and pay the fees. I think it's anything over (around) 20 pounds, if it gets stopped you pay 17 pounds fee plus the vat of the parcel value.

 

[dee slack]

I noticed that Royal Mail have a poster where you go to collect packages and it says that they add £8 for their charges on top of any tax/duty chargeable.
The limit is £18, but if you go over that (and get caught!) they add the value of the items to the postage to work out the amount you pay.
A couple of instances - 2 years ago, I spent £19.?? from the US and I got 'caught' and had to pay Royal Mail £7.07, then a couple of months ago, I had a DVD sample (from a videographer in Florida) who marked the commercial sample was valued at $100 and the charge by RM was only £12.??

 

[sandshal]

Approx 2 years ago we had a fishfinder sent from the states. Not only were we charged 17.5% VAT, but the post office charged us £15 to clear it through customs. Cash on delivery at the door, otherwise no parcel.

To be honest, put us off a little!

 

[jockey]

I just bought some North America GPS software from the US. We got charged 17.5% + £13 handling fee by parcel force. Was still a bargin even with this added on.

 

[Steve and Sarah]

Thanks for all your help and information, still thinking about whether its worth it or not!

Cheers

Steve

 

[wayneg]

Thanks for all your help and information, still thinking about whether its worth it or not!

Cheers

Steve

What is it for? what kind of savings are involved?
Are you going to US soon? we have stuff delivered to hotel to save shipping home. Although some hotels charge a handling fee of $5 still cheaper than sending home.

 

[Steve and Sarah]

What is it for? what kind of savings are involved?
Are you going to US soon? we have stuff delivered to hotel to save shipping home. Although some hotels charge a handling fee of $5 still cheaper than sending home.

Great thinking Batman...

It is car cradle thingy for the ipod to connect to the car stereo (Like a mobile car kit). It makes the stereo think it is a multichanger and you use the normal stereo controls to control the iPod. They are £150 (Fitted) in Halford's or cheaper via other means such as eBay (About £80). However I can get one for about £30.00 plus postage from the US. So a big difference as ever...!!!!
We are out there in August ourselves and could get it delivered either to the Villa or to the UPS store down at Champions Gate. I think I will definately do that rather than play silly beggars with HM Revenue and Customs.

Thanks one and all for the advice.

 

[wayneg]

You will also find some people/companies will send it insured delivery in US but only std delivery to UK. I have just ordered 100 trading pins with free delivery it was an extra $25 to insure only $5 in US. I am risking with no insurance, I would have been better sending them to hotel but want them from day 1.

 

[richard_andmel]

I have stuff delivered so it arrives at my disney resort a couple of days before I do, and I have never had a problem with it. I just put my check in date as part of my address.

Mel

 

[crabbie1]

I ordered some things from disney direct and was charged by UPS when it got to my door.Iwas not happy The items with shipping came to £69 and the charges were another £33!!!I ordered 3 pairs of crocs from Taylors at the same time and they came through Royal mail and I didn't have to pay a penny.It worked out dearer than buying from the uk in the end so won't do it again.(The first item not the crocks)

 

[DreamofDisney]

I just got my letter though asking for £17 for three pairs of Crocs ordered from Taylors Shoes - looks very much like it's the luck of the draw whether you get charged

 

[mikki.young]

Great thinking Batman...

It is car cradle thingy for the ipod to connect to the car stereo (Like a mobile car kit). It makes the stereo think it is a multichanger and you use the normal stereo controls to control the iPod. They are £150 (Fitted) in Halford's or cheaper via other means such as eBay (About £80). However I can get one for about £30.00 plus postage from the US. So a big difference as ever...!!!!
We are out there in August ourselves and could get it delivered either to the Villa or to the UPS store down at Champions Gate. I think I will definately do that rather than play silly beggars with HM Revenue and Customs.

Thanks one and all for the advice.

How about the connector that makes your ipod play through the radio - you can get one of those for about a fiver from ebay and they work great. Not a cradle but a lot cheaper!

 

[Beep]

I bought a transmitter for my MP3 player from Amazon and it's really good - it is the equivalent of the iTrip but much better. You tune the transmitter to the same frequency as a non-broadcasting radio channel and it plays your tracks through that.

It cost me about £25 all in from Amazon, and I didn't have to worry about import charges. Worth thinking about.

 

[Vizeman]

I bought a transmitter for my MP3 player from Amazon and it's really good - it is the equivalent of the iTrip but much better. You tune the transmitter to the same frequency as a non-broadcasting radio channel and it plays your tracks through that.

It cost me about £25 all in from Amazon, and I didn't have to worry about import charges. Worth thinking about.

Just wondering why it's much better than the I-trip, bought one last time I was in Florida and it does exactly those things you said above