Import Duties

[Johannes Knightworth]

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Due to the $ - € exchange rate it has become increasingly attractive to purchase items in the USA.

I was there last week and bought a number of LTM items and upon returning home I voluntarily declared them and paid an appr. 17% on the US purchase price which I don't mind for it is still cheap.

 

Taking into account that all items are over 50 years old I am wondering if there is a legal way to avoid this.

 

I realize that illegally there are a number of possibilities but due to my profession I am not able to ponder along these roads.

[Sandokan]

Hi,

 

In the 80's I also came back from USA with RAM, Books, Software etc. all at greatly reduced costs to the UK. I went through red channel and when asked told them I had books, etc. They asked what I did and I said University Research and they said "that is OK - it is zero taxed for you"

 

Otherwise, I think you have to pay the tax (VAT, MWsT etc) somewhere when you enter the EU. Just choose to fly into the cheapest location for this.

 

Ravi

[andybarton]

All depends upon how you return to the place from which you started.

 

I can't remember the last time I saw anyone on either the green or red channels at Gatwick, Manchester or Liverpool airports. The Customs people are too busy these days, anticipating big drugs shipments to worry about miscreants brining in hooky lenses, or RAM...

 

YMMV, of course

 

If you send stuff by post, the Post Office will bill you before handing over the goodies, at least in the UK, this is how it's done.

[spylaw4]

Royal Mail/Parcelforce will not only bill you but add on a whopping on-cost as well just for the privilege of collecting your VAT.

Buying in the EU can avoid this but prices are generally higher to start with.

[jank]

It could get more complex yet.

The duty depends on country of origin, should you buy goods in US,you should get US import duties refunded, were there any collected.

On top of it all,since you ar exporting goods from US, you also should not pay local taxes in US, which vary from state to state and municipality too.

These vary from 0 to almost 10%.

This altogether may reduce your cost by as much as 15%.

The question remains, on what amount you pay yout import and VAT on?

Is it a purchase price incl. US taxes and duties?

Should one pay VAT derived of other country's import duties and taxes?

Or should it be a "fair' price established by other means?

Jan

[haris]

Due to the $ - € exchange rate it has become increasingly attractive to purchase items in the USA.

I was there last week and bought a number of LTM items and upon returning home I voluntarily declared them and paid an appr. 17% on the US purchase price which I don't mind for it is still cheap.

 

Taking into account that all items are over 50 years old I am wondering if there is a legal way to avoid this.

 

I realize that illegally there are a number of possibilities but due to my profession I am not able to ponder along these roads.

 

OK, this is what I know, but I could be wrong. You have defined value of product you can import without paying tax/custom duty. For example, let say it is 300 EUR (check at yours custom office for details and precise amount). Everything more valuable than that you must pay tax, no matter if it is new, secondhand, bought, you got as gift, etc...

 

One member of this forum, from USA, wanted to send me as gift Leica IIIf. I checked at my custom and they told me next: He must give some value to item he send as gift, if he give value 0, custom will estimate value. If custom think value he give is too low, custom will again estimate "real" value. And charge tax/custom accrding to that.

 

So, I belive there is no legal way to avoid custom/tax. There is only one way: You show item(s) to custom officer, and he/she tells you because it is old, secondhand, this or that, they will not charge you custom/tax duties. But, as you see, it is "maybe" situation...

 

And, if you have one form of EU TAX number (I don't know correct name for it), you cam be released of paying tax...

 

Duties are dependent of country of importing, not origin. There is TAX refund option, from what i know there are some local USA state taxes, which vary from state to state, and they are must to pay, and are NOT refundable when buying from out of USA. Check with you seller what type of USA taxes you are paying when buying items, and are they refundable when import into your country. You know, USA and EU tax systems are quite different, so what works into EU don't have ot work in USA and vice versa...

 

And there is one more thing. For example, B&W photovideo don't want to sell into my country. As I have read, there are some other countries too where USA companies don't want to sell items, I belive Greece is one of them (well, maybe not Greece, but there are others contries for sure), so check that too if you buy ordering from USA, that is not buying directly in shop..