Purchasing a Guitar in the USA

[bassface2k10]

Hi BC-ers

I have a daughter living and working out in the USA and am wondering If she was to purchase me a Bass for a Christmas present would she have to declare it for import duty when bringing it home back to blighty?
Basically what I’m asking is has anyone purchased a bass whilst out in the USA and brought it home and if so what’s the deal, has to be legal etc, any advice would be welcome.

All the best

Chris

[Cat Burrito]

Declare it, you should do. People try bringing instruments over in old cases but I don't suppose you want to put your daughter through an ordeal at Customs if it is challenged? I've imported a load of instruments and you get charged about 17% of the price in tax

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Yes - to be legal she'd have to declare it as she would be importing it.

[Dood]

[quote name='bassface2k10' post='1020441' date='Nov 11 2010, 05:38 PM']Hi BC-ers

I have a daughter living and working out in the USA and am wondering If she was to purchase me a Bass for a Christmas present would she have to declare it for import duty when bringing it home back to blighty?
Basically what I’m asking is has anyone purchased a bass whilst out in the USA and brought it home and if so what’s the deal, has to be legal etc, any advice would be welcome.

All the best

Chris[/quote]

I guess the obvious answer is the one you know already I think. Technically and according to the law you should declare it and you will be charged excise duty, VAT and probably some mysterious admin on top for good measure!

I've certainly heard of people buying overseas then bring basses home in old cases - It's not as if customs have time to search through every guitar case on the off chance there is a new instrument being smuggled in to the country. On the flipside, there have been stories on here in the past about people who have tried to circumnavigate customs charges when shipping items, for example at the wrong value etc, getting caught out then having to try to get their goods back.

[KiOgon]

Declare it or she's asking for trouble!
Isn't there a trick about 'used items' = no duty? I'm not sure but IIRC if you have a receipt showing it's a 'used instrument' they can't sting you?

[bassface2k10]

Cheers Guys

Yeah of course it goes without saying i want it all legal and above board.

Chris

[gary mac]

Found this site quite useful.

Refering to it has stopped me making some rash purchasing decisions. [url="http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-tax-calculation/"]http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-tax-calculation/[/url]

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='KiOgon' post='1020454' date='Nov 11 2010, 05:46 PM']Declare it or she's asking for trouble!
Isn't there a trick about 'used items' = no duty? I'm not sure but IIRC if you have a receipt showing it's a 'used instrument' they can't sting you?[/quote]
Nope - if its used & from the US it is still new to the UK and no VAT or duty would have been paid on it previously.

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='KiOgon' post='1020454' date='Nov 11 2010, 05:46 PM']Declare it or she's asking for trouble!
Isn't there a trick about 'used items' = no duty? I'm not sure but IIRC if you have a receipt showing it's a 'used instrument' they can't sting you?[/quote]

AFAIK that's not the case. HMRC charge on 2nd hand items via couriers/post office so don't see that airport channels would be different.

edit: beaten to it by J-LP!

Edited November 11, 2010 by jonthebass

[Noisyjon]

That said if you're getting a stonking deal on a bass then the charges may be worth it!

[Happy Jack]

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious, this discussion is happening on the internet, where lots & lots of people can see it.

Just saying ...

[bassface2k10]

[quote name='gary mac' post='1020463' date='Nov 11 2010, 05:50 PM']Found this site quite useful.

Refering to it has stopped me making some rash purchasing decisions. [url="http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-tax-calculation/"]http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-tax-calculation/[/url][/quote]

Thanks for that Gary, really Handy that link.
with import duty and vat a fender precision at $550 would come in landed at £422.68.. not bad at all really

Chris

[tino]

[quote name='bassface2k10' post='1020441' date='Nov 11 2010, 05:38 PM']Hi BC-ers

I have a daughter living and working out in the USA and am wondering If she was to purchase me a Bass for a Christmas present would she have to declare it for import duty when bringing it home back to blighty?
Basically what I’m asking is has anyone purchased a bass whilst out in the USA and brought it home and if so what’s the deal, has to be legal etc, any advice would be welcome.

All the best

Chris[/quote]
I only ever bring in used items so its always Duty & VAT.....However if it is genuinely a gift there will still be charges but it will be lower than buying as a stock item...have a look on the HMRC web site...its the only way to get the answer....
She could always buy it and sell it to you for $100 the duty then is insignificant

[goingdownslow]

How does it work if you went out with one, and come back with another. PX or swap for instance.

[Ancient Mariner]

There's ways of hiding it like that, but if it's staying here then legally you'll have to pay duty, even if it's a trade deal.

I've bought a few in the US, and you always have to pay duty above a certain value (got a MIM strat for $200 when it was $2=£1 and didn't have to pay for that one).

[dougal]

I've walked through customs, tens of times carrying basses between the US, Japan and the UK, and [i]never once[/i] have I been stopped (when I came back from Japan, I had 2 basses in flight cases and an EUB over my back - No-one blinked an eyelid).

Mind you, I had owned them for > 6 months which means it was all above board:
[url="http://www.ukimports.org/uk_customs_procedures_personal_effects_belongings_form_c3.html"]http://www.ukimports.org/uk_customs_proced...gs_form_c3.html[/url]

Actually, I was stopped once, but that was whilst I was leaving the USA, and the customs dude just wanted to know what was in the case because he played bass too.

Edited November 11, 2010 by dougal

[steve-soar]

f*** 'em. Try your best to avoid any taxes.

[Bassman Sam]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='1020904' date='Nov 12 2010, 01:45 AM']f*** 'em. Try your best to avoid any taxes.[/quote]


+1

[Ancient Mariner]

It's as much about who we are on the inside as how cheap we can get shiny toys.