Buying bits from the USA.......... - Customs Loop Holes

[Orange777]

Anyone know of a good way round being robbed by customs? I bought a snowboard few years ago from the US and paid more than the cost of the boar :-[d in Import Tax

Found a bike in the US and the seller is suggesting he will mark it as "Vintage Bike Parts"

Any help is appreciated!!

 

[That Swan Guy]

Anyone know of a good way round being robbed by customs? I bought a snowboard few years ago from the US and paid more than the cost of the boar :-[d in Import Tax

Found a bike in the US and the seller is suggesting he will mark it as "Vintage Bike Parts"

Any help is appreciated!!

 

Get them to tick as a GIFT and dumb down the value on the label. I've received parcels with "Happy Birthday" scribbled all over them in the past too 

[That Swan Guy]

Obviously if there are any customs men reading this Nickswan1 isn't my real man. It's Darren K.A.P.

[Orange777]

Obviously if there are any customs men reading this Nickswan1 isn't my real man. It's Darren K.A.P.

Did not even know you did not have to pay tax on gifts!! More money wasted over the years. DOH

Thanks Nick 

If I get any more tax evasion questions - I know where to come!!

[Mdbh]

If you knock the price down would you not be in trouble if it got lost? Or would it be coverd by a separate insurance?

[Orange777]

If you knock the price down would you not be in trouble if it got lost? Or would it be coverd by a separate insurance?

Very good point! Something else I forgot to consider. I will have to ask what cover I am getting as it won't have any from my end!!

T H A N K    Y O U

 

[sparky]

Just a thought but what about marking on the customs form that it is a replacement for a previously received damaged item.

I can't see that you'd have to pay customs on a replacement item, could be wrong though.

Just found this, see 12.1 to 13.1

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000230&propertyType=document#P349_40589

[Orange777]

Just a thought but what about marking on the customs form that it is a replacement for a previously received damaged item.

I can't see that you'd have to pay customs on a replacement item, could be wrong though.

Just found this, see 12.1 to 13.1

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000230&propertyType=document#P349_40589

Cheers Sparky! 

Not sure I could get away with that as some of the bike will look a bit like scrap metal! Will have a look through that site though for loopholes! Thansk for sharing!!

[markyp]

i paid customs on friday on an item that was marked at just $45 which is a joke cos im sure i read on the letter from parcel force which explains about charges that any item worth less than about £40 is not due any custom charge!!i  cant find the letter either to confirm this but it doesnt matter as ive got a set of bars winging their way to me from the states too so am expecting more customs to pay so will get the same letter no doubt,im pretty sure this items been marked waaay down too so will be interesting to see the outcome.good old parcel force not honouring their own policies

[Orange777]

i paid customs on friday on an item that was marked at just $45 which is a joke cos im sure i read on the letter from parcel force which explains about charges that any item worth less than about £40 is not due any custom charge!!i  cant find the letter either to confirm this but it doesnt matter as ive got a set of bars winging their way to me from the states too so am expecting more customs to pay so will get the same letter no doubt,im pretty sure this items been marked waaay down too so will be interesting to see the outcome.good old parcel force not honouring their own policies

Think you have been robbed by HRMC!! 

I am looking now at section 2.4 of this about gifts and it mentions the £40.00 rule!

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document#P56_5044

[Dannywhac]

You'll still get stung on an item marked as a goft if it's over a certain value. It's goods more than £15, or Gifts more than £40.

But, here's the pee-take - they'll include insurance and even sometimes the postage in on the total.....

[Orange777]

Hmmmmmmmmm - come to think of it, it was the shipping & insurance that screwed me with the snowboard, they did include it!

You would think with stamps at 60p Royal Mail was making enough money from us!

 

[QUADROPHENIA]

A lot cheaper just not to import it

[Orange777]

Just in process of finding that bit out! Maybe I just need to be more patient and wait for UK stuff 


Really puzzled at to why Malaysia has so many GT parts. Seat post below and saw GT tyres earlier........... is it known for producing fake NOS? Anyone know??

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330714458555&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123#ht_2890wt_1185

[Sink]

have a word with 58delray as he has a way of bringing stuff in 

[Orange777]

have a word with 58delray as he has a way of bringing stuff in 

thanks will ping him a message now!

[kalex]

customs are a joke. i had 2 bmx's from the usa, both came to within £7 of total value of each other and only 2 weeks apart. 1 was sent fedex. they added the postage cost to the item. ( i only got charged $100 from the sender as he had a business account so gets big discounts) but fedex said the actual cost was $248 so they put that on, then charged me a total of £134 i think import duty and handling charges, i contacted them to mention the postage was $100 and they didn't want to know. the second was usps so it went through parcel force (post office) they didn't add the postage cost on but they charged me £180 i think, they're handling costs were over 200% more than fedex. i phoned them up and complained why the difference in costs and they said it was likely due exchange rate increase. the bmx's were sent only 2 weeks apart. to say i was pi**ed was an understatement. i've now come to the conclusion that it depends if the customs person has had their oats the night beforehand or not. if not their taking it out on us.

[Wadz]

I thought is was free from customs if marked as a child's toy ,I've never paid customs from rinis.

[ED209]

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document#P40_4237

2.4 Gifts

Goods sent as a gift that are over £40 in value are liable to import VAT. Customs duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £135 but is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £9.

To qualify as a gift:

    * the customs declaration must be completed correctly
    * the gift must be sent from a private person outside the EU to a private person(s) in this country
    * there is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly
    * the gift is of an occasional nature only, for example, for a birthday or anniversary.

Note: if you purchase goods from outside the EU to give as a gift to a relative or friend, whether or not addressed to that person, is treated as a ‘commercial consignment’ for which the import VAT relief threshold is £18 (paragraph 2.3 refers).

[Skid]

Anyone know of a good way round being robbed by customs? I bought a snowboard few years ago from the US and paid more than the cost of the boar :-[d in Import Tax

Found a bike in the US and the seller is suggesting he will mark it as "Vintage Bike Parts"

Any help is appreciated!!

 

Get them to tick as a GIFT and dumb down the value on the label. I've received parcels with "Happy Birthday" scribbled all over them in the past too  

Doesn't always work. I got a f+f from the US last month which are marked as Gift and undervalued, still had to pay £20 odd to get it of Parcel Force. It was valued at $100 (£80), still had to pay the VAT and the handling charge.

[That Swan Guy]

There you go. Clear as mud!

[WARDY]

the only guaranteed way of getting the item through with lower or no charges is by seller putting lower value his end on the form they fill out , end of , then obviously it cannot be insured for true value , your call

[Skid]

There you go. Clear as mud!

 

[HARORIDER]

The bigger the item the more likely customs are gonna look at it !!!!!  get them to write "warranty return no charge" on the label this seems to be working at the moment 

[Orange777]

T H A N K      Y O U !!!

Does seem to be no real rules around this except luck!

Loving the idea of marking as a child's toy!! Think I would have the NSPCC on my case when they see how battered the item is!

All really helpful as usual!!