Import duty second hand basses from EU

[Duroc17]

How much does it now cost in import duty to get a bass from France?

 

im sure there must be threads and knowledge here

 

apols for all the posts tonight BCers

[warwickhunt]

Approx... but pretty close.

 

(Cost of item + shipping) + 25%

[Duroc17]

4 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

Approx... but pretty close.

 

(Cost of item + shipping) + 25%

Yikes! That puts that idea to bed 

[kodiakblair]

37 minutes ago, Duroc17 said:

Yikes! That puts that idea to bed 

Aye, B-word pretty much killed European sales on used basses for me.

 

Real shame, had 6 German fellas with first dibs on some Peaveys 🙁 

[Duroc17]

2 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

Aye, B-word pretty much killed European sales on used basses for me.

 

Real shame, had 6 German fellas with first dibs on some Peaveys 🙁 

Don’t get me started. It’s been an utter disaster 

[kodiakblair]

1 hour ago, Duroc17 said:

Don’t get me started. It’s been an utter disaster 

Aye.

 

Boy I work with is furious, hoped for mass forced deportation of everyone with African or Indian ancestry who've been here less than 4 decades.

 

Swears he's not racist but I have my doubts 😄

[Duroc17]

6 hours ago, kodiakblair said:

Aye.

 

Boy I work with is furious, hoped for mass forced deportation of everyone with African or Indian ancestry who've been here less than 4 decades.

 

Swears he's not racist but I have my doubts 😄

🙄

 

it was the European Union we were leaving. They didn’t have the intelligence to realise it’d open up trade/immigration with large trading blocs like India - which is lovely irony 

 

The real reason so many Tories wanted Brexit was to rip up worker’s rights and “increase” production and also become a tax heaven- it’s an utter shambles 

 

I ordered an amp from Thomann took 5 days to arrive. 45 days to return it! 

[Newfoundfreedom]

5 minutes ago, Duroc17 said:

🙄

 

it was the European Union we were leaving. They didn’t have the intelligence to realise it’d open up trade/immigration with large trading blocs like India - which is lovely irony 

 

The real reason so many Tories wanted Brexit was to rip up worker’s rights and “increase” production and also become a tax heaven- it’s an utter shambles 

 

I ordered an amp from Thomann took 5 days to arrive. 45 days to return it! 

 

All true. But you'll get the thread closed by mentioning it.

 

Brexit is a banned subject on here. You'll get a slap on the wrists for posting about it. 

[Duroc17]

1 hour ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

 

All true. But you'll get the thread closed by mentioning it.

 

Brexit is a banned subject on here. You'll get a slap on the wrists for posting about it. 

Didn’t know sorry mods. The problem no speaks of. But yeah get it. It’s a bass forum but it’s stopping us getting basses from across the channel. 
 

ok will never say the word again. Like Macbeth is called the Scottish Play. I’ll just refer to it as the Shittish Play. 

[binky_bass]

Brexit is a complete and utter disaster, it was always going to be and has proved to be exactly that, it was brought about by the voice of fools and xenophobes that believed the utter swill that was fed to them. A foolish government leading a foolish population with a result that has basically knee-capped the country, made everything worse and demoted us to the international 'kids table'.

 

*Runs away and hides under the stairs while the mods now lock this thread* 🫣

[LukeFRC]

In answer to the op - I think it’s 

 

((( cost of guitar + cost of shipping ) x 20% VAT ) x 2% duty ) + any courier fees for handling the item [royal mail is £8]

[LukeFRC]

So 25% item cost is a good yardstick 

 

I imagine that years of being in EU means we instinctively look for secondhand gear there, when importing from the US might be more cost effective now 

[Duroc17]

2 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

So 25% item cost is a good yardstick 

 

I imagine that years of being in EU means we instinctively look for secondhand gear there, when importing from the US might be more cost effective now 

 Cost me with UPS and import charges about £300 to import a bass earlier this year  - but probably wont again as lost £250 when the GAS faded and sold it on

[Eldon Tyrell]

