Import duty/customs. Likelihood?

[lorriman]

A while ago I saw a thread about import duty/customs that suggested that before the recession/financial-crisis there was a very good chance of not being subject to import duty/tax/vat/etc. (I once imported a $50 lens that did not get taxed despite all the usual paper-work indicating it should; but perhaps it was just the low value.) However according to that same thread the rate has gone right up probably due customs having more time on their hands due to a lack of commercial traffic.

What's your experience (importing either way, any country)? Do mention to which country you import.


I'm thinking of getting a lens from the US (to the UK) instead of waiting forever for a UK lens. I would like to attempt factoring in to my calculations the likelihood of an item being targeted by the tax man.

 

[_mark__]

More than likely, if you use ups, fedex etc its a definite.

 

[lorriman]

More than likely, if you use ups, fedex etc its a definite.

What sort of priced items are you talking of. I can imagine this being true with items above $100, but below? Is this your experience or supposition?

 

[historicist]

Agreed, things courier companies always make sure you pay tax - assuming of course the seller has marked the value accurately and it's high enough to attract VAT (IIRC under £70 or so there's no VAT or duty payable).

Royal Mail sometimes forget in my experience but still the chances of not paying tax on something declared accurately are slim.

If - heaven forbid - the item isn't declared for the full value (business sellers never do this anyway) the chances of getting found out are very low though, I've never had any packages inspected.

 

[ruby.monkey]

What I have noticed is that packages marked as gifts can take up to a month to clear UK customs; commercial goods with a marked value go through quickly.

 

[rxmd]

Packages sent to me via FedEx/UPS have always been customs checked, with the customs fee being advanced by FedEx and billed to me with a separate invoice.

Packages sent to me via US Postal or Canada Post (and UkrPoshta etc. - everything that arrives through the normal mail here) have been customs checked on an on-and-off basis. Once I had to go and pick up a $25 Macintosh Plus keyboard at the customs office because the sender had declared it as "keyboard" and people were expecting a musical instrument, wondering about the low price. On the other hand, once I received a Nikon LS4000ED scanner, declared as usual as a scanner and with its full value of $650 or so, and I received it with a sticker that it had been cleared by German customs, but without asking me to pay anything (at least 19% import tax would have been due in any case). So normally I try to arrange to get things via regular mail.

I don't like having things declared as gifts etc., because the threshold for gifts here is something like 40 EUR, and for everything more expensive it makes it impossible to get the full insurance value. Also they do look at gifts, and when there's, for example, a Leica lens declared as a 40 EUR gift, the German customs inspector is likely to start asking questions.

 

[rover]

What happens if you come to visit the US, make purchases, and mail your own property back home to yourself?

Just interested in the answer.

 

[Roger Hicks]

What happens if you come to visit the US, make purchases, and mail your own property back home to yourself?

Just interested in the answer.

Exactly the same as if anyone else mailed it to you.

Cheers,

R.

 

[former member]

Have it sent via the mail service, using International First Class or International Priority mail.

FEDEX and UPS will get their tax out of you.

 

[former member]

I have found it to vary by country that I send a package to- Global Express was subcontracted out in France, and they wanted their cut. First class to France, went right through.

The only time that I have been hit with a fee while receiving a package was from FEDEX. USPS has never tariffed a package on receipt, and I have bought some expensive items from overseas.

 

[atlcruiser]

In the US you can go to the customs website and more or less figure duty. One advantage here is that we have floating duty on products based on where it is shipping from.

Ex: A few years ago I was buying a new Barbour jacket. from the UK (ticket price cheaper) the duty was almost 25% on new clothing from the UK/EU. I looked around and found the same item in NZ for slightly more but with no import duty. Shipping was a bit more but I saved about 20% over the UK price w/duty added and almost 45% of the US retail price.

 

[JohnTF]

Seems everyone I know in Europe is being taxed on most things coming in, from ebay knick knacks, to magazines. I hear the Gulf Stream is next, at least in the North.

Years ago I sent packages to Czech often and when they arrived, if they did not have pretty stamps on them, which almost guarantees they will be stolen, no taxes.

To pre-EU France, I sent someone's wedding photos, with an insured value in the hundreds, it got there in a few days and no tax.

Everything coming in since the EU and ebay seems to be viewed as a nice revenue item. Friends who ship regularly, with insurance, say the folks on the receiving end any where in Europe often remark the tax seems excessive. Am not sure if it is import, or VAT, or both. I am told the VAT in Southern France is close to 20% now.

One recent exception, a camera repaired under warranty, with full value on the insurance, to Clethorpes-- quick delivery, no tax. The repair was marked on the declaration on the outside, along with the full value.

There are a few people who ask ebay sellers to under-value items, but then there is no assurance that a lost or damaged item will be covered and you would be foolish as a seller to agree.

Stuff coming in to the US is lightly taxed and customs no longer collects the first $10 in any case. I had an insured IIIg on my porch from a friend in Germany, full declared and insured value, no bother. A new steering wheel for my MGB, no tax, again, on the porch.

I did have an air freight shipment of 50 boxes of photo paper from Brno, the customs guy could not convert Czech Crowns, so after ten minutes of trying, he stamped it -- no duty.

Gives you that excuse to visit the US. ;-)

My friends here from Mandelieu are shopping here and in NY, they tell me there is big business with people flying in from Paris to shop and the savings paying for the trip.

Their 12 year old daughter is very happy of this.


Regards, John

 

[wotalegend]

Reading some of the foregoing posts, I realise how lucky we are in Australia. Firstly, there is no "duty" on imported goods afaik. There is only 10% GST (otherwise known as VAT in some countries) which applies equally to new and secondhand goods. In my experience of importing over 200 bits of photo equipment over several years, the only time I have been charged GST was when I bought something new from B&H and it came by UPS or Fedex, can't remember which. I have never been charged GST on anything which has come in through normal Post Office channels. And regardless of whether it is through a courier company or Australia Post, most trackable items arrive on my door step within 24 hours of landing.

I was told once that the reason the courier companies always collect GST, plus their own fee of course, is that they are licensed by the government to do their own assessments and they are scared of losing their accreditation if they don't apply the rules rigorously. I don't know if that's true; could be a myth.

 

[Matus]

Importing to Germany the customs are around 95% efficient to my experience. At least here in Muenster (NRW). Everything with value above 26 euro is taxed with 19% tax (added value) + import duties apply from the netto goods value of 150 euro or more (another 7% or so). I have just recently picked up my new bag.

Apart from the expense and time loss it cab be funny when they try to figure out what kind of item it is, where it was produced, etc.

BTW - since last 2 years I always have to bring a proof of payment (VISA printout or PayPal printout) - they do not care about the value stated on the package.

German precision sometimes hurts ...

 

[__--]

In the US there is no import duty on still cameras or lenses. Courier services, such as UPS, have a handling charge for clearing shipments through Customs, but there is no import duty.

—Mitch/Bangkok
Shophouse Demolition