Urgent help on duty into UK

[russweb]

HI everyone

I just bought a nearly new Selmer Reference 54 tenor for US $3500 on e-bay. The tenor is in the states, I am in the UK. Stupidly, I did not think there would be tax to pay for a second hand instrument.

ALL advice very gratefully received

Russ

[mrsax100]

Hi! Dont want to be the bearer of bad news, but when I have bought things from America (say with value of $35 plus) I have generally got stung with VAT and also the Royal Mail charged me £15 on top of this for collecting it. I had to give them cash for this on delivery.

Let us know how you got on, I hope your experience is better than mine!

Jason

[Chris Peryagh]

Yeah, the swines sting us a fair bit for importing used goods!

I've had the seller fill in the valuation part of the delivery note with a figure a lot less than I paid for the item, and have either paid less or no tax depending on the amount they put.

So I'm reluctant to buy anything off eBay from the US due to this tax lark which is a shame as there's good stuff to be had.

[russweb]

Thanks guys, at least I am pre-warned

Russ

[Face Ache Mike]

I wonder what the situation is when a sax is sent here for repair and will be returned, for example. Surely, the repairman isn`t going to be billed?

[Chris Peryagh]

This is what I'm worried about too Mike, I'm thinking of sending my clarinets over to David Spiegelthal in the US to have him do some tonehole work on (whenever I get the time and money to do so), but worried that I'll be stung for import duty for something I already own!

[Face Ache Mike]

I suppose someone set up as a repair business will be able to prove that the item doesnt belong to him and shouldn`t be charged. Same situation for items being returned under warranty. In another of my hobbies, I have experience in importing items from USA and other countries. Some of these items were originally manufactured over here so they are exempt from duty. It just needs to be shown on the outside of the package. E.g. "Contents being returned to country of origin/manufacture".

So much for theory and thinking sensibly. Maybe a call to C&E is in order?

[Grumpie]

When you live in the EU and buy something in the USA the goods are submitted to importduties and vat. Even if the item was originally made in the EU (it could have been exported by the manufacturer so it will be handled as an item bought outside EU)

Now for sending an item from EU to USA for repair or something. When it comes back you should not be charged with the taxes again ofcourse, BUT you'll need proof that it was send there for repair. Check with your national customs, could be you need to make an official "temporary export declaration" so when the item comes back with a re-import declaration you have the proof needed. (Probably the declarations will cost you extra)
Another catch.....officially you can be charged with taxes for the repaircosts, maybe not when under warranty but then they could be asking for proof it was bought in the USA in the first place (wich also means taxes were paid then already upon first import,...."can you proof that sir"...).

[Face Ache Mike]

Ok, I`ll come clean. My other hobby involves 30 year old bicycles. Now, 30 years ago, the UK had a thriving bicycle industry and exported heavily to USA, in fact certain places in USA were used as testing grounds for new designs. These bikes are highly sought after by collectors here in UK as not all of them were deemed a success big enough to sell in UK. Odd but true. So, if you happen to have a Raleigh Chopper bicycle with a 10 speed derailleur even if you live outside UK I am happy to negotiate a price with you - including shipping. The best part is - the smart ones amongst us Raleigh bicycle collectors have not paid duty on them because they were originally made here.

The rules may have changed recently but thats how it was until last year when I last imported one.

[Grumpie]

The best part is - the smart ones amongst us Raleigh bicycle collectors have not paid duty on them because they were originally made here.

The rules may have changed recently but thats how it was until last year when I last imported one.

Mike, let's hope you can keep it that way, I'm not into British VAT rules, just a bit familiar with the Dutch combined with EU-importduty. But VAT rules differ within the EU so who knows. So next with this rule in mind you start importing UK made goods, no taxes, and then ship them within the EU. And shipping within EU means no taxes.:D

Whisper whisper...BTW, did you also hear about that rumour that actually Bueschers, Conns, Martins etc were UK made saxes.

I used to work for a exhaust manufacturer that was named T.I Raleigh and Wright. That was the old name, American company now.

