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Buying stuff from US

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    Buying stuff from US

    Suppose I want to buy few grand worth of IT hardware from USA, would it be hit by UK custom duties/VAT?

    #2
    it'll take fecking ages to get through EU customs

    Milan.

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      #3
      Originally posted by AtW
      Suppose I want to buy few grand worth of IT hardware from USA, would it be hit by UK custom duties/VAT?
      In theory yes. Doesn't always happen (I bought loads of Cisco kit for my lab via ebay from the US and about 75% of the time I got hit with Custom Duties). Depends how it's worded I guess - if you can get the other end to lie about what it is, and maybe downplay the value (Screws your insurance).
      Hang on - there is actually a place called Cheddar?? - cailin maith

      Any forum is a collection of assorted weirdos, cranks and pervs - Board Game Geek

      That will be a simply fab time to catch up for a beer. - Tay

      Have you ever seen somebody lick the chutney spoon in an Indian Restaurant and put it back ? - Cyberghoul

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        #4
        How to find out how much custom duty will be? Will they also charge VAT on import? It seems that if dury is over 15-20% then its pretty pointless to import stuff that I want.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by AtW
          How to find out how much custom duty will be? Will they also charge VAT on import? It seems that if dury is over 15-20% then its pretty pointless to import stuff that I want.
          To be honest, unless it's a great bargain and possibly small size then once you factor in customs and shipping plus intangibles (Local sale vs foreign sale etc) it's not normally worth it. Cost varies on value of goods and type.
          Hang on - there is actually a place called Cheddar?? - cailin maith

          Any forum is a collection of assorted weirdos, cranks and pervs - Board Game Geek

          That will be a simply fab time to catch up for a beer. - Tay

          Have you ever seen somebody lick the chutney spoon in an Indian Restaurant and put it back ? - Cyberghoul

          Comment


            #6
            You'll be hit with VAT and possibly other duty on top.

            Only worth doing if the thing you want is not easily available in the UK.

            To do it to save money rarely works as the nice C&E people make sure El Gordo gets a big fat slice.

            Comment


              #7
              Undoubtably yes. I bought £300 quids worth of goods and got stung for an additional £80 when it arrived.

              The only way round it is to get them to package it (and on the postage label) mark it as a gift. I doubt the people you're buying it from would do this, and the VAT man can always open it up (and presumably find a dispatch note) so this isn't guaranteed. Not that I would even consider trying that of course.
              "Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny. "


              Thomas Jefferson

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                #8
                Yeah that's what I thought, oh well, at least price difference is not as big as it used to be.

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                  #9
                  No wonder colonists rebelled against taxes

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                    #10
                    Bit of a have really, especially if you have already paid tax on the purchase where you got it from.

                    BTW, anyone know what happened with that case involved HM Customs and their duble taxing of European alcohol etc?

                    Mailman

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