Delivery from US to UK

[JimboWizbo]

I got my MD7 posted via USPS (FedEx at my end) and the courier dude just got a signature and buggered off. Now, have I gotten away with avoiding duty tax and vat? As far as I understand they have to charge you when you pick it up... or will I be invoiced in the near future?

Thanks

Jim

 

[gerry d]

I got my MD7 posted via USPS (FedEx at my end) and the courier dude just got a signature and buggered off. Now, have I gotten away with avoiding duty tax and vat? As far as I understand they have to charge you when you pick it up... or will I be invoiced in the near future?

Thanks

Jim

they won't release your goods until you pay...... sucks.....

 

[gerry d]

sorry I've just reread your post...... it seems you got away with that....

 

[JimboWizbo]

I wanna be sure so I dont go buying a load of extravagant xmas presents to find a big fat bill on the doorstep of my student house in january ><

 

[Spudmurphy]

A friend of mine has received goods through the post and then he received a bill a few weeks later to pay duty and tax - I find it hard to bleeb but apparently it has happened to him twice!!

 

[gerry d]

I'm almost certain you got away with that... usually they charge you when you get your goods... I've heard of this a few times....

 

[JimboWizbo]

The item doesn't even come up on their tracking system anymore. I have heard of people avoiding duty tax with USPS. But I never get lucky with anything ever! XD

 

[EBMManiac]

It happens...i shipped something with Music123 aaages ago to London, and it missed al forms of tax and extra charges.

soooo cheap

 

[JimboWizbo]

At what point would you say I'm in the clear?

 

[roburado]

I got my MD7 posted via USPS (FedEx at my end) and the courier dude just got a signature and buggered off. Now, have I gotten away with avoiding duty tax and vat? As far as I understand they have to charge you when you pick it up... or will I be invoiced in the near future?

Thanks

Jim

Shhh...I won't tell anyone if you won't.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I had a guitar sent from Vegas to London via Fedex. I thought I got away with the duty and VAT, but they sent me a bill a week or so later.

 

[JimboWizbo]

I had a gander around on the interweb and it seems fedex do often bill you at a later date. Which I think is totally out of order, but tax is tax.

 

[Jimmyb]

You may well find a bill coming your way, so I wouldn't make any rash spending plans.

If it comes through ParcelFarce, then you usually have to pay up front before they'll release it, but with DHL and FedEx you get the bill later on.

 

[Trev]

Yep; you will more than likely receive a bill for import duty and VAT - you don't have to pay it when the guitar arrives - if it had a commercial invoice attached (which is a requirement for anything coming from the US to UK and many other countries) they will calculate the charge and bill you in a couple of weeks.

The odd one may sneak through but sorry to say you can probably expect a bill of about 22% of the purchase price in the UK, which is VAT at 17.5% and import duty of about 4%.

I've imported many guitars USA>UK and have learned this the hard way.

Trev

 

[Jason5150]

I have ordered a leather Jacket from UK to Australia before and picked it up and received a hefty tax bill a couple of weeks later!

 

[Colin]

many years ago I ordered a tobacco sunburst guitar from the US. Not only did I get a import tax bill, I also got charged for a tobacco test!

 

[daangroen]

I got my MD7 posted via USPS (FedEx at my end) and the courier dude just got a signature and buggered off. Now, have I gotten away with avoiding duty tax and vat? As far as I understand they have to charge you when you pick it up... or will I be invoiced in the near future?

Thanks

Jim

mhmm i somehad had the same thing as you

i obtained a bongo from the us and i only had to pay 80 euro's tax..when i should have payed 200 somewhat euros..never heard of it agian...i guess ur just beeing lucky, buy some beer of the money u saved ^^!

 

[JimboWizbo]

buy some beer of the money u saved ^^!

I'm very tempted, but I have to be careful incase a bill comes through (which I'm now fairly confident is on it's way), the decalared value was $1700, which is about $310 with 3.7% duty and 17.5% tax, so I guess Ill be stung for about £150-£160.



Ouch

 

[steveh]

I've gotten away with it loads of times on small items - CDs, pickups etc.

I've never escaped VAT/duty etc with a guitar though, and I've imported several via several sources. Same goes for people I know. Either you get called or mailed by the shipping co. for credit card details before they release the goods, or a bill turns up in the post sometime after delivery.

With respect to the latter, this can take several weeks to filter through the system. A friend of mine waited 6 weeks before he got his bill on a PRS so you're not out of the clear for some time yet. Sorry. I'd be really surprised if you escape. I think you'd have to walk it through customs yourself to stand any chance of getting away with it...not that I'm suggesting you do that, nudge, nudge....

Bottom line is that it's still cheaper, duty etc or not, especially if it was s/h in the first place.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[Phrat]

I work for the HM Revenue and Customs. If you let me know the details of the transaction and your full name and address, i will check our records and see if you have got away with it