GT3-Tek 986 Rear Diffuser BoXa.net DEALIO

[Jon61]

1 hour ago, mike597 said:

difference between the "value" and what you've paid for it?

I'm not trying to scupper Jason's deal here, but the value that is meant be used to calculate the amount of duty due is not a notional idea of what they're worth, it's what you paid for them, PLUS the delivery charges. VAT is then calculated on that amount, PLUS the duty. And duty is payable even on gifts above £135 and VAT on gifts over £39 anyway, so unless they're going to pretend they're sending you a particularly cheap gift ... 

I am surprised that a legitimate company is prepared to say that they will declare something to be a gift, particularly on something like this which I would have though would be pretty obvious. Good job we haven't got anyone here from UK customs keeping an eye on proceedings ... 

Info from the horses mouth: https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty (and gifts are covered 2 pages further on)

As Nobbie says above, I think sometimes Royal Mail don't bother going through the rigmarole on smaller items. Unfortunately, if they do, the carrier's flat add-on fee (which I don't think should be allowed as surely it should be paid for out of the duty) usually makes the resulting total charge disporportionate to the item's cost. The flat fee isn't so bad on an expensive item, but it makes buying cheap-ish things from outside the EU a bit of a lottery.

[Jason986S]

@Jon61 Now that's a reply! Youre not dumping on my parade at all. You're just stating technical facts.

I just wanted to put a slight discount I was offered to all who may benefit here ??

Anyone on here going to the states want to bring a few back in a spare suitcase? ?

[Jon61]

Thanks @Jason986S I was hoping that you wouldn't be miffed at me adding that. I'm sure people will still be interested, and grateful for you for doing the legwork to get the deal. I just didn't want anyone thinking from what the company had said that they were sure to be able to avoid the extra costs, though I know that sometimes they don't bother charging them.

[Jason986S]

1 minute ago, Jon61 said:

Thanks @Jason986S I was hoping that you wouldn't be miffed at me adding that. I'm sure people will still be interested, and grateful for you for doing the legwork to get the deal. I just didn't want anyone thinking from what the company had said that they were sure to be able to avoid the extra costs, though I know that sometimes they don't bother charging them.

Yeh, they do suggest that their shipping declaration and technique would strongly help avoid any additional costs on landing on U.K. soil. I've got away with it and been heavily stung in the past as I suggest on p1, so it can be a right lottery!

[Southy]

2 hours ago, Jason986S said:

Yeh, they do suggest that their shipping declaration and technique would strongly help avoid any additional costs on landing on U.K. soil. I've got away with it and been heavily stung in the past as I suggest on p1, so it can be a right lottery!

Stop messing about get your craft knife out!

 

[Terryg]

Two years time we could be going through the same rigmarole for stuff from Europe

[Araf]

23 hours ago, Jon61 said:

.....(which I don't think should be allowed as surely it should be paid for out of the duty)......

Not really as Customs don't calculate it unless they want to check the calculations.  The declaration and calculations are done by the importer or someone working on their behalf.

Wouldn't that be similar to you having your car serviced at a garage and then telling the mechanic to give his bill to the car manufacturer as you'd already paid for the car?

[Menoporsche]

7 hours ago, Terryg said:

Two years time we could be going through the same rigmarole for stuff from Europe

That's all right, all your extra charges will go to help the NHS, remember?  

[Jon61]

49 minutes ago, Araf said:

Not really as Customs don't calculate it unless they want to check the calculations.  The declaration and calculations are done by the importer or someone working on their behalf.

Wouldn't that be similar to you having your car serviced at a garage and then telling the mechanic to give his bill to the car manufacturer as you'd already paid for the car?

I see what you're saying, but to me it's just symptomatic of the gradual outsourcing of everything state-related to third parties, all of whom expect to make their own cut from it (and a surprising proportion of whom are owned or directed by ex-govt ministers, or relatives & chums of current ones).

Rather than your analogy, I would say it's more similar to the government saying that income tax is 20%, but that in fact you'd need to really pay 22.5%, because income tax in future is all going to be collected by AccenCapitG4Sys who've won the contract to administer it.

But I had made a mental note not to discuss politics on here, and I've done too much trolling on Jason's thread already 

[Terryg]

1 hour ago, Menoporsche said:

That's all right, all your extra charges will go to help the NHS, remember?  

Oh yeah I forgot, that's really going to happen, of course, how silly of me!

[Araf]

2 hours ago, Jon61 said:

I see what you're saying, but to me it's just symptomatic of the gradual outsourcing of everything state-related to third parties, all of whom expect to make their own cut from it (and a surprising proportion of whom are owned or directed by ex-govt ministers, or relatives & chums of current ones).

Rather than your analogy, I would say it's more similar to the government saying that income tax is 20%, but that in fact you'd need to really pay 22.5%, because income tax in future is all going to be collected by AccenCapitG4Sys who've won the contract to administer it.

But I had made a mental note not to discuss politics on here, and I've done too much trolling on Jason's thread already 

In this case it's very historic.  The Excise men have always made the rules and enforced them.  There have always been people in the private sector making sure people didn't pay too much but also didn't fall foul of the laws.  There's lots of tiny companies in this sector, so don't worry that it's part of the gravy train.  

[Jon61]

12 minutes ago, Araf said:

In this case it's very historic.  The Excise men have always made the rules and enforced them.  There have always been people in the private sector making sure people didn't pay too much but also didn't fall foul of the laws.  There's lots of tiny companies in this sector, so don't worry that it's part of the gravy train.  

I thought that the 3rd party collection arrangement may have been around for a while (athough I wonder if it is only relatively recently that the third party has imposed an additional charge on the customer on top of the duty).

Anyway, however long-standing the arrangement, it does not alter the 'fact' (well my opinion anyway ) that the cost of collection of a state tax should be borne out of that tax - ie HMRC should be paying Royal Mail, DHL, Fedex etc for their tax-collecting services out of the duty & VAT revenue collected, not allowing the 3rd party to add a completely unregulated charge on top, which seems completely open to abuse.

[Araf]

6 minutes ago, Jon61 said:

I thought that the 3rd party collection arrangement may have been around for a while (athough I wonder if it is only relatively recently that the third party has imposed an additional charge on the customer on top of the duty).

Anyway, however long-standing the arrangement, it does not alter the 'fact' (well my opinion anyway ) that the cost of collection of a state tax should be borne out of that tax - ie HMRC should be paying Royal Mail, DHL, Fedex etc for their tax-collecting services out of the duty & VAT revenue collected, not allowing the 3rd party to add a completely unregulated charge on top, which seems completely open to abuse.

That would suit me.  Double the charge and pay the agents half.

The problem is that no one would then do the little packages as they are not cost effective?  You'll have to do them yourselves and face a fine if you get it wrong.    Oh, and you'll need a dedicated link to HMRC as they don't accept manual declarations anymore.