Originally posted by Ash What are the UK's customs rules?
When are you charged duty on imported items?
I didn't look into the details, but I think that the VAT ( 17% ) has to be paid and possibly some import duty.
What I should do is get my Canuck brother to bring stuff over as a 'gift' when he visits, I think the duty into Canada and the USA prices would make this very favourable.
Ahh, Google is my friend.
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?...yType=document
If you buy goods online from a country outside the European Union, for instance the USA, Canada, China, Australia
You will be charged:
* Customs duty if the amount of duty is €10 (£7) or over
* Import VAT if the value of the goods is €22 (£18) and over
* Excise duty for some goods like alcohol and tobacco
( I think that the Customs Duty is payable on goods with a value that exceeds £120, but if the amount of duty is less than £7 then they don't charge it.
But, you can be assured that if things can be made difficult the UK Gov't will do just that. see below.)
Custom Duty rates for specific products
Customs Duty is charged as a percentage of the total value of the goods - that is the sterling equivalent of the price paid abroad.
To work out the percentage, each type of product is given a 'commodity code'. This tells you what the Customs Duty rate percentage is for that particular product, based on whether it’s being imported or exported.
There are around 14,000 different classifications. The duty rate percentage for each may vary according to the country the goods come from. The average percentage is between 5 and 9 per cent, but it can be as low as 0 per cent or as high as 85 per cent.
To find out the Customs Duty rate for a product you can contact HM Revenue & Customs VAT, Customs and Excise Helpline. See the later section ‘Getting more help and advice’ below.