Taxes and charges when buying fro the US

[Steve W-O]

Everything I have ever ordered from the US has been caught for VAT and customs charges (when I have forgotten to have the correct customs code put on the CN22)

 

So you can add 25%-30% onto the price, then admin charges. If you have the misfortune for it to be sent by DHL, they will rip you off with charges (they told me they share the costs between all the items in the container)

 

American sets may be set to a higher output than allowed in the UK , so there will be a charge to change the settings (I'm told it is just a setting,but not available to the user).

 

I no longer buy from the US unless there is absolutely no other source, it always turns out expensive or problematic.

[Phil 9]

Posted by Jeff-C on 29/08/2011 14:17:32:

I think the limits are something like the package having a 'Declared' value of $50 US / £35 for VAT threshold. I will have a little look as I had a package from China stopped and it had VAT added by customs.

Basically, what is the item worth and have that put on the outside of the package as it's declared value, (what ever that might be).

Does anyone if this $50 limit applies. I know some very small value items have just come straight to my door with no extra charges.

[Steve W-O]

Items you buy (not gifts) the value is below £18 for no VAT or duty, but that will be reduced to £15 next month.

 

If it is a gift, the value is £40 for VAT and £135 for duty.

[PatMc]

 

Posted by Steve W-O on 29/10/2011 07:28:37:

Items you buy (not gifts) the value is below £18 for no VAT or duty, but that will be reduced to £15 next month.

 

If it is a gift, the value is £40 for VAT and £135 for duty.

I pretty sure that P&P is included in these amounts.

[cymaz]

I nearly bought radio gear from the States and Hong Kong. Futaba emailed me back and said that the equipment was not regulated to sell in the EU. The HK importer said he would email back - he never did. After doing some research all electronic products coming into the EU must have the CE mark like this. It means it has reach minimum safety standards.

If anything goes wrong with your radio that you imported from outside the EU then it is you that is liable.

I bought my radio gear from a reputable dealer and a CE mark.

[John Cole]

If the item is sent to you by ordinary post (not a courier) from outside EC then Royal Mail collect the VAT (for HMRC) and charge you £7 for doing this. So add that to the VAT! That means that importing small-value items under the £18 threshold (soon to be £15, and will exclude Jersey; IoM is already excluded) can be cost-effective but if you go just over that then it's immediately uneconomic. Note: it's £18 for the package, so it can pay to split orders up into individual items so each mini-package is under £18.

 

If the item is a gift and posted then the VAT threshold is £40 (and the duty threshold is £135, with duty waived if it is less than £9) but the item must have been BOUGHT outside the UK (internet purchases are classed as UK purchases if made from here), and not paid for (directly or indirectly) by the recipient.

 

If the item is a personal import bought by you while abroad outside the EC then the the allowance is higher: £390 (less if you arrive by private plane!).

Specifically for USA: don't forget retailers will often exclude state-set sales tax from their listed prices (most shops do this) but charge it in the bill.

[kc]

USA 2.4Ghz TX will not have the CE mark because they have a higher power output which is illegal here. see the BMFA handbook. Somebody on the forum said output is software changeable but there is no confirmation of this yet.

 

I am not sure but US shops add sales tax ( often about 6 percent ) to sales in their own state only.. Magazine adverts for California dealers often said " California residents add ......percent sales tax " I assumed this was like VAT i.e. not charged on exports. Sales tax varies by town as well as state. ( note for holidays this applies to hotel prices and some towns have extra hotel tax on top)

[Prop Nut]

I'm surprised to hear that some people have had trouble or additional cost when buying from the US. When the numbers are generally interchangeable (ie, $50 in the US will be £50 in the UK), even the currect exchange rate of around $1.55 = £ makes it worth looking at. I've just bought a JR retract servo that retails here for £49.99 + £6.50 for signed-for delivery. I bought it for $45.99 + $11 International Registered mail, and it arrived in five days. There were no additional charges, so I saved around 35%. I have been buying like this for ten years, and have never had additional charges levied, even on engines. I would much prefer to support the UK hobby-trade, but am not convinced they want to support me, as a customer.

Edited By Hellcat on 08/03/2012 10:47:50

[cymaz]

I have bought model supplies from the US when I cannot find what I want in the UK. McDaniels on board glow. Very good value now the price has dropped. Also a Sullivan tank to fit a certain size hole in fus and a double leg nose wheel.

Tried to buy in this country,but the US has a far bigger range of product

[Alan Randall]

I needed a prop adapter for my E-Flite Power 46 for installing in the Hanger 9 Corsair 50. They were on back order at Horizon and none were available at the model shops.

Through an advert on E-Bay I found them available at Phils Hobby stores in the US. - http://www.philshobbyshop.com They took PayPal and said they regularly shipped to europe so I tried it.

7 days later it arrived. Total cost including postage was about the same as the price of the part on its own here in the UK. As we are talking of a small sum - approx £9.00, there was no risk of tax etc.

I later found that a friend had bought a small headed sealing iron from the same supplier with the same excellent service.

Alan

[Lee Smalley]

It depends on cost if it's over a certain amount sub 40 quid I think it was, then it's not normally a problem, I purchased a Halloween mask that was 50 something quid by the time I paid tax duty and royal mail handling charge of 20 quid damn mask cost nearly 100 quid, for expensive items it's not worth it

[Alan Cantwell]

Contact BoB Hobbies, in Orlando, Steve is a brit mate, who has a hobbystore, he will help you out with US stuff, tell him i sent you

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Guest]

Posted by Lee Smalley on 08/03/2012 16:47:40:
It depends on cost if it's over a certain amount sub 40 quid I think it was, then it's not normally a problem, I purchased a Halloween mask that was 50 something quid by the time I paid tax duty and royal mail handling charge of 20 quid damn mask cost nearly 100 quid, for expensive items it's not worth it

I read recently that the Customs and Excise, in their efforts to raise more revenue, they were dropping the arbitrary level at which they start to charge import duty plus VAT ( on total value incl shipping and duty ) was being lowered from £35 to £18

[Erfolg]

I do find it so strange that we have governments of all views who extol the virtue of "free trade", whilst continuing to extract the maximum import duty possible. Particularly in that the value of the pound has been devalued considerably, in conjunction with domestic inflation, in recent years.

Again we have yet another government whom "talks the talk" with respect to minimising bureaucracy as much as possible, except when it is a vehicle in extracting more tax income,with respect to handling charges and hence extra vat, as value has been added by the handler, to add to the total bill. Just seems they cannot "walk the walk".

Seems all UK Governments know how to spend our money more effectively, we cannot be trusted. That is even when a party talks about reducing tax as an ideal.