Speakerplans.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > General > General Forum
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - import taxes
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

import taxes

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
snowflake View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc


Joined: 29 December 2004
Location: Bristol
Status: Offline
Points: 3118
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snowflake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: import taxes
    Posted: 15 June 2022 at 12:27pm
Hi

I've imported a few things from China recently and there seems to be some inconsistency in whether import taxes are charged.

first time I wasn't charged any taxes
second time I was charged on the doorstep when the goods were delivered
third time I have received an invoice a week after delivery.

tariff code is 8518400090 which seems to have 0% import tariff

VAT is calculated on the shipping cost + the declared value of the goods but the sender companies seem to be under-declaring the value of the goods on the paperwork they have given to the freight company. This saves me money up front but if I sell stuff on will not be able to deduct as much from VAT bill.

there seems to be a lot of conflicting information online.
Is there a threshold for import VAT? Was £15 but seems to have been abolished.
Is there a threshold of £135 under which the sender is liable for VAT, over which importer is liable?
If you purchase through an e-commerce sight such as alibaba are they responsible for collection and remittance of VAT?

I'm not sure whether I'm getting away with something or being scammed Wacko

Phil

Edited by snowflake - 15 June 2022 at 12:32pm
Back to Top
kedwardsleisure View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc


Joined: 20 January 2009
Location: Staffordshire
Status: Offline
Points: 4938
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote kedwardsleisure Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 June 2022 at 11:21pm
if you're importing from china, the sender wont charge vat at their end because VAT is a european thing. The UK adopted VAT over Purchase Tax ready for the common market in the 70's and we've still got it. The VAT is paid by the buyer to the british customs coffers.

Import duty is applicable based on a commodity code, there are tons of them but there's a code finder on the HMRC website, its fairly simple.

All the sender has to do is fill out a customs declaration form, which they may or may not do. Whether the vat (and duty) payable is detected by customs, the courier who delivers to you or is left to yourself to work out, is very variable.

If it's not stopped at customs and the courier does not bill you (they should!) then it's either not eligible or you must fill an import form in and declare it yourself.

Duties and VAT are different depending on whether the goods are classed as a gift sent to you, or merchandise you've ordered.

Here's the link regarding the thresholds, but pay attention to the wording re - Gifts.



https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

Edited by kedwardsleisure - 20 June 2022 at 11:22pm
Kevin

North Staffordshire

Back to Top
snowflake View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc


Joined: 29 December 2004
Location: Bristol
Status: Offline
Points: 3118
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snowflake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 June 2022 at 12:04am
amplifiers seem to have 0% duty coming from China to UK.
online platforms such as alibaba apparently collect VAT and remit it to the uK govt. for items less than £135 but otherwise it is as you describe.
I guess the first time the customs must have just missed it and not charged me. Surprised Fedex handed me the goods before payment this latest time though.
Back to Top
Earplug View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc


Joined: 03 January 2012
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 7199
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Earplug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 June 2022 at 7:27am
I don't know about the UK, but stuff bought off ebay from China from here (and in EU in general?), now gets charged VAT at the checkout, even for small sums. There does not seem to be any lower limit.

IIRC, the change came about a year or 18 months ago and from what I've managed to glean, China was, for many years, afforded some sort of special "Developing Country/Economy" status, which meant that "small purchaces" were tax free. That has now been changed - and no big surprise. By no stretch of the imagination could China now be classed as a poor "Developing Country"!

TBH, I've cut back hugely on my ebay activity since they changed their payment system and split from Paypal. I didn't bother signing up to their new system - and had all my stuff for sale removed! Very nice of them!  Angry

Earplugs Are For Wimps!
Back to Top
Bams View Drop Down
Young Croc
Young Croc


Joined: 08 April 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 622
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 June 2022 at 7:43am
Second to the story from earplug. Besides the developing country status couriers were flooded with parcels with no real value which clogged the delivery system (at least in the netherlands) or ended up which led to the transition.
Back to Top
kedwardsleisure View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc


Joined: 20 January 2009
Location: Staffordshire
Status: Offline
Points: 4938
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kedwardsleisure Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 June 2022 at 10:15am
If a foreign country is charging you VAT then they must have a uk-registered office (usually a uk factoring agent). So the deal is between you and the factor, your payment goes to them and they pay the VAT part to HMRC and the goods value to the originator in eg china, plus a but of commission for themselves. This arrangement is often transparent for online sales but it's there nontheless. Large ebay sellers from China also do this. Where the item is made and sent from is now seperate from where the bill is paid to. It's the same when you sell something on ebay and it's bought by a chinese client, but the address you send it to is a PO Box in London. They are export agents who pay you and deal with the export forms and the chinese buyer gets it a month later with his duties paid to the chinese authorities.

