Importing basses from EU

[lowlandtrees]

I am thinking about importing a bass from the EU (Maruszczyk)Bit confused about the VAT and import duty thing. I notice, for example, that some suppliers include 21% VAT for example. I assume that this is the tax you pay in that country? You have to then pay VAT to get it into this country? I notice that some suppliers (Bass Direct possibly) offer a VAT free price if exporting.....assuming the country that it will be sent to will charge the receiver VAT. I haven’t seen that in other suppliers. Do you also pay VAT on used basses?
All a bit confusing. I last bought something from the US several years a ago and was billed by the PO when I picked the item up but unclear about the EU....particularly with the Brexit stuff.

Has anyone done this recently?

[Doctor J]

For now, there is no import duty on goods coming in from the EU. At the end of the year, when the current deal expires and Brexit takes effect, that is liable to change depending on the deal the relative governmental and EU bodies come to.

 

As for tax, if you buy new the seller should charge you the UK rate of VAT on those goods instead of the tax rate in their own country. There would be no VAT on a used bass from a private seller.

Edited August 2, 2020 by Doctor J

[police squad]

If you buy new in the EU, you will pay the vat of the selling country and nothing else. No import duty or uk VAT

until 31st dec, then who knows

[lowlandtrees]

Thanks ppl

[Reggaebass]

I bought a bass from a shop in Amsterdam and I asked if I had to pay any duties, and I was told no because the vat had already been added by the shop , so it only cost me the price that was shown 🙂

[Doctor J]

Here is the blurb on VAT

For EU-based companies, VAT is chargeable on most sales and purchases of goods within the EU. In such cases, VAT is charged and due in the EU country where the goods are consumed by the final consumer.

 

https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/taxation/vat/vat-rules-rates/index_en.htm

[hubrad]

48 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

Here is the blurb on VAT

 

 

https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/taxation/vat/vat-rules-rates/index_en.htm

That's the business section, i.e. for resellers.

From the same site, in the pages for private citizens:

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/vat/index_en.htm

"Pay VAT in the country where you shop

As a private individual shopping in the EU, you should only pay VAT once, in the country where you make your purchase."

Although, just to confuse matters:

"Special rules may apply when you buy goods from another EU country for delivery to your country of residence. If the company you buy from sells goods over a certain value to your country, where the goods are delivered, they cannot charge VAT in the country where you make your purchase.

Instead, they have to apply VAT in the country where the goods are delivered – VAT of destination. The maximum amount for these cross-border sales is set by each EU country at either €35,000 or €100,000. This means that most major online retailers delivering within the EU will have to apply the VAT of destination rule."

So it seems to depend how you buy something and whether you're there in person or buying online.

 

Edit: looking at Thomann, as one who definitely sends more than E100,000 from Germany to UK (other retailers are available) :

"Deliveries to EU countries will be charged at their local VAT rate (where applicable).

Due to the turnover of our company, EU law requires Musikhaus Thomann to charge the local VAT rate of all EU countries."

Edited August 2, 2020 by hubrad
Extra info

[therealting]

When the UK leaves the EU though, then doesn’t that mean that we no longer need to pay EU vat? So it would be UK vat and of course import taxes 

[yorks5stringer]

6 hours ago, therealting said:

When the UK leaves the EU though, then doesn’t that mean that we no longer need to pay EU vat? So it would be UK vat and of course import taxes 

Think there may be some confusion here (unless I'm wrong).

If you go on a day trip to France now and buy a Bass there you will pay French VAT on it. If you buy from a French Seller online you will pay UK VAT rate.  So after the end of the year if you buy online you will pay UK VAT and possibly 'Import Taxes' if the UK decides not to align/agree its Tariff on Musical Instruments with the EU.

Another thing to factor in will be the potential further slide in the value of the £ as the economy has to deal with the Covid bounce and the pair of U-turn idiots  at No 10.

[Bassfinger]

I get paid in Euro's - strictly speaking I'm employed by my company's HQ in Italy - and the current weak pound is doing me just fine!  Just a teensy drop more and I'll be drawing a 6 figure basic salary in Sterling for the first time ever.

[BlueMoon]

14 hours ago, Bassfinger said:

Just a teensy drop more and I'll be drawing a 6 figure basic salary in Sterling for the first time ever.

Sounds like it's time for another bass then!

[John Cribbin]

Currently from outside the EU, you can import £39 worth of gear tax free by post. Over that, they whack on VAT, import duty on the whole amount and the PO add £5 for the pleasure of calculating how much you owe.

However, if you bring stuff in personally, you get £390 worth of gear tax free.

So from Jan next year, forget the booze cruise and get on the bass boat ...

[yorks5stringer]

On 03/08/2020 at 19:01, John Cribbin said:

Currently from outside the EU, you can import £39 worth of gear tax free by post. Over that, they whack on VAT, import duty on the whole amount and the PO add £5 for the pleasure of calculating how much you owe.

However, if you bring stuff in personally, you get £390 worth of gear tax free.

So from Jan next year, forget the booze cruise and get on the bass boat ...

I'd be careful Googling 'Bass Boat' as you might find yourself on a fishing trip

[basexperience]

On 02/08/2020 at 07:03, lowlandtrees said:

I am thinking about importing a bass from the EU (Maruszczyk)Bit confused about the VAT and import duty thing. I notice, for example, that some suppliers include 21% VAT for example. I assume that this is the tax you pay in that country? You have to then pay VAT to get it into this country? I notice that some suppliers (Bass Direct possibly) offer a VAT free price if exporting.....assuming the country that it will be sent to will charge the receiver VAT. I haven’t seen that in other suppliers. Do you also pay VAT on used basses?
All a bit confusing. I last bought something from the US several years a ago and was billed by the PO when I picked the item up but unclear about the EU....particularly with the Brexit stuff.

Has anyone done this recently?

I bought a Rikkers a few years back, after I tried one at the LBGS. I was lucky enough that the whole process took more or less exactly a year, so I picked it up and the show, which I suspect meant the bass could be classified as a show bass (although it wasn't - I had my hands on it within minutes of the show opening 😁). Has your purchase progressed yet?

[jacq]

Has anyone tried importing any bass from the EU recently?

[Woodinblack]

reasonably recent - if it is from a big company (thoman etc), you just pay the price you see and everything is like before (except more expensive). If it is from a small company, check first what you pay, if it is a second hand thing from a private indivdual you have to pay the vat yourself

[kevham]

On 06/02/2023 at 23:05, jacq said:

Has anyone tried importing any bass from the EU recently?

Bought a bass from Thomann a few weeks back. Price quoted in was price paid.

As it happened I had to return it. That was not without some logistical issues but that is a different story.

[jacq]

I was rather thinking about one of the smaller companies like Public-Peace or BassFreaks as they have some Maruszczyk basses in stock.

[Woodinblack]

14 minutes ago, jacq said:

I was rather thinking about one of the smaller companies like Public-Peace or BassFreaks as they have some Maruszczyk basses in stock.

 

On the front page of BassFreaks it says right at the top "We Ship anywhere on the planet. We are not collecting import duties. You are responsible for them when your shipment enters your country. You are ordering from Europe."

So that is pretty clear