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Author Topic: Dreaded VAT On US Imports
Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

- posted December 21, 2013 06:18 AM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Be aware that VAT is payable on US imports into the UK, not just on the purchase price but on the carriage as well.

I have just received a film from the US and the VAT was much more than I had anticipated. The VAT appeared to be on both the purchase price and the postage.

When I checked on a Customs & Excise Questions and Answers page I found the following:-

"In the case of goods posted outside the EU, the import VAT percentage rate is the amount shown on the Customs Declaration, which includes the price paid for the goods, the cost of transport, postage and packing"

What a good old con.

I was well aware that the film would attract VAT but as it was quite a reasonable Buy It Now price I was quite happy. The heavy 16mm film cost an arm and a leg for postage, but here again, I was prepared to accept it.

But I am not at all a happy collector at what I consider to be an unacceptable method that the Inland Revenue has employed.

UK members, you have been warned. [Mad]

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Maurice

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Dominique De Bast
Film God

Posts: 4486
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jun 2013

- posted December 21, 2013 07:10 AM      Profile for Dominique De Bast   Email Dominique De Bast   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Another problem that can occur is when you get a refund after a while. If you're not lucky, the currency from the other country has raised and you get less than you should as the refund is made in the other currency.

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Dominique

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Terry Sills
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1423
From: Weymouth,Dorset,England
Registered: Oct 2012

- posted December 21, 2013 11:58 AM      Profile for Terry Sills     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I think the import duty and vat are only applicable to items over a certain value of goods ( which has to be declared on the package/parcel). I have purchased one or two items recently from the USA and have not been charged either import duty or vat. But the value was less that £10 and the weight was also not much so shipping was reasonably low.

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

- posted December 21, 2013 01:35 PM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
UK Custom charges are applied to imports into the EU with a value over £15 for VAT,

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Maurice

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Robert Crewdson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1031
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2013

- posted December 21, 2013 04:28 PM      Profile for Robert Crewdson     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Has this always been the case Maurice. I have had a few items from the US, bought on Ebay, and at that time the item could be valued at up to either £40 or £45 before you paid customs charges. I remember about 3 years ago I bought something that was valued at £38 and paid nothing on it.

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Clyde Miles
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 205
From: Bromsgrove, UK
Registered: Nov 2013

- posted December 21, 2013 05:54 PM      Profile for Clyde Miles     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
ok gentleman, i need to interject here. items at customs are pulled at random, i know this for having worked at royal mail for over twenty years. ive had maybe thirty features from the states and many, many shorts and paid customs on only five or six features over the last six years. its just bad luck if your print gets pulled.regards

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

- posted December 22, 2013 05:56 AM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The clerk at the local sorting office said that they see a lot more packages passing through for which VAT is being demanded. Perhaps the Inland Revenue is realising that they have been losing out. And of course the Post Office enjoy a handling fee of £8 for each item regardless of what the VAT payment is.

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Maurice

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David Ollerearnshaw
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1373
From: Penistone Sheffield UK
Registered: Oct 2012

- posted December 22, 2013 06:47 AM      Profile for David Ollerearnshaw   Author's Homepage   Email David Ollerearnshaw   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Looks like the usual ripoff UK!

How can they charge VAT on all the carriage costs, it should only be paid from the port of entry to home. Handling charge? Don't they handle parcels all the time.

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I love the smell of film in the morning.

http://www.thereelimage.co.uk/

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Robert Crewdson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1031
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2013

- posted December 22, 2013 08:43 AM      Profile for Robert Crewdson     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I remember in the 80s the postman called and demanded £4.50 for a package from the US. The charge was for the customs opening and resealing the package. The documents stated what was inside, and X Ray would have shown what was inside. I was lucky that I just happened to have a £5 on me, which was quite a bit up that time. I was annoyed that I should have to pay that amount because someone's curiosity got the better of them. Incidentally, the package contained a 400ft super 8 film, and 3 cassette tapes, so they should have been able to identify them.

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Zechariah Sporre
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 557
From: Ladysmith, WI U.S.A.
Registered: Dec 2010

- posted December 22, 2013 01:05 PM      Profile for Zechariah Sporre     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
So if I don't have to strong of conscious it would be a big favor for you European buyers if I under estimate the value of the films I ship you guys on the customs sheet...

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There is a fine line between a hobby and a mental illness

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Terry Sills
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1423
From: Weymouth,Dorset,England
Registered: Oct 2012

- posted December 22, 2013 01:12 PM      Profile for Terry Sills     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yes very helpful but also illegal sadly

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007

- posted December 22, 2013 01:36 PM      Profile for Michael O'Regan   Email Michael O'Regan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Yes very helpful but also illegal sadly
Well...the value of a used print is debatable. However, the problem would be with insurance.

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

- posted December 22, 2013 02:51 PM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
It's not a question of value as such, it's what was paid to the seller for the item and declared on the Customs form.

Way back in the sixties, long before VAT, I bought a 1200' 16mm TV Show from the US. When it arrived my local Post Office demanded £12 which was import duty at the rate 1d (one old penny) per foot of film.

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Maurice

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007

- posted December 22, 2013 02:55 PM      Profile for Michael O'Regan   Email Michael O'Regan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
It's not a question of value as such, it's what was paid to the seller for the item and declared on the Customs form.
Like I said....the value is debatable.

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003

- posted December 23, 2013 09:39 PM      Profile for Winbert Hutahaean     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
It applies universally that the custom will charge on three item C.I.F (cost, insurance and freight).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incoterms#CIF_.E2.80.93_Cost.2C_Insurance_and_Freight_.28named_port_of_destination.29

If the cost is marked down, but the insurance and freight (shipping) are high, the custom will still charge you.

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Winbert

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

- posted July 27, 2014 05:44 PM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
Clyde, if that's the case, then I am one unlucky bar steward! See recent post of mine regarding my plea to oversee's sellers, particularly those from US!

Insured amounts and customs charges are just ridiculous and are making the hobby impossible to follow on a global scale.

Never again will I be bit by customs like I have this year!!

It hurts even more when you realize the duty has already been paid once from the initial purchase whilst leaving our shores. [Mad] [Mad]

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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