Import/Custom/Handling Charges From The USA

[Mike.C]

Is there anyway you can work out how much you will pay on Import/Custom/Handling charges from the US? Is it a percentage of what the item/s cost, or the weight/size of the parcel?

I know that some lucky woodsters get away with paying nothing at all, but I would like to know the worst just in case they do hit me.

Thank you in advance.

Cheers

Mike

 

[mark_h]

Last time I bought something from the States I checked out the duty situation on the HM Revenue and Customs website, which was quite confusing so I ended up ringing their helpline and got a pretty good idea of what i was letting myself in for. I seem to recall you pay import duty as a percentage of value, with the percentage varying according to the type of product you are importing. You then pay VAT, if it applies to the product type. I do recall that the VAT is charged on the cost of the item plus the cost of the shipping.

When I last purchased the exchange rate was about 1.7USD to 1.0Pound, but after I had paid all the duty, VAT and shipping it worked out at about 1:1.

Hope this helps, however don't take my word for it, please check it out with NMRC.

Mark H

 

[gidon]

It's confusing to find the amount they charge for duty - even if you find the categories - it's hard to know which categories the items you're ordering fit in to! Still I remember it being around 5% for most woodworking stuff - and then add VAT. And most likely a courier charge too (~£5-15).
I'll try and find the link later if someone doesn't find it first.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Losos]

Hi Mike,

Yes, as Gidon & Mark H say, it can be a bit daunting to try to find what category your product will fall into. If you're planning on importing several items the "Import Duty" might vary if Customs & Excise deem them to be in different categories

I suppose it's all on computer now, but back in the days when you had to look it up in a book, they ran to several volumes each about 800 pages IIRC. Every product ever made has to be in a category from Avocados to Zula warrier arrows :roll:

I remember having a conversation over the phone with one Customs & Excise chap, I described the product I was importing, he couldn't fathom what it was never mind what category it should be in, so he said to me "What category do you think it should be" :? I told him one which I knew to be only 3.5% and that's what they charged me!!

 

[Mike.C]

Thanks guys. I have been looking around the net in the last couple of days and I am still no wiser.

I want to buy a couple of things for my new router table when its built but I keep thinking that any saving I make by buying them in the US may be made null and void by the import duties etc. Hence the reason for wanting to know how they work out what to charge us. May be I should just order the stuff and hope for the best.

Cheers

Mike

 

[kafkaian]

In 2000 I had to buy in a unique MIT robotics kit for some research into face recognition/biometrics I was doing at University. It was something that required a lot of extra graft from me (programming wise) and couldn't be purchased outside the States.

However, C & E wouldn't release it until I parted with £50 claming that they had valued it much higher than I paid for it and duty was required. I couldn't get over it; explained that this was for research and that at the time I was a poor research student and £50 was just over-valuing it.

"Tough", was the response.
"Nice", I retorted

And that was that. Parted with cash, finally received my technology and grudgingly carried on with my research.

To give you some idea as to the logic behind the process, is beyond me!!!

 

[Roger]

In theory you will pay VAT on anything valued at more than £18 and Import Duty if the amount is assessed at more than £7 This page gives you all the details links to the various Tariff Classification:

C & E Import Rules

Try and avoid UPS or the similar Carriers. They act as their own Customs Broker and you will be billed by them direct and charged by them for the privilege! USPS is by far the best and a lot of the time, you will slide under the 'Radar' if the package is small and not of much declared value in excess of their limits. I order regularly from Lee Valley and others and most of the time don't get hit with too much extra.

If the item is high value - you will almost certainly get hit with both Duty and VAT. You should be able to work it out from the link above,

 

[Mike.C]

Thanks very much Roger thats a great help.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Roger]

You're welcome Mike. It's always better if you can somehow get a friend / relative to send it from the States marked as a 'Gift' In that case the limit goes up to £36 as long as a few conditions are complied with:

Gifts

It's all covered in the FAQs from that first page.

Best of luck ........

 

[Losos]

Mike,

Hope you can find the answers from the Rogers helpful links, because as I found out this week the exchange is pretty good for us right now, in fact I don't think I can recall when it's ever been better, definately not for a very long time.

Also just thought you could split your needs into two orders, then you may well sneak in 'under the radar' as so nicely put above.

I would endorse the USPS and Royal Mail as the best combination when I was in UK. (Nowadays it's USPS / Ceska Posta for me )

 

[mel]

mike c , you dont say what you are importing

a few years ago i bought a night vision rifle scope from the states
the cost of the scope in the uk at the time was £360
from the states it cost £230
paid a £67 import duty inc vat {IIRC this also inc a £20 handleing charge}
which at the time i considered it to be a substantial saving
however , should the scope have packed up for any reason . i would have forfeited any warranty
to return it to the states for repair was out of the question . as i may have been liable for a second lot of import duty on a scope that i already owned
and had paid import duty on once

maybe not much help to you , but i thought that i would share my experience
all the best
mel

 

[milkman]

I just came back from the US and 'found' a LN in my bag. How or when it got there I can't say.
IF I had bought it in the states and carried it through without declaring it I would have saved about £100 but as someone has put in my bag at some point and I can't find the owner I've got the plane for free! : )

If you're stuck here I think after carriage and potential taxes you're better off going to a dealer

 

[Mike.C]

Hi Guys,

I have just found out that I can get most of the stuff from the www.woodworkersworkshop.co.uk It may not be as cheap as importing them myself but at least I can get them all from one place. Whereas by getting them from various stores in the US, I may get clobbered for every parcel by customs.

Thank you all for your advice.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Smudger]

On my recent import I also paid Parcelfarce £8 for the privilege of them handling the import duty... of £9 on $100 (approx).