[singlereed]

The cost of importing a large value item like that from the USA is about 20% of the value of the horn. It's 17.5% VAT and 3.5% (IIRC) import duty and usually the carrier makes an admin charge too. So, on $3500 USA that's going to be about $700 or, say £400. Sometimes, you get lucky and they don't charge - seems more likely to happen when I have things sent to my place of work. Best in my experience to ask the seller to declare it at say $400, take some of it on the chin, then at least Customs think they've had something out of you! Nevertheless, the problem is that it will normally only be insured for the declared customs value.

[Homer]

I recently bought a mpc. from the states and had it shipped over by air mail. It cost $45 shipping and I then got stung another £25.01 for VAT etc. before the courier would release it for delivery.......

Worth it though...it's a killer. :D

The guy I bought it off declared a value of $100, though I paid more than this, so I guess if he'd put the real price on there I dread to think how much it would have been.

[Sid]

I recently bought a mpc. from the states and had it shipped over by air mail. It cost $45 shipping and I then got stung another £25.01 for VAT etc. before the courier would release it for delivery.......

Worth it though...it's a killer. :D

The guy I bought it off declared a value of $100, though I paid more than this, so I guess if he'd put the real price on there I dread to think how much it would have been.

You've been had.... $45 airmail!!!!!!!

twice..... Vat on a $100 mpc would be about £10, it falls under the de-minimus for Customs Duty. Sounds like your tax has been calculated as if the value was declared in sterling not dollars - complain like hell.

[Windswept]

Here's a couple of web sites than can help you with importing into the UK

http://www.sloanefox.freeserve.co.uk/importukduty.htm and

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds/cgi-bin/tarchap?Lang=EN

The 2nd allows you, via browse, to find out the import duty on any type of item from any country into the UK. Currently 3.2% for wind instruments from USA and then add the VAT to that total.

[Pinnman]

We've been through this recently on another thread. Everyone is correct; it costs! I reckon on 25% of the purchase price plus postage combined to allow for the UK internal charges as well as tax and duty. There may well be some change out of this.

Declaring goods at below purchase plus postage is illegal, but not unheard of. The downside is that insurance is limited to the declared value.

Some kind sellers declare a higher value to show what a good deal the buyer has had. Thanks a bunch to them!

45% for postage for a mouthpiece suggests someone like WWBW who use UPS; very secure but not worth the extra. Junkdude charges $7.25 or thereabouts.

Delivery without payment is the norm, but UPS sometimes delivers and sends in the bill afterwards. The rule here is pay up or await the bailiffs.

Sending goods in and out requires a certificate from the Post Office when the goods leave the country. I do not know the mechanism, but the PO should be able to advise. (See also the Revenue and Excise web site.)

Russ, start saving up!

[Rackety Sax]

Ok, I`ll come clean. My other hobby involves 30 year old bicycles. Now, 30 years ago, the UK had a thriving bicycle industry and exported heavily to USA, in fact certain places in USA were used as testing grounds for new designs. These bikes are highly sought after by collectors here in UK as not all of them were deemed a success big enough to sell in UK. Odd but true. So, if you happen to have a Raleigh Chopper bicycle with a 10 speed derailleur even if you live outside UK I am happy to negotiate a price with you - including shipping. The best part is - the smart ones amongst us Raleigh bicycle collectors have not paid duty on them because they were originally made here.

The rules may have changed recently but thats how it was until last year when I last imported one.
I've got a 30 year old Motobecane Grand Jubilé - know anybody in the Chicago area who'd be interested in taking it off my hands? Maybe someone who has a True Tone alto they want to trade? ;)

[Face Ache Mike]

I've got a 30 year old Motobecane Grand Jubilé - know anybody in the Chicago area who'd be interested in taking it off my hands? Maybe someone who has a True Tone alto they want to trade? ;)

Sorry, I dont have contacts in Chicago and also it isnt the type of bike that I collect. Here`s what I do collect: