Trying to look at buying a couple of items from the USA to come to the UK
can the seller class as gift? To avoid import fees ?
can the seller class as gift? To avoid import fees ?
Import duty question
- Thread starter Michael Sith
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2016
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- 4,775
Hi Mike,
This may help:
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty
They will also need to state the value is around $15-$20 or your pay fees.
BUT remember what ever the item is will only be insured for the value in the declaration.
And if you want to be above board and ship with the item fully insured there is always the vintage toy code that only attracks 5% VAT.
(Old collectible toy' HMRC code 9705000090 5% VAT applicable only.)
I have never tried this though, I have read that you have to fight for this, and it usually means paying the full amount up front amd then claiming the rest back.
I hope that helps.
This may help:
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty
They will also need to state the value is around $15-$20 or your pay fees.
BUT remember what ever the item is will only be insured for the value in the declaration.
And if you want to be above board and ship with the item fully insured there is always the vintage toy code that only attracks 5% VAT.
(Old collectible toy' HMRC code 9705000090 5% VAT applicable only.)
I have never tried this though, I have read that you have to fight for this, and it usually means paying the full amount up front amd then claiming the rest back.
I hope that helps.
Last edited:
This might be helpful:
https://wise.com/gb/import-duty/from-usa
Basically, if it's declared as a gift and coming from the USA to the UK, then if the value is under £135 you shouldn't be charged any import duty, although you may still be liable for VAT (and hence also quite likely some form of handling fee by whichever carrier is dealing with the delivery).
Of course, if the sender is willing to under-declare the true value, then the chances are you'll be charged no import duty or VAT. Be warned however that Border Force / HMRC are legally allowed to open any delivery you receive and if they think it's been under-declared you may well be asked to provide proof of the value, and if it's greater than the declared value, you'll be charged whatever fees are due. If it is under-declared, unless they can prove that you asked the sender to under-declare the value, then you won't get in trouble and neither will the sender, but as I say, you may well still have to pay fees. More importantly though, it will also mean that your delivery will have been opened and fingered and then re-packed by someone who, at best, probably won't appreciate what constitutes damage to a rare vintage item, and at worst simply won't give a ****, meaning your item may well get badly damaged, and getting compensation out of them, so I am told, can be extremely difficult.
Having said that, I've received numerous deliveries from abroad over the years from the USA and elsewhere where the value has been underdeclared on both items marked as goods and also gifts. I've never requested that the senders do this, but it's great when they do as you save yourself a fortune in import duty and VAT. So far I've been lucky and only a few of these deliveries have ever been opened by Border Force (although my last one a couple of weeks ago was), however they obviously haven't been collectors / knew the true value as they didn't query the declared value. I have however had a delivery some years ago that was sent as a gift (again, not at my request), where I was asked for proof of value, and I ended up having to pay charges, so it can happen.
Hope that helps.
https://wise.com/gb/import-duty/from-usa
Basically, if it's declared as a gift and coming from the USA to the UK, then if the value is under £135 you shouldn't be charged any import duty, although you may still be liable for VAT (and hence also quite likely some form of handling fee by whichever carrier is dealing with the delivery).
Of course, if the sender is willing to under-declare the true value, then the chances are you'll be charged no import duty or VAT. Be warned however that Border Force / HMRC are legally allowed to open any delivery you receive and if they think it's been under-declared you may well be asked to provide proof of the value, and if it's greater than the declared value, you'll be charged whatever fees are due. If it is under-declared, unless they can prove that you asked the sender to under-declare the value, then you won't get in trouble and neither will the sender, but as I say, you may well still have to pay fees. More importantly though, it will also mean that your delivery will have been opened and fingered and then re-packed by someone who, at best, probably won't appreciate what constitutes damage to a rare vintage item, and at worst simply won't give a ****, meaning your item may well get badly damaged, and getting compensation out of them, so I am told, can be extremely difficult.
Having said that, I've received numerous deliveries from abroad over the years from the USA and elsewhere where the value has been underdeclared on both items marked as goods and also gifts. I've never requested that the senders do this, but it's great when they do as you save yourself a fortune in import duty and VAT. So far I've been lucky and only a few of these deliveries have ever been opened by Border Force (although my last one a couple of weeks ago was), however they obviously haven't been collectors / knew the true value as they didn't query the declared value. I have however had a delivery some years ago that was sent as a gift (again, not at my request), where I was asked for proof of value, and I ended up having to pay charges, so it can happen.
Hope that helps.
Nick, you beat me to it!
Thanks guys that's very informative, helps a lot
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2017
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- 381
It is worth getting the seller to write the commodity code on the custs declaration if you are stayting the full value. Most of the time it's ignored but I have had it applied correctly on a few occasions and it saves a fair bit on expensive items
Thanks, much appreciated
sith-smith
Grand Master
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- Oct 25, 2006
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- 7,400
In the past I've used the code for the 5% when I bought from Brian's Toys. In the first case, when it arrived at customs UPS called me up and asked about the item stating that they thought they could get me through with a much lower cost and they did manage it. The next two items arrived were not successful but the appeal process was simple enough and I received a refund fairly quickly. I've also used it recently when sending stuff to the US.
Thanks for all of the advice really appreciated
Reading the HMRC guidance it appears the 9705 code no longer applies to vintage toys. The description states:
Heading 9705 - Collections and collectors' pieces of archaeological, ethnographic, historical, zoological, botanical, mineralogical, anatomical, paleontological or numismatic interest
spoons
Grand Master
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2006
- Messages
- 8,314
The historical interest bit is what is key - they are toys but collecting them is preserving history. The item being 'a historical toy more than 40 years old and still in its original packaging' should suffice as a description on the form. These things now really do belong in museums
I've recently had a parcel delivered from the US and the code worked. UPS actually called and emailed me once the parcel arrived in the UK. I had to confirm what the parcel was and why it qualified for the 5% tax. Parcel was then delivered a couple of days later.
