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Customs VAT advice

robtimusrobtimus Posts: 156
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in Advice #1
I bought a toy on eBay recently for £14, free postage. This item is delivered from Japan. As I understand it, the item is below the threshold at which customs charges should apply (£15). I've bought many Blurays from America at under the £15 threshold and have not once been required to pay (although a few have been inspected by customs), although I'm not she did it's a different case for toys.

However, this morning I received a note from parcel force, informing me that the item is over the limit, and I am now required to pay an additional £11.14 VAT on this product (almost as much as the product itself), as well as a £13.50 charge for the pleasure of them processing this. I'm pretty sure that's not right, but has anyone had experience with this before? If I do nothing then it will get sent back to the seller.

I've checked on duty calculator, and according to that I shouldn't be charged import duty on the item. I can only guess that there has been a mistake on the declaration.

Comments

  • HypnodiscHypnodisc Posts: 22,728
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    #2
    robtimus wrote: »
    I bought a toy on eBay recently for £14, free postage. This item is delivered from Japan. As I understand it, the item is below the threshold at which customs charges should apply (£15). I've bought many Blurays from America at under the £15 threshold and have not once been required to pay (although a few have been inspected by customs), although I'm not she did it's a different case for toys.

    However, this morning I received a note from parcel force, informing me that the item is over the limit, and I am now required to pay an additional £11.14 VAT on this product (almost as much as the product itself), as well as a £13.50 charge for the pleasure of them processing this. I'm pretty sure that's not right, but has anyone had experience with this before? If I do nothing then it will get sent back to the seller.

    I've checked on duty calculator, and according to that I shouldn't be charged import duty on the item. I can only guess that there has been a mistake on the declaration.

    I would say you are correct - there shouldn't be anything to pay.

    I'd contest/appeal it. To be charged £11.14 VAT they must think the value of the item is around £55.
  • Galaxy266Galaxy266 Posts: 7,049
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    #3
    According to the HMRC website the threshold for having to pay VAT on imports is £15.

    http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document#P20_1804
  • Red ArrowRed Arrow Posts: 10,889
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    #4
    Perhaps the person who posted it put down the wrong value on the customs declaration, or their hand writing is so bad they think it's £55.
  • IqoniqIqoniq Posts: 6,299
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    #5
    Do they check whether an item could be classed as a collectable (a limited edition for example)? If they do, and the item is classed as a collectable (being able to be sold on for a higher price) then this may be why they're adding VAT on.
  • gemma-the-huskygemma-the-husky Posts: 18,116
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    #6
    I concur that they probably misread the value declaration.
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