Bringing items to the UK from the EU - VAT, Customs and Excise duties

[jongood]

So. The company formed in 1866 is now called Brooks England Ltd. Formed in 2000 according to Companies House and owned by Italian’s living in Italy!
I know the name but nothing about them, though reading the Forbes article, it looks like they make a range of goods (or have them made somewhere else) and distribute them from their main business in Italy. So the saddles being made in their UK factory will now go to Italy.
Is it related to duty free?

The old trusted names that have been bought by the Chinese ( and are now mostly cr*p) is really quite sad: Raleigh bicycles, Mountfield Mowers, MG cars, AJS, Hornby etc. I bought some sandpaper the other day, the only one available was Spear and Jackson so I picked it up without a thought, tried to use it and it fell apart in my hand - yep made in China.

 

[Diabalo]

- I'd be more concerned with the idiots who voted conservative

Hopefully this was a joke if not I take offence at that remark,

 

[AXO66]

Any thoughts, knowledge , about buying goods in the EU?

Can we buy with the EU VAT taken off the price.?

Then if, under our duty free allowance , drive straight back home.

I recall reading recently, that we can each “import” around £390 of goods. That figure might be wrong, but we do have an individual import allowance That attracts no import duty, at customs.

 

[PJGWiltshire]

Any thoughts, knowledge , about buying goods in the EU?

Can we buy with the EU VAT taken off the price.?

Then if, under our duty free allowance , drive straight back home.

I recall reading recently, that we can each “import” around £390 of goods. That figure might be wrong, but we do have an individual import allowance That attracts no import duty, at customs.

From my understanding. There are two areas. If you have an item sent /shipped to you in the UK you are charged VAT at 20% upon entry in the UK. As I posted earlier in this thread, eBay are charging this directly from EU retailers sending items to UK, then passing the VAT to HMRC.
Individuals crossing into the UK ie us motorhomes then can have items up to a value import free, although you would have purchased the item in the EU with the local Country VAT rate. As far as Duty free outlets that are to be set up, I do not know what the level of Duty free value of the goods will be.

 

[EdwardFT]

Not to bothered anyway as we don’t smoke at all and alcohol consumption is zero for me and minimal for my partner

I remember the days when you had to carry the receipt for your camera or you would be liable to pay duty on it.

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[Minxy]

I remember the days when you had to carry the receipt for your camera or you would be liable to pay duty on it.

You might still have to do that if it looks as if you've bought it whilst on holiday ...

 

[Ridgeway]

Any thoughts, knowledge , about buying goods in the EU?

Can we buy with the EU VAT taken off the price.?

Then if, under our duty free allowance , drive straight back home.

I recall reading recently, that we can each “import” around £390 of goods. That figure might be wrong, but we do have an individual import allowance That attracts no import duty, at customs.

No as there's no EU VAT....

You can buy "tax free" as per each countries TVA structures, every country has different levels although the EU has a TVA equalisation agreement. The procedure is typically that you ask your seller to sell "tax free" and you then pay UK VAT at the point of entry, plus any import duties plus an administrative fee. The challenge is finding a seller to sell tax free, those only usually exist close to borders although in theory anyone can do it it's just that 99% of people have no clue on the procedure. I typically do it on large items i buy in the UK ie i ask the seller (needs to be a commercial company) to sell without VAT that i then am happy to pay the paltry Swiss TVA at the border points (TVA is typically 7.7% here).

It's a topic any Swissy is well versed up on having spent many years crossing borders to Germany, France and Italy to buy IN the EU and then claim back their TVA at the border point..... daily occurrence here.

Is it worth it though ? honestly unless these are large purchase items i genuinely can't be ar$ed most of the time. Saved about £300 when bringing the Rayburn in by doing that though although it did take some long discussions with Mr UK Rayburn bloke to get him to invoice me without VAT

 

[tonyysue]

All ways used to be the case.

There must be those on here that, despite EU Law to the contrary , have been subject to the French police confiscating cigarettes bought in Spain if you were carrying more than 300 in your motorhome coming into France!

 

[Dorset Diver]

There must be those on here that, despite EU Law to the contrary , have been subject to the French police confiscating cigarettes bought in Spain if you were carrying more than 300 in your motorhome coming into France!

Don't smoke. Gave it up from 40+ a day on 01/02/1989. Disgusting habit.

 

[Paulypaul]

There must be those on here that, despite EU Law to the contrary , have been subject to the French police confiscating cigarettes bought in Spain if you were carrying more than 300 in your motorhome coming into France!

Had fags confiscated by Spanish customs when coming back in a truck from Lanzarote....gutted

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[minesapint]

Sensible people and leave voters in the same sentence......mmmmmm

Yes sensible people are leave people.