But you need to know to be sure.

As I said already, VAT (and import duty) is payable to the UK government (HMRC) not to any foreign supplier, since VAT is an EU/UK thing.

Before Brexit, any EU supplier would either charge you VAT at their local rate (as they were supplying another vat-using country) or, if you were VAT regsitered, you could have the VAT suppressed by the EU supplier so you didn't pay it - since you would otherwise be claiming it back. In that case you had a special column on the VAT return and a periodic form for 'intra-community' taxable transactions, so that if you needed to claim vat back from say a supplier in Germany, you could claim it back in the UK and then the HMRC would claim it back from Germany. Complicated!

There are different rules and taxes for 'Gifts' and 'everything else'. It might be hard explaining to the tax man why a professional power amp were received as a gift.

Edited by kedwardsleisure - 21 June 2022 at 10:21am
Kevin

North Staffordshire

Back to Top
Earplug View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc


Joined: 03 January 2012
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 7199
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Earplug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 June 2022 at 11:22am
Yes - small packages were treated differently under an International Postage Agreement between China and several western states, eg. USA & EU. Anything bigger, like a pallet, or container full of gear had to go through an agent.

That now seems to have been updated/scrapped and everything become subject to VAT. Maybe down somewhat to huge debt crisis we have. All the governments need to grab what they can, while they can.  Ouch


Earplugs Are For Wimps!
Back to Top
al_x View Drop Down
Young Croc
Young Croc


Joined: 12 February 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 834
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote al_x Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 June 2022 at 2:52pm
When I purchased an amp from China they put the value as £100 on the shipping note so it avoided any charges our end. 
Back to Top
jacethebase View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc
Avatar

Joined: 23 September 2009
Location: Somerset
Status: Offline
Points: 5697
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jacethebase Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 June 2022 at 4:52pm
Originally posted by al_x al_x wrote:

When I purchased an amp from China they put the value as £100 on the shipping note so it avoided any charges our end. 

Great if you don't get caught. 

 But is looked upon as fraud if you do get caught.
www.wedding-production.co.uk

www.stage2sound.com
Back to Top
Earplug View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc


Joined: 03 January 2012
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 7199
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Earplug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 June 2022 at 5:49pm
"But is looked upon as fraud if you do get caught."

Yup. Practically a Capital Offence to try defraud the VAT Man!  LOL

And down here, getting stuff through the Customs in Madrid can be a nightmare. The family of one American guy I know, who lives near me, thought that it would be a good idea to send him a birthday cake. It took over a month to get through customs and was not edible when it finally arrived on his doorstep.  Disapprove


Earplugs Are For Wimps!
Back to Top
snowflake View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc


Joined: 29 December 2004
Location: Bristol
Status: Offline
Points: 3118
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snowflake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 June 2022 at 9:22pm
Originally posted by al_x al_x wrote:

When I purchased an amp from China they put the value as £100 on the shipping note so it avoided any charges our end. 


I don't think it has avoided charges completely because of the valuation, they just haven't look at that item. If they had they would have charged you VAT on £100 and VAT on the shipping cost.

The Chinese seem keen to undervalue their goods on the export invoice - I certainly didn't ask them to do so!

Edited by snowflake - 21 June 2022 at 9:26pm
Back to Top
woody2 View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc


Joined: 04 March 2010
Status: Offline
Points: 1726
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote woody2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 June 2022 at 10:27pm
Originally posted by snowflake snowflake wrote:



The Chinese seem keen to undervalue their goods on the export invoice - I certainly didn't ask them to do so!


Not just the ChineseLOL, you need to be aware that the shipping company will only payout whats on the invoice if lost.


Edited by woody2 - 21 June 2022 at 10:29pm
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.06
Copyright ©2001-2023 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.109 seconds.