>I've had plenty of books and a couple of pieces of photo equipment >sent in from abroad, and some of them have been subject to a customs >inspection when they open the package, but there's no additional >handling charge involved. That's what VAT pays for. On some items >there may be duty and VAT to pay. Duty is about 8% and VAT is almost >always 17.5% (in the UK). The up-to-date rates are on www.hmce.gov.uk. >Rules for used goods, gifts and new goods differ, so you have to read >a bit carefully.
If it gets sent USPS Air Mail, then sure, it appears in the post with the postperson (ooooh, very PC) and as long as it's a gift, nothing to pay. I'm very dubious about 'used goods' - I think this is open to interpretation by whoever inspects, if indeed they do. Very haphazard inspection protocols IMO. If something arrives via Parcel Force, as it did the other day, I had customs duty and a handling charge of �7.50 on top!! I'm not entirely sure how it gets to go through Parcel Farce at this end when it was sent USPS the other end... This was a package from Henrys.com, an auction I won on eBay. It was for an angle finder (don't get excited, it was a Canon part) that new here would cost �140 plus delivery, say another �5. The auction price was �99, plus �15 postage. HM Customs and Parcel Farce bumped it up another �22.50, bringing my grand total to �136.50, so I saved a tenner in the end off a UK new price. I could have done without the extra 22.50, and certainly without the 7.50. This is why I always load up our friend Margot when she comes to visit from NY - and she works just around the corner from B and H :-)))))))) Cotty .02 (+ 8% + 17.5% + handling charge + that's enough charges - Ed.) ____________________________________ Oh, swipe me! He paints with light! http://www.macads.co.uk/snaps/ ____________________________________ Free UK Macintosh Classified Ads at http://www.macads.co.uk/ ____________________________________