 

[Langtoftlad]

The rest we will have to bite the bullet and pay the extra in the UK. We usually go twice a year so 96 bottles not too bad.

In the old days - quite often used to go through the red channel because over the limits... don't think I was ever actually charged... was told it wasn't worth the paperwork.

In other international destinations, many places have a "reclaim the VAT" desks where you can get the VAT paid in the country of purchase refunded as you're exporting the item.
Not a perfect scheme by any means but might offset some of the charges levied when you come back to the UK.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Whilst I was cabin crew - especially in the early days when we had much more restrictive allowances than regular tourists - it was a rule of thumb that a product had to be half the price it was back in the UK to make it a reasonable saving once duty & tax was paid.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Came back in a truck and told them that the fags were for personal use

Judge wouldn't have it and destroyed the 2.5million B+H

 

[Captain Birdseye]

Not to bothered anyway as we don’t smoke at all and alcohol consumption is zero for me and minimal for my partner

It applies to everything over a certain value. Some new slis and boots? Camera? etc. Remember many things are cheaper in the EU than the UK.

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[jongood]

Yes sensible people are leave people.

View attachment 453882

More childish than refusing to recognise democracy?

 

[Minxy]

Can I suggest that those making comments about leavers and remainers stop otherwise they'll end up in Coventry and although it would be sad to see them go for a while it would allow us to take the wee out of them!

 

[2657]

Yes sensible people are leave people.

View attachment 453882

I got a yellow card warning for that humorous political post, does it only work one way or do I have to be a baby and report it!

 

[chaser]

In the old days - quite often used to go through the red channel because over the limits... don't think I was ever actually charged... was told it wasn't worth the paperwork.

In other international destinations, many places have a "reclaim the VAT" desks where you can get the VAT paid in the country of purchase refunded as you're exporting the item.
Not a perfect scheme by any means but might offset some of the charges levied when you come back to the UK.

In a lot of shops in France they have stickers on the windows about tax free for foreigners, never bothered going into it as it didn't concern us, but does it now apply to us?

 

[Minxy]

In a lot of shops in France they have stickers on the windows about tax free for foreigners, never bothered going into it as it didn't concern us, but does it now apply to us?

I would think so, just as it does for Americans, Canadians etc.

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[Langtoftlad]

In a lot of shops in France they have stickers on the windows about tax free for foreigners, never bothered going into it as it didn't concern us, but does it now apply to us?

I would think so.

 

[chaser]

I would think so, just as it does for Americans, Canadians etc.

Yeah it's us no one has mentioned this among the doom and gloom.

‘Détaxe’ tax refund and duty free - Paris Tourist Office

en.parisinfo.com

 

[bellabee]

Yeah it's us no one has mentioned this among the doom and gloom.

‘Détaxe’ tax refund and duty free - Paris Tourist Office

en.parisinfo.com

Well, how wrong you can be about somebody ?
Never, in a million years, would I have imagined you shopping in those (very expensive) places chaser .

 

[chaser]

Well, how wrong you can be about somebody ?
Never, in a million years, would I have imagined you shopping in those (very expensive) places chaser .

There's a lot folks don't know about me even if they think they do

 

[Neil S]

It applies to everything over a certain value. Some new slis and boots? Camera? etc. Remember many things are cheaper in the EU than the UK.

I don't buy anything of value when I'm out in Europe my camera is my iPhone 12 which takes exceptionally good photographs and as for footwear we carry everything we need . Only expenditure is food , fuel and site fee's
By my own a admission I’m a bit of spendthrift

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[Minxy]

There's a lot folks don't know about me even if they think they do

Thank goodness!

 

[Adamwallace]

Dimbo question here. If you buy wine etc and pay the local duty (tax) ie by buying in a supermarket is that still limited?

Yes

 

[peterc10]

The limits were substantially increased on 1st January and apply to those coming from any country, not just the EU.

Each person is now allowed to bring

• 42 litres of beer and
• 16 litres of still wine and
• either 4 litre of spirits or 9 litres of sparkling or fortified wine.

In addition you can also bring other goods up to the value of £390 each.

Amounts of tobacco and tobacco products have stayed the same AFAIK.

 

[Paulypaul]

Came back in a truck and told them that the fags were for personal use

Judge wouldn't have it and destroyed the 2.5million B+H

After you've done 6 years and customs seize your truck and freeze all your assets, or did you get off with it

 

[jongood]

The limits were substantially increased on 1st January and apply to those coming from any country, not just the EU.

Each person is now allowed to bring

• 42 litres of beer and
• 16 litres of still wine and
• either 4 litre of spirits or 9 litres of sparkling or fortified wine.

In addition you can also bring other goods up to the value of £390 each.

Amounts of tobacco and tobacco products have stayed the same AFAIK.

I bet we were pushing on an open door with that one

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