Buying stuff from the USA - import taxes etc

[katanatom]

Anyone here done much buying from the USA?
Seems some parts can be had for less on face value, but I'm not sure what "extras" the tax man might impose, and how that is handled. i.e.: If duty does need to be paid, how do they go about notifying and collecting it?

ta verily!

[SamK]

Done that a couple of times. Parcel Force sent me a bill for import duties & VAT and then delivered the goods once I'd paid.

Maybe it depends on who the delivery company is once goods are in UK.

[pookie]

I bought some aftermarket shocks on e-bad from the usa, when they arrived in the uk i had a lettter from parcelforce stating the amount to pay for import duty and a parcelforce handling fee, total was about £20, payed using debit card online and they delivered it the next day, the letter stated that if the item costs more tha £135 (don't know how they came to that figure) there would be vat to pay as well.

[callyboy]

Bought some piston rings from the USA and got stung for a bill. Will dig out the totals later and let you know. Fed ex also charge a "handling" fee for dealing with the duty for you

Pete

[callyboy]

Ok.........

$150 dollers for the piston rings(which included extortionate shipping charge of $43!!!!!) so about £100.

Then got a bill from Customs/Fed Ex UK for £37

Total £137

Pete

[stockcar]

auto parts have roughly +5% duty and then VAT on top

low value items often slip through

[SamK]

Useful info here - http://www.dutycalculator.com/help_cent ... -nutshell/

[lomsavage]

used parts should not incur import duty,

new bits are taxed on value AND postage costs

[callyboy]

Not sure......but i think the no tax rule on used parts are only for goods within the EU ?

Might be wrong

Pete

[lomsavage]

used to be world wide,
its how they imported "jap import" bikes so cheaply,
dismantled into bigger bits, imported as spares, then re assembled once here