Buying from Europe?

[TRBboy]

Hi folks, apologies if this has already been asked, I did a search but didn't turn anything up. 

 

Am I right in thinking that if buying anything from Europe over £135, VAT isn't added at checkout and you need to pay it to the delivery company once it's in the UK? 

 

I'm looking at an amp, some good prices in Europe, but if the above is correct it's not such a good deal....

 

Thanks, 

 

Oli

[warwickhunt]

There isn't a hard rule re. this!  

 

Thomann inc the import costs in their pricing, whereas others don't and it isn't always the courier who you pay the various 'taxes' to.  I'm not even sure that your £135 figure is correct, I'm sure I've seen folk being hit with fees on stuff sub £100.  

 

If the site/seller doesn't mention import taxes et al, I'd budget for adding 25% to the cost (including shipping fees).  

[Doctor J]

Expect to pay 25% extra on everything second -hand and, as mentioned above, sone shops (only some of the biggest ones) will have their accounts set up in a way that they can sell with UK VAT and import duties applied so you don't get the hit once it arrives. Contact the shop before you buy to make sure you don't pay their country's VAT too.

[TRBboy]

Okay, thanks guys. I believe the £135 threshold to be correct, as stated on the gov website, but you're right that some vendors seem to add duty at checkout and some don't. 

 

https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

 

I think it'll work out costing me the same or more from abroad if the duty isn't added to the checkout price (which it doesn't look to be). 

 

Yay Brexit... 😒

[Wolfram]

The £135 threshold applies only to duty; 20% VAT applies to everything (unless it's a gift worth less than £39). It's on that website- in the VAT section:

Quote

 

VAT is charged on all goods (except for gifts worth £39 or less) sent from:

outside the UK to Great Britain
outside the UK and the EU to Northern Ireland

 

It's a real pain... especially as VAT is charged on the value of the item + the shipping cost + any duty due.

 

[NancyJohnson]

I often wonder about import taxes, duties.

 

Assume I was on holiday in Germany, I'm in my own car and I decide to swing by Thomann to pick up some gear, when I drive onto the ferry or use the Channel Tunnel, does anyone from HMRC inspect my vehicle or are there simply too many vehicles to do so?

 

Anyone done this?

 

 

[BigRedX]

25 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

I often wonder about import taxes, duties.

 

Assume I was on holiday in Germany, I'm in my own car and I decide to swing by Thomann to pick up some gear, when I drive onto the ferry or use the Channel Tunnel, does anyone from HMRC inspect my vehicle or are there simply too many vehicles to do so?

 

Anyone done this?

 

IIRC the threshold at which VAT in particular applies is higher on goods brought back personally as opposed being sent by a delivery service. You need to go on the relevant Gov.uk pages and check what these are.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

24 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

I often wonder about import taxes, duties.

 

Assume I was on holiday in Germany, I'm in my own car and I decide to swing by Thomann to pick up some gear, when I drive onto the ferry or use the Channel Tunnel, does anyone from HMRC inspect my vehicle or are there simply too many vehicles to do so?

 

Anyone done this?

Nearly did this myself, not with Thomann, but a boutique bass shop in Belgium. I dithered too long and the bass sold 😞

[BigRedX]

To the OP. The simplest thing to do is to take the price of the item plus the cost of the shipping and then add 25% to the total. Is it still significantly cheaper than buying from a UK retailer? 

 

My rule of thumb for buying from outside the UK is don't unless it is something that is extremely difficult or impossible to get through the manufacturer's standard export channels. IME anything that looks like a bargain compared with the UK price won't once you have added shipping, VAT, import duty and the carrier's handling fee. Also if something should go wrong or it needs to be returned it could end up more hassle than it is worth.

[taunton-hobbit]

I currently am waiting for an order from Thomann, this is the email breakdown they sent me :

 

 

This is for a £75.00 order.  We'll see if that's the whole story.

 

😎

[warwickhunt]

6 minutes ago, taunton-hobbit said:

I currently am waiting for an order from Thomann, this is the email breakdown they sent me :

 

 

This is for a £75.00 order.  We'll see if that's the whole story.

 

😎

 

If it is Thomann, you've no worries.

 

[BlueMoon]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

I often wonder about import taxes, duties.

