Importing Into The Uk


Steve-O

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Joined
Aug 28, 2003
Messages
4,054
Ok, Im wanting to import a RC Car from USA into the UK...

What does the Value of the product have to be before Customs Start Charging and do you think customs will charge me?? The Car costs $160 USD
 
They start to charge after £36 for gifts and something like £20 for commercial items. Expect to be shocked though, as quite often the courier service will add about £16 on top of the customs.
 
Damn the bastard customs people :p

Why the Hell should Normal people get charged for importing, it should just be businesses that get charged :p



If I get it shipped by Boat, Does that make any difference?
 
nope, everything that enters the country will come through customs and excise

you pay import duty for a variety of reasons: EU legislation, in order to make the government the money it would have made had you purchased it in this country, to try and get you to buy home produced products blah blah blah
 
Heres how it works:

customs money > government > microsoft
(taken from you) (gov buys M$ stuff)

How it should work:

government > microsoft > cha ching!
(guys sent to M$) (Bill is killed) (government takes money from Bill)
 
get them to write 'Gift - value $30' / £20' on the package. ask them nicely. ...
 
get them to write 'Gift - value $30' / £20' on the package. ask them nicely. ...

thats what Im going to try :)...

Just its Stupid as the Car is not Produced in the UK its Produced in the USA and theres not a alternative "British made" version :p

Is there a 50 / 50 chance that It will pass through customs with out getting charged, Or Do ALL items get charged?????????
 
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with the current strength of the dollar versus the pound, basically with every man and his dog getting stuff from the states, customs are going to be checking pretty much everything that comes through.

be careful with stating it as such a low value, who knows what sort of legal problems you could face...
 
FFS, I think Ill just Buy it from the UK.. :(

Is it the VALUE of the Item you get charged on or the Total Price you pay for it??

The Car costs $160 but I get $50 off which makes it $110, But then You get charged on teh Shipping Price as well dont you?? and the shipping price is $43



If they mark it as a Gift but state the correct value, is the Import Tax Cheaper as its marked a Gift?
 
FFS, I think Ill just Buy it from the UK..  :(

Is it the VALUE of the Item you get charged on or the Total Price you pay for it??

The Car costs $160 but I get $50 off which makes it $110, But then You get charged on teh Shipping Price as well dont you?? and the shipping price is $43



If they mark it as a Gift but state the correct value, is the Import Tax Cheaper as its marked a Gift?

shipping costs are taxed as well

It goes on the value of the item if its over £36 you get charged. Its crap... so much for a global market eh ;)
 
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afaik marking it as gift makes it exempt from duty, but, as you are so aptly demonstrating, the abuse of such leniency has likely led to the withdrawl of such priveleges.

basically look at adding between 20%-40% onto the amount you paid for the product, if it works out cheaper to get it from the uk, go for it!
 
is there any shipping methods that "Skip" the Customs Charges?? I received a Jumper from the USA and it was shippied Via Registered USPS mail (United states Postal Service) and it has NO Customs Sticker thing on it (you know, the sticker with the value and if its a gift or not).



So, If Its shipped as a Gift, Will I get charged Import Tax ?
 
are you actually reading anything that anyone is posting?

both myself and skysnapper have stated that its possible, look i'll just requote my own post here in an effort to make it plain what you have to read:

afaik marking it as gift makes it exempt from duty, but, as you are so aptly demonstrating, the abuse of such leniency has likely led to the withdrawl of such priveleges.

"skip" import tax? you mean get something into the country but without customs and excise realising? with the jumper it was likely that either it was such a small package that customs didn't care, they opened it up and saw it was a jumper and thus it wasn't worth the hassle or maybe you just got lucky.
 
The bitches left my DS with the packaging ripped up! And had the nerve to charge me £30 on top!
 
I sent a chatboard to spain by AirMail and it took 3 and a half weeks to get there, imagine the time from America.
 
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