Import Duty

Import duty is based on what the goods actually are, I think it is in a range of 0% - 25% VAT is chargeable as well, IIRC.

Check the HM Customs website, which gives some guidance.

Also remember that the courier will add their charge for the service of charging you money! ;-(

MH

The Post Office charged about =A38 for the privilege last time I did anything like this, it may be a bit more by now.

Tim

The VAT is charged on the total landed price ie (price of goods+price of shipping & ins+duty) , yup you pay tax on the tax(duty).

The duty itself depends on the item(s), HMRC may be willing to help, but mostly this is where Import Agents make their money as they have the 'Tarrif', a bloody great book with all the items and codes listed and although it's a 'Public' document, you have to pay to get a copy - many hundreds of pounds. As far as I know it's not available on line anwyere, but you can get some details from here:

If the landed price is below £18 for imports from outside the EU, they won't bother as even they admit that it isn't worth the aggro. It used to be considerably higher, but thanks to our dear leader, duty, tarrifs and implementation have become much more punitive.

Richard

It's not the import duty that is expensive it is the poxxy charges that the courier add on for 'handling the paperwork' that shoves it right up.

I recently ordered a small piece of kit from Yankyland. Cost was $180. Customs was a fair £8 but the 'handling charge' by Parcelforce was a whopping £23.

Hong Kong dealers will usually tick the box marked 'gift' and they 'usually' get through ok. I've never had one stopped from HK

Don't forget that at present the pound is on the floor too.

Hello Wilf check when you order as I have just bought something on ebay for =A317.00 from the states the seller asked me if I wanted insurance, and because it was unused and a new replacement was =A31400.00 from bridgeport I asked him to insure it he put a value of $400.00 and I got charged =A327.43 VAT and Parcel Force charged =A313.50 so it all relates to the value declared. So do you take a risk and not insure it and ask for no commercial value or do you pay out to the tax man the thieving B********* Cheers Colin

=A31400.....what the hells that ..the whole machine .. :D

all the best.markj

The HMCE website has an exhaustive list of items and is wonderfully bureaucratic. Ironing boards from one part of China have higher tax than those from another. I assume the latter didn't bribe the right EU functionaries.

Import duty is likely to be the least of your worries though. You will be charged import duty, then you will be charged VAT on the amount paid plus shipping plus the import duty. You will then have to pay an "administration charge" to the carrier of about £8 or more for collecting the duty on behalf of HMCE. Oh ,and you get charged VAT on the administrative charge as well just to make you feel happy,

That said a number of Hong Kong suppliers are adept at getting things through without attracting liability for any of these. In general stuff which comes via the standard post often does not get charged. Goods sent using EMS usually get charged, those sent by carriers such as UPS or Fedex always get charged (as the carrier does it automatically) and usually have the highest administrative charges.

Maybe see what DHL charge now for charges etc. I bought about £290 of graphite products from the US on 2006 and it was shipped DHL. I got the stuff in about 4-5 days and forgot about extra charges until a letter from DHL arrived asking for about £61 in VAT and duty a couple of months later. I had seen it said that many times getting charged can be a lottery. The DHL letter explained that the goods were delivered quickly so they could be used and the VAT and duty paperwork then dealt with and charged later. The DHL administration fee is down on the invoice as £1.25, bugger all.

BTW the graphite supplier said not to do the order online as the default shipper was UPS and extortionate for overseas shipping and charges, I called and dealt direct and went with the shipper ,DHL , they recommended as being the cheaper option for overseas orders. I have subsequently dealt with another US company for a small order and they said they only ship UPS, damned shipping and charges cost more than the parts and they only weighed a couple of pounds IIRC.

No it is is the main electronic magnetic actuating contactor incoming Isolator made By G E Electronics and it has a fusable plug in it and yes the replacement contactor is =A3 1400.00 from Bridgeport Apparently it's because it is an American version Eztrak cnc mill called an EZPLUS and they don't stock the parts at Leicester so it all has to come from the States. So even after all the taxes and charges it work4red out a hell of alot cheaper. Colin

To be 100% fair to "our dear leader", Gordon Brown attempted (while Chancellor) to get this amount increased, to around £100, but the amount is actually the result of an international agreement (WTO and GATT) and other countries were unwilling to change.

Not much consolation as it remains £18 for the present

MH

Yup. I have bought several items via Ebay that came from Hong Kong, including items around the £100 mark, and have yet to be charged duty or handling fees on any of them. I may have been lucky in my choice of suppliers! In contrast, when I buy e.g., CNC electronic items from the USA, I seem to get hit for duty every time...

Regards, Tony