 

Assume I was on holiday in Germany, I'm in my own car and I decide to swing by Thomann to pick up some gear, when I drive onto the ferry or use the Channel Tunnel, does anyone from HMRC inspect my vehicle or are there simply too many vehicles to do so?

 

Anyone done this?

Yes……I’ve done it both ways a few times. Based on my personal experience the vehicle was inspected (all doors open) and questioned about some of the contents. This happened each time and for both exit and entry countries (UK, France). I am not sure which jurisdiction the inspector represented each time (no badges/uniforms). I got the impression that the main focus was on perishables (cheese, butter etc) and once a vehicle swab test (steering wheel/door handles). 

Case-by-case seems to be the situation.

 

[neepheid]

30 minutes ago, taunton-hobbit said:

I currently am waiting for an order from Thomann, this is the email breakdown they sent me :

 

 

This is for a £75.00 order.  We'll see if that's the whole story.

 

😎

 

With Thomann, this will be the whole story, financially anyway.  Relax!

[LukeFRC]

23 minutes ago, BlueMoon said:

Yes……I’ve done it both ways a few times. Based on my personal experience the vehicle was inspected (all doors open) and questioned about some of the contents. This happened each time and for both exit and entry countries (UK, France). I am not sure which jurisdiction the inspector represented each time (no badges/uniforms). I got the impression that the main focus was on perishables (cheese, butter etc) and once a vehicle swab test (steering wheel/door handles). 

Case-by-case seems to be the situation.

 

If you have children they have a convo with them to make sure you're not people smuggling

[Steve Browning]

5 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

I often wonder about import taxes, duties.

 

Assume I was on holiday in Germany, I'm in my own car and I decide to swing by Thomann to pick up some gear, when I drive onto the ferry or use the Channel Tunnel, does anyone from HMRC inspect my vehicle or are there simply too many vehicles to do so?

 

Anyone done this?

 

 

You'd be charged 19% German VAT if buying in Germany. You wouldn't be charged anything coming back in as you're travelling with your instrument, in all likelihood. 

 

There isn't a retail export scheme any more. 

[warwickhunt]

11 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

You'd be charged 19% German VAT if buying in Germany. You wouldn't be charged anything coming back in as you're travelling with your instrument, in all likelihood. 

 

There isn't a retail export scheme any more. 

 

Are you sure about that?  Even if you bought a used instrument in Germany, you'd be liable for import tax/duty when you brought it into the UK.

 

[Steve Browning]

Unlikely. There's a concession for musical instruments being carried. I've taken advantage of that gigging in Europe post Brexit. 

 

If you weren't travelling with it then whole different thing. 

 

The OP was buying from Thomann. 

[Wolfram]

It doesn't matter if you're travelling with it or not, and there is no particular concession for musical instruments. You have an allowance of £390 worth of goods (other than alcohol, cigarettes); legally, if the total value of goods you are importing (i.e. purchased abroad and are bringing back to the UK) then you must declare it at customs and pay the duty and VAT. If you don't declare, legally it is smuggling. Obviously, items that you already own can be carried with you to and from another country freely; that's different.

 

The info is all here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5fe05e488fa8f5148f633267/6.7005__SE_CUS_v3.pdf

 

Now of course I'm sure many people chance it and do not declare everything or would argue they've had the guitar for years and years, and you may be lucky, but  think the burden of proof would be on you - returning from Germany with a brand-new German-made Warwick might land you in hot water!

[BlueMoon]

This ^^ was also my understanding.

 

In consequence, I just returned to continental Europe directly from Eire with a nice vintage instrument on board. The journey, which was part holiday, took in a day in the UK - where I had arrived without said instrument - and then left via Liverpool - Belfast. 
 

No checks - no issues.

[prowla]

UK VAT applies if the item is being shipped to the UK, but local fees do not.

Shipping fees apply if it's being posted.

VAT applies to the item price plus shipping fees.

Import duties apply if the item is not manufactured in the EU.

If you or the seller have not paid the taxes up-front, then the courier will do on your behalf it and charge you for the service.

The taxes apply to used goods too.

If you circumvent the process then its contraband and you are smuggling (but it's only an issue if you are caught!).