UK Customs!

[paulca]

The problem I’ve encountered in the past is when trying to contest the amount, you’re pissing in the wind, even if there is a process, which I’ve yet to discover, it’ll be so circuitous and painful that unless you have time on your hands, save yourself the grief and pony up.

I "might" consider filling one of these out and posting it.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-customs-dutyimport-vat-relating-to-imports-by-post-bor286

Of course, you are correct, it will be like pissing in the wind.  If I thought there was a chance of getting the Royal Mail handling fee back it would be worth the time and effort, but it's not really worth it for about £4.VAT back.

[medical-nerd]

Hiya

For the UK I found the exemption rules here https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty
In my case the paperwork on the outside of the box stated value at 18.3USD so under the limit

Unfortunately its not only the declared cost that counts - its declared cost and postage plus VAT at 20%.
So 18.3 USD + 20% =21.96USD = £15.73

The VAT is nowt, its the processing fee that screws you.  = £11.20

So you really have to order items less than £13 with free postage, or a total of £13 including postage to avoid the processing fee once VAT is added.

I order a low cost item first from an overseas supplier to see what they declare it as before ordering something over the £13 limit.

I ordered a small letter shaped parcel from Australia :

https://www.minikits.com.au/eme179.htm   51.50 Australian dollars  = £29.11

So add the $25 charged to send it to me, VAT on the cost plus postage and the processing fee, it came to $111 Australian dollars in total.

So for a kit costing £29 I had to pay a total of £62 - so no more purchases from Australia for me.   

 Cheers

[Mr. Scram]

you should always expect to pay VAT + Fees on imported goods and this is always calculated as 20% of value+shipping and then a processing fee on top

...when something slips past and you pay nothing then just take that as a very good win!

Not if you're below the minimum amount. In that case you should expect to pay nothing.

[medical-nerd]

Hiya

you should always expect to pay VAT + Fees on imported goods and this is always calculated as 20% of value+shipping and then a processing fee on top

...when something slips past and you pay nothing then just take that as a very good win!

Not if you're below the minimum amount. In that case you should expect to pay nothing.

Yup - but they add VAT to the purchase cost plus shipping to see then if you are under the minimum amount, then add a hefty processing fee for pushing some buttons on a calculator if you are just one penny above.

Cheers

[paulca]

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-value-your-imports-for-customs-duty-and-trade-statistics

[Lord of nothing]

How about take an Ryanair Flight to BTS and collect the Parcel from my Adress?
Here in Austria normaly you dont need to pay Tax if the Chinese Company declare it as usual with 5$. 
Only the Stupid American declare it rite and I have to pay a lot of Tax. 

[donotdespisethesnake]

Yup - but they add VAT to the purchase cost plus shipping to see then if you are under the minimum amount, then add a hefty processing fee for pushing some buttons on a calculator if you are just one penny above.

That's not what it says on the website. Sounds like you got ripped off too!

[TheDane]

I came across an article a while ago, where the EU anti fraud division had uncovered a massive problem with under-declared imports to the UK.
Perhaps it is the 'system' which is facing financial trouble when leaving the EU

https://ec.europa.eu/anti-fraud/policy/joint-customs-operations/operation-octopus_en

[paulca]

So it arrived.  It has a complete and full EMS declaration on it for the total order value of $34.

So that's about £24.50.  VAT @20% is about £4.90.  They charged me twice that.

So they have obviously assumed the value of goods was $34 and then added shipping on top.  Given the shipping was actually $29 worth of the order.  That would probably add up to £9.86 VAT.

Absolute merchant bankers.

It's not really worth chasing them for £5.  I won't get the £11.20 Parcel Force fee back, but it just urks me somewhat that they can make stuff up to suit themselves.

[Kjelt]

In the UK, the declared goods amount determines whether it is above or below the threshold, but if over, the VAT is on the value plus the shipping cost.

Yes he same here in NL. On shipping costs there is something very fishy in China going on.
You get a nonsense T&T code ending with CN for China then after a week it changes in a DHL T&T code.

I ordered a closed loop stepper motor drive set for $160 +$40 shipping.
I asked the seller to put $40 on the freightbill which he did.
Then the customs saw the freightbill declared vat on the $40 , there was no shipping costs declared.
So customs took the dhl express europe to china shipping pricelist which for this parcel would cost $140 
And declared vat over that as well.
Now how can a company make profit if indeed those dhl express tarifs are correct?
Is the chinese gvt still subsidizing shipping costs? But in these amounts ?
I am puzzled but catch 44 if i show the original transaction the vat would have been the same.

[wraper]

So customs took the dhl express europe to china shipping pricelist which for this parcel would cost $140 

This is BS pricing for reasonably small package even when sent from EU. Maybe if you send as a private person directly, without using shipping broker.

[Lord of nothing]

  I am not from the UK but today I should receive an Parcel with an Value of 180€ we will see if I have to pay Custom fees.