Buying From Us

[pastafreak]

Will there be more charges? The item is £10.50+£4.50 postage...sent by USPS First Class Mail Itnl./First Class Package Itnl. Service.

[woofgang]

doubt it, the cut off point is around 18 quid.

[Buenchico]

Theoretically any postal imports from non-EU countries attract Customs Duty, VAT and an £8 customs examination fee.

However Customs Duty isn't payable where the value of the goods is less than £135. VAT isn't payable where the value of the goods plus postage (plus Custom Duty, where relevant) doesn't exceed £15, so you're just in the clear there. The customs examination fee isn't payable when there's no Customs Duty or VAT to pay. So you should have nothing to pay.

However another few pence on the price of the item could have cost you dearly. For example, if the item + carriage came to £16 (and you weren't buying a VAT-exempt item, such as a book), you'd have to pay £3.20 VAT plus an £8 customs examination fee, totalling £11.20.

Take great care when buying from outside the EU!

[pastafreak]

Thanks for your detailed answer,Chris. I had a feeling the item might be "borderline". It's on eBay...maybe I could convince the seller of a guaranteed sale if the price was reduced ever so slightly....?

[Retrochic]

Pasta -ask if they will put the value at a lower price on the Customs form they have to stick on the front. However you will be ok as Buenochico is correct
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

I recently bought a saddle from Texas and had to pay £75 import duty and an £8 fee from USPS

[pastafreak]

That must have been one expensive saddle. But I suppose if it's cheaper enough compared to goods bought here,then youll still save.

[Retrochic]

pasta - it is a Western Saddle around $ 750 and less than half the price it would have been over here. A good English Saddle in the UK can cost upwards of £800. Unfortunately you get charged import duty on the price of the postage as well which seems ridiculous to me, so your item will come to £15 which may incur chaarges. When I sell on Ebay to outside the EU I always send it as a gift - ask your seller if they can do that.

[LCDMAN]

Just one point of clarification, Buenchico.

No VAT due if the value of the GOODS ALONE is < £15. However if VAT is due (>£15 or £36 if a genuine gift, within a very strict HMRC definition and clearly marked as such) THEN the cost of shipping/postage is added to the Goods value to determine the VAT due on that TOTAL figure.

[SirOracle]

Seems a pity that we can't put these charges on steel imported from China for one example.