Page 19 of 27
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:49 am
by Fattyramone
Yeah , using the dreaded "poster" word on the customs slip is a real no-no for our purposes.
You might get lucky and your letter will be read by someone in customs that gives a shite and will be prepared to investigate a little further , but somehow I doubt it. You have to remember that these guys are inundated with queries and challenges all day long and for the sake of brevity they will look at what its been declared as .i.e. "A poster" and posters are subjected to 20% tax.
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:12 am
by LeeKaye
So, got the parcel force note. 19 fees, plus 13.50 handling. The seller marked as USD 85 and labelled as original art, so where they get 19 fees from I don't know. 85 USD is £51 so 40% charges. Seems legit.
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:59 am
by 1nkling
LeeKaye wrote:So, got the parcel force note. 19 fees, plus 13.50 handling. The seller marked as USD 85 and labelled as original art, so where they get 19 fees from I don't know. 85 USD is £51 so 40% charges. Seems legit.
How much was postage? It's 20% of value and postage.
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:07 am
by LeeKaye
FFS. 100 USD I think. So, 185 = 111 quid. So that makes more sense. Why charge on postage? I hate them all. I still need it lowering to 5%
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:21 am
by bert
Yep, my understanding is that if the limit is £15 and your poster is marked £14.99, you'll pay no charges. If your poster is marked at £15.01 and the postage was £500, you'll pay charges on £515.01.
Quite why VAT can be charged on postage is beyond me (especially if it only applies when the value of the product is over the limit).
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:24 am
by LeeKaye
Postage is probably classed as a luxury item. Quite why we don't swim over there and pick the art up ourselves is probably their reasoning.
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 9:14 am
by Fattyramone
LeeKaye wrote:FFS. 100 USD I think. So, 185 = 111 quid. So that makes more sense. Why charge on postage? I hate them all. I still need it lowering to 5%
Lee , you should have got the ball rolling with liaising with customs BEFORE you accepted delivery , theres a few of us who have put quite detailed procedures in the UK CUSTOMS THREAD ,its a fairly easy thing to do , albeit a little time consuming.
Your only option now it to claim it back retrospectively....or just accept you've lost it to the Government
I think by now we are pretty much agreed that irrespective of the rights and wrongs of it that we have to accept the fact that the customs people will get it wrong 90% of the time and for anything of any value assume that it will be wrongly charged.
So now as soon as the track number tells me its landed in this country and passed through customs I'm on the phone to the customs guys to find out what rate I've been charged and get it reversed to what it should be. It stops all the faffing around when it gets delivered.
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2014 2:42 am
by LeeKaye
Fattyramone wrote:LeeKaye wrote:FFS. 100 USD I think. So, 185 = 111 quid. So that makes more sense. Why charge on postage? I hate them all. I still need it lowering to 5%
Lee , you should have got the ball rolling with liaising with customs BEFORE you accepted delivery , theres a few of us who have put quite detailed procedures in the UK CUSTOMS THREAD ,its a fairly easy thing to do , albeit a little time consuming.
Your only option now it to claim it back retrospectively....or just accept you've lost it to the Government
I think by now we are pretty much agreed that irrespective of the rights and wrongs of it that we have to accept the fact that the customs people will get it wrong 90% of the time and for anything of any value assume that it will be wrongly charged.
So now as soon as the track number tells me its landed in this country and passed through customs I'm on the phone to the customs guys to find out what rate I've been charged and get it reversed to what it should be. It stops all the faffing around when it gets delivered.
I haven't got it. I have the letter from parcelforce with the charges and the phone number so I can pay. But haven't paid. I will look at the thread. So now is the right time to phone them up, given they are holding it and waiting for payment?
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2014 4:45 am
by Fattyramone
Yes ! ....get it sorted out now before you pay.
However with it being Saturday today you probably won't be able to ring border control today
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:54 am
by ChefFerrari
I know this is not exactly the right thread but I don't think there is a Canadian one.
That being said do any of my neighbors to the north know anything about the duty and taxes for Canada or a link to try and understand it ?
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 3:08 am
by OtomoChaser
^ This might be of some use.
http://www.dutycalculator.com/
Also, here is the Canadian community sales thread. Maybe someone there can help.
http://forum.expressobeans.com/viewtopi ... 9&t=109220
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 11:06 pm
by jjbehren
jjbehren wrote:Anyone know if Canada has similar art rules regarding VAT/Duty? If so, any info available?
Edit: I found this:
9702.00.00 00 Original engravings, prints and lithographs. - Free
Followed by a bunch of stuff I don't think I understand.
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commer ... 11-eng.pdf
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Tue May 06, 2014 8:55 am
by hsp123
hsp123 wrote:Just a quick update on my tube, I finally managed to go collect it and had to pay the customs charge.
Unfortunately the tube was marked as poster and incurred 20% fee of the total item.
I have written a letter and supplied evidence using the BOR286 form and sent it to Border Force to see if I can get a refund.
In the letter I explained that the item was a real art piece in limited nature hand drawn which it is and not 'mass produced' although I didn't use that term and now wish I did!
Hopefully with the supplied documents (total cost, illustrator website) they may evaluate the customs charge which is not really Border Force's problem as it was declared wrongly by accident and the importer, myself is responsible for this.
I will update once I hear back from them.
Hello all,
Just a quick update for you all.....and its a win for us guys!
I finally got a great outcome and I have been refunded the difference on my tube! The total refund was about £63.00 and I am well happy!
Just to note my tube was marked as 'POSTER' with NO tariff codes etc and I still won my case. It was a tube with a valuable print marked up with the correct charges.
I had a letter posted through on Saturday to state the revised charges and refund amount. Although the Parcel Force handling fee is still charged the overall customs charge was revised with 5% VAT.
The letter states these refunds and charges and mentions they will send a cheque through the post.
Someone suggested the wait time would be about 3 months but for me its taken about 1 month and a few days to process the revised charges.
If it wasn't for these forum I wouldn't have got this refund so a big thank you all for the advice, links to HMRC forms etc..
A note to all UK buyers! Get those VAT return forms sent!
Thanks all.
HSP
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Tue May 06, 2014 10:04 am
by richlee
I need to seriously look into this. After reading this section of the forum and consulting with HSP123 I think its really worth the time and effort to fill out the forms and have a go at claiming well earned monies back.
If you don't ask you don't get.
Re: Importing to the UK - VAT & Delivery info
Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 8:08 am
by rimmer
what do we have to fill in on the c285 form? also is it worth sending the paypal
reciept if it was a buy between two parties on EB,I understand it for ebay
any help would be appreciated,i have two of these now