Import Taxes increased

[Clifton19]

Just a heads up. I have 2 Winwing MFDs and screens, which I purchased earlier this year, with NO TAX. I ordered another last week and received an import bill from FedEx for £50! On top of the cost of the kit, which was £170, that's £220 now.

So BEWARE when ordering. This has only happened recently and I won't be ordering anything else from them.

It's not their fault though. Such a pity, as the kit is great!

[Scott-S6]

This isn't an increase or a change, VAT is due on imports and always has been.

Orders of £135 or less it's supposed to be collected by the retailer at point of purchase (but isn't always so pay attention to that). If VAT isn't collected by the retailer then be prepared for the bill when it hits customs.

Always consider the VAT when costing imports, especially if you're comparing to buying locally, and include that in your planning. Sometimes your package slides through customs and you get a little bonus but you absolutely shouldn't plan on that. I import a LOT of stuff (5 packages in flight at the moment and that's a lower number than usual) so I can tell you that if VAT isn't collected at point of sale then it's about 50/50 whether you'll get charged. Also be aware that PF and RM charge a fixed admin fee if there are customs charges which is very annoying for lower value items so I generally prefer FedEx - postage is a little more but it's much faster and if you get a VAT bill you just saved the difference anyway.

Edited June 2, 2023 by Scott-S6

[MustangSally]

Glad I live in Aus

[Scotch75]

Haha, we still have the "Australia tax" on everything though because we are the "lucky country".

Cheers!


Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

[MustangSally]

Have just about all WW devices with no GST or import duty applied on arrival!

Edited June 2, 2023 by MustangSally

[Yeti42]

7 hours ago, Scott-S6 said:

This isn't an increase or a change, VAT is due on imports and always has been.

Orders of £135 or less it's supposed to be collected by the retailer at point of purchase (but isn't always so pay attention to that). If VAT isn't collected by the retailer then be prepared for the bill when it hits customs.

Always consider the VAT when costing imports, especially if you're comparing to buying locally, and include that in your planning. Sometimes your package slides through customs and you get a little bonus but you absolutely shouldn't plan on that. I import a LOT of stuff (5 packages in flight at the moment and that's a lower number than usual) so I can tell you that if VAT isn't collected at point of sale then it's about 50/50 whether you'll get charged. Also be aware that PF and RM charge a fixed admin fee if there are customs charges which is very annoying for lower value items so I generally prefer FedEx - postage is a little more but it's much faster and if you get a VAT bill you just saved the difference anyway.

 

Correct, If you don't get charged VAT it's just HMRC being incompetent or the shipper being illegal.... 

[Junkyness]

Anything over £135 is fair game for import VAT, and if the retailer doesn’t collect it at checkout, it’ll hit when it gets to customs. FedEx slapping on an extra admin fee doesn’t help either—always feels like getting stung twice.
If you’re regularly ordering stuff like this, it might be worth looking into how import taxes and VAT are applied to avoid surprises. I’ve found https://thevatconsultancy.com/services/ helpful for getting a grip on these kinds of charges. They can give you some clarity on what to expect, especially if you’re importing often or dealing with higher-value items.

 

Edited January 20 by Junkyness