Buying from Europe

NEEpps

Section Hiker
Can someone clarify the new rules for buying goods from the EU? My limited understanding is that VAT can be charged on all imports over £135 and Royal Mail will also take their cut.
 

cathyjc

Thru Hiker
I would assume the rules will be the same now for the EU as they already were for the US and other non-EU (minus China ??) countries.
Hopefully the EU seller will deduct the relevant VAT (as your item is now an "export"), before billing you - so you only pay VAT once at UK rates.
 

JKM

Thru Hiker
I'm seeing a worrying number of small companies refusing to ship to the UK in future due to the fees they have to pay HMRC for the privaledge of collecting vat of their behalf. Mainly smaller bike parts companies at the moment.
 

JKM

Thru Hiker
I also wondered...
I was going to order something from a maker in the Netherlands who is not vat registered.
I am not sure if I will then get charged vat where once there would have been none. It will be difficult for small cottage industries if that's the case.
 

Whiteburn

Thru Hiker
Can someone clarify the new rules for buying goods from the EU? My limited understanding is that VAT can be charged on all imports over £135 and Royal Mail will also take their cut.
The tariff agreement with the EU is that there is no Import Duty applied e.g. the %age applied on goods from US when >£135 value.
VAT will be collected on all goods >£15 in value (including postage), plus there'll be the carrier admin fee (RM = £8), it does mean that quite small value orders become quite expensive.........I would also suggest that as collecting VAT on imports to the UK will be the norm less stuff will slip through the net.
 

JKM

Thru Hiker
The tariff agreement with the EU is that there is no Import Duty applied e.g. the %age applied on goods from US when >£135 value.
VAT will be collected on all goods >£15 in value (including postage), plus there'll be the carrier admin fee (RM = £8), it does mean that quite small value orders become quite expensive.........I would also suggest that as collecting VAT on imports to the UK will be the norm less stuff will slip through the net.

Since a £15 item will now cost £26, perhaps we will need to get back into group buys etc as a way to save money :(

Assuming we have any money left.
 
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Whiteburn

Thru Hiker
Since a £15 item will now cost £26, perhaps we will need to get back into group buys etc as a way to save money :(
It could also result that buying from within the EU comes less attractive than buying from the US particularly goods under the £135 duty threshold. e.g. RBTR Vs Extremtextil,
 
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Whiteburn

Thru Hiker
If the retailer collects the import VAT then you shouldnt have to pay the £8 RM fee. For instance Ali express are now collecting UK VAT. Should heal the economy on its own :D
Could also mean that there is an opportunity for small scale businesses like yourself to expand into the supply of 'trinkets' (quality plastic hardware, etc) for the UK market.
 

Rog Tallbloke

Thru Hiker
The tariff agreement with the EU is that there is no Import Duty applied e.g. the %age applied on goods from US when >£135 value.
VAT will be collected on all goods >£15 in value (including postage), plus there'll be the carrier admin fee (RM = £8), it does mean that quite small value orders become quite expensive.........I would also suggest that as collecting VAT on imports to the UK will be the norm less stuff will slip through the net.

This is confusing me. Are you sure you don't mean there's no import duty on goods less than £135 in value rather than more?

If the VAT is being charged at source and remitted to HMRC, and the value is under the threshold for import duty, why would there be carrier admin fee?
 
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JKM

Thru Hiker
This is confusing me. Are you sure you don't mean there's no import duty of goods less than £135 in value rather than more?

i assumed @Whiteburn meatnt that there is no Import Duty applied by the seller

if over £135 i thought that HMRC / agents charge the VAT and Duty rather than the exporter.
i guess in part its to stop fraud / sellers disappearing into the night with all that VAT in their bank accounts.
 

JKM

Thru Hiker
If the VAT is being charged at source and remitted to HMRC, and the value is under the threshold for import duty, why would there be carrier admin fee?

i am sure they will find a reason, "that's the cost of the having someone read the label mate"
 

Rog Tallbloke

Thru Hiker
@Charlie83 Let's hope progress on a FTA with Australia moves faster than the EU's glacial approach.

"Reducing tariff barriers for our world class food and drink industry could bolster Scotch Whisky exports, with a third of Scotland’s exports being beverages. London businesses would also stand to benefit, since they exported over £40 million of beverages to Australia in 2019.
For example, in the year to March 2019, the UK was the largest importer of Australian wine by volume, while Australia imported 20 million bottles of Scotch Whisky in 2018, worth £114 million."

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ee-trade-agreement-the-uks-strategic-approach
 

JKM

Thru Hiker
:sleep:

a wee drop in the ocean, our turnover (in a company most will never have heard of) is well over australia's annual whiskey imports every single month. yet its companies like ours that will go to the wall.
 
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Mole

Thru Hiker
Could is the pertinent word there Rog.
In reality nothing much would change. People in Australia aren't going to suddenly start drinking significantly more whisky just because of notional cost savings to the importer.

Though £114 million is almost a third of what the NHS is going to get extra each week now:whistling:
 

NEEpps

Section Hiker
Thanks @Whiteburn. Had a further look and I think some companies like 'Exxposed' will treat the UK like Switzerland for whom they remove the VAT (19%) at checkout leaving the purchaser to pay the VAT on import plus handling fee.

Did you get your parcel from MLD and if so what was it?
 

Odd Man

Thru Hiker
Looks like a business opportunity to open a Shipping agent in the EU - something like Stackry.

I was thinking the same thing earlier.

https://www.forward2me.com/warehouses/germany/

Looks like they also do Turkish and Japanese addresses. Might be helpful when ordering from Japan.

I signed up for it, I'll let you know how I get on.

@WilliamC would this help with your orders since they have a warehouse in Turkey?
 
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Whiteburn

Thru Hiker
Thanks @Whiteburn......Did you get your parcel from MLD and if so what was it?
Yup....it was delivered while I was in hospital, a DCF Duomid........I've only managed to give it a quick check over for obvious faults & cut the cords so far, it may not get erected in the yard for a month or so.
 

Padstowe

Thru Hiker
I don't get it (nothing new there mind :angelic:), looking on amazon I still have to pay import fees on an item from the UK that was less than £135 coming into Ireland
Items:GBP 109.98
Postage & Packing:GBP 6.00
Import Fees Deposit:GBP 24.36
Order Total:GBP 140.34
But It a deposit so..?
It's estimated delivery end of Jan beginning of Feb, seems all UK sellers on amazon to Ireland is around the same. :(
(somebody somewhere is having a toffee crisp :D)
 
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