Buying from the US.

Rhods
Rhods Posts: 400
edited March 2009 in Road buying advice
Hi

Does anyone know if any duty/tax is charged on items bought fron the US? Not sure whether it would be based on size or whatever, but I'm looking to buy a spoke tension meter if it helps.

Thanks

Comments

  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    It should be paid - you may get lucky, but expect to pay tax and see if it still makes it worth buying ?
  • Rhods
    Rhods Posts: 400
    Any idea what the rate is?

    thanks
  • chuckcork
    chuckcork Posts: 1,471
    I brought some wedding gifts and personal stuff back from Oz when I got married there in 2004 (I'm an Aussie BTW), I was charged by inland revenue quite abit, I wouldn't have bothered if I'd know how much of a ripoff it woudl be.

    They ascertained the "value" of the goods, then added on the shipping cost to get a figure (shipping was itself expensive enough!) They then charged 10% duty on this figure, than added that to the previous figure. They then calculated VAT on the lot at 17.5%!

    So I was paying a total tax rate something like 29.25%, even on the shipping which started and was mostly outside the EU, and on the goods which realistically were never going to be resold.

    Factor all that in, if it still comes out cheaper then its worth it, if not it might be cheaper to buy from somewhere else in Europe.
    'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze....
  • GavH
    GavH Posts: 933
    I recently looked into buying a new watch from a dealer in the US who was offering me almost 40% off the UK price. When I realised that UK Customs & Excise will add a 4.5% Import Duty plus VAT (then set at 17.5%) to not only the value of the package but also adding in the shipping cost, it just wasn't worth it. The key thing lies in what the seller marks as the value of the package on the outside, which I understand is a legal requirement in the States and also ensures that the package is insured upto that amount. That was why the watch in my case was not cheaper as the seller would have to put the original £2k value on the outside rather than the near £1200 I would have paid. Hence 22% on £2k plus shipping cost would have made it more expensive than here in the UK. I was told at the time that small value items do not get taxed but was then hit with a subsequent bill from FedEx for about £36 for a Suunto watch I bought from the US for about £160.
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    bought a $100 seatpost recently and paid about £23ish I think on import duty.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • Rhods
    Rhods Posts: 400
    That comes to just shy of 30% i think. By the time I've paid for the postage, I don't think it will be much of a saving, if at all.

    Thanks for the replies guys.
  • plowmar
    plowmar Posts: 1,032
    Never had any problems on my purchases from U.S.

    All of them ,when received, have been marked as 'gifts' i.e. items under a certain price and have gone through without tax.

    Last year got Team High Road shirt and bib shorts and had no taxes.

    Perhaps it was the lightness that enabled the supplier to put 'gift' on the envelope, or maybe I am just lucky.


    :):):)

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