42 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

In answer to the op - I think it’s 

 

((( cost of guitar + cost of shipping ) x 20% VAT ) x 2% duty ) + any courier fees for handling the item [royal mail is £8]

 

I think it is important to point out that the "cost of guitar" is "price listed in local currency MINUS VAT in that EU member state". So, depending on from where in the EU you buy from, you could actually save some VAT (of course you still have shipping costs, duty and handling fees). I ordered twice from a small shop in Belgium (their VAT is 21%) and got the two basses (one Fender and an EBMM) cheaper than what they cost here. The whole process was pretty straightforward too. I think the real issue comes with returns when you want to get your VAT back (unless the retailer manages it all for you, like Thomann, I guess). Have not tried that one yet myself.

See below for a map for EU VAT and order from a county that has a significantly higher VAT (e.g., Hungary, Sweden, Denmark or Greece) than the UK.

 

[LukeFRC]

21 minutes ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

 

I think it is important to point out that the "cost of guitar" is "price listed in local currency MINUS VAT in that EU member state". So, depending on from where in the EU you buy from, you could actually save some VAT (of course you still have shipping costs, duty and handling fees). I ordered twice from a small shop in Belgium (their VAT is 21%) and got the two basses (one Fender and an EBMM) cheaper than what they cost here. The whole process was pretty straightforward too. I think the real issue comes with returns when you want to get your VAT back (unless the retailer manages it all for you, like Thomann, I guess). Have not tried that one yet myself.

See below for a map for EU VAT and order from a county that has a significantly higher VAT (e.g., Hungary, Sweden, Denmark or Greece) than the UK.

 

While this is correct - the OP is about secondhand basses

[Steve Browning]

7 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

While this is correct - the OP is about secondhand basses

It doesn't mention that you get hit with 20% UK VAT on importation. 

 

The Belgian shop must have been much cheaper to still save on all the costs of importing the basses. 

 

Good result for sure. 

 

[Duroc17]

Yes it’s a second hand bass I’ve seen 

[Eldon Tyrell]

Ok, buying a second hand bass from a private seller is obviously different. 

However, my post would still work for buying a second hand bass from a EU retailer. It wasn't clear from the title and posts. 

[Eldon Tyrell]

6 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

It doesn't mention that you get hit with 20% UK VAT on importation. 

 

The Belgian shop must have been much cheaper to still save on all the costs of importing the basses. 

 

Good result for sure. 

 

Thanks and yes, I was lucky that the retailer still had pre-Covid and pre-inflation prices listed on his website. Never seemed to have adjusted them, so esp. for the EBMM it was a big save (their prices have gone through the roof). 

I am now eyeing a Spector bass in another EU shop. Same situation. The price is still the old one from 2019 and I could save quite a bit but don't have the funds, well, yet 😉 

[Steve Browning]

Fill yer boots, as they say. Good result. 

[BlueMoon]

2 hours ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

I ordered twice from a small shop in Belgium (their VAT is 21%) and got the two basses (one Fender and an EBMM) cheaper than what they cost here.

Living in Belgium, I’d certainly be interested in exploring bargains of the sort described. My experience over the years has seen me make purchases in many other EU countries that are often more price competitive than Belgium. Grateful for a PM if you don’t wish to reveal details more broadly.

[WalMan]

13 hours ago, kodiakblair said:

Aye.

 

Boy I work with is furious, hoped for mass forced deportation of everyone with African or Indian ancestry who've been here less than 4 decades.

 

Swears he's not racist but I have my doubts 😄

Talking to someone recently who is/was all for the B-word but, isn’t that lucky, qualifies for an Irish passport through his mother 🤬

[kodiakblair]

7 hours ago, WalMan said:

but, isn’t that lucky, qualifies for an Irish passport through his mother 🤬

About par for the course.

 

That boy I work with, harps on about immigrants yet his old man was Polish; doubt he can spell hypocrisy 😄

[gafbass02]

A dream bass of mine is currently for sale on here from Europe, but thanks to bre***, the charges and risks have just made it a no go. Gutted.