Import tax from America.

[OLYMPIC]

Now i'm looking to buy something online from the States and was wondering if anyone on here has experience of what sort of import tax you might have to pay.

I know that if the product is over £18 you have to pay VAT but what limit is it before you have to pay import tax,also i have seen that the post office can charge a handling fee on top of any postage paid.

Just trying to workout if it's worth while bothering.

[Deanovski]

import tax is ridic..

[Draino76]

I just bought a projector bulb for £150 from USA. Had to pay £13 import tax and £13 post office handling fee.

[John Boy Saint]

Blimey you learn something new everyday. I bought a Cd of the Genesis concert I attended at Old Trafford a couple of years ago, the CD was "pressed" and distributed by The Music .com in the states everything was in Dollars. There was an Anoraks boxed set of the whole tour US and Europe for lots of money but nowhere did it mention Import tax.

[hamster]

Ask them to mark it 'GIFT ITEM'

[Saint Mikey]

I bought 3 t-shirts and got stung for about £25 for tax and charges - wasn't impressed.

[Draino76]

My projector bulb had ****ing made in Belgium on it.

[dronskisaint]

Now i'm looking to buy something online from the States and was wondering if anyone on here has experience of what sort of import tax you might have to pay.

I know that if the product is over £18 you have to pay VAT but what limit is it before you have to pay import tax,also i have seen that the post office can charge a handling fee on top of any postage paid.

Just trying to workout if it's worth while bothering.

 

Be wary too of goods that would need a CE mark over here - electrical being one example. C & E have the power to confiscate with no restitution unless you can get it from the seller.

[OldNick]

Import duties are variable. Dont forget the VAT as well.These are all stealth taxes that many of us do not realise we are payingfor goods in the shops.When I imported some goods the import duty levied was calculated as the cost price in the country of origin add to that the insurance and shipping charges, the duty was then calculated on that and then Vat on top. So duty was not paid on the cost of the item but on the insurance shipping and then vat as well. It is major taxation by stealth.This government doubled import tax when they first came to power.They knew the public would be oblivious to this instant doubling of tax.

[saint_in_munich]

Now i'm looking to buy something online from the States and was wondering if anyone on here has experience of what sort of import tax you might have to pay.

I know that if the product is over £18 you have to pay VAT but what limit is it before you have to pay import tax,also i have seen that the post office can charge a handling fee on top of any postage paid.

Just trying to workout if it's worth while bothering.

 

OLYMPIC, what are you trying to buy (size etc) and whats the cost of it ? I live in the states.

[Bourno]

Ask them to mark it 'GIFT ITEM'

 

Or declare the value at under £18.

[Draino76]

Actually my USA guy may have done me a favour by marking the bulb 'specimen'. I dunno.

[richie]

Bought golf club off ebay for about £90 and got charged £20 import tax.

 

Tried to put it off but Fed Ex werent having any of it.