Please educate me on European and Asian Fees you need to pay on my gear

[Photobackpacker]

UK at least 20% VAT and possibly some Duty. The really "rise-up-and-kill-them-all" rage comes from being charged by the courier for the "service" of holding onto my goods for several days and then charging me for the service of collecting the taxes for the HMRC. You pay the courier at your end, with my money of course, but the courier wants to get paid twice and so stings me for more money, while they hold onto my kidnapped goods that you have tried to send me. In today's global economy there should be no Duty anywhere on anything but until we do actually get round to trying true "Capitalism" we will have a long wait for tariff free borders...

It was the shipping and knowing the above that stopped me clicking on my cart and buying your P3 and all the trimmings for my Shen Hao 8x10.

As for buying locally, your products are not available so that option is out for us. On that subject, living in "Rip-off Britain" the tendency of importers of anything from the USA is to at least charge £1 for every $1 of value and then they often add more. Film in the UK is twice the price for the same film in America.

I have noticed on eBay a number of vendors from overseas offering a single buy it now price including shipping and taking care of all the taxes. I haven't tried anything from these vendors yet but if it works it may be a way forward.

RR

I understand the Free Shipping but "taking care of all taxes" seems to be pretty complicated. I wonder how they would do that?

[IanG]

I understand the Free Shipping but "taking care of all taxes" seems to be pretty complicated. I wonder how they would do that?

Certain stores (usually with a physical outlet as well as an online/ebay store) do take care of the Duty and VAT on transactions to Europe from the US. There may well be a financial advantage for them, from the EU Tax point of view, it mewans no packages they send getting though without Duty & VAT and a slight saving to customers as they don't get a charge for collecting the taxes.

It's hit and miss when we buy from the US whether our packages get taxed. my experience is many don't, however larger and heavier and items clearly packaged by a store (rather than an ebay/online forum purchase) always get stopped and and the Taxes charged.

Ian

[greitas]

In Lithuania ( Eastern Europe) VAT 21% would be applied.

[Shootar401]

I never knew how much people in the EU and Asia get screwed by their governments by paying duties and VAT.

When I sell stuff on eBay I usually mark the shipment as merchandise, would marking it as a gift allow the non US buyers to get the item without paying duties/VAT?

[pasiasty]

When I sell stuff on eBay I usually mark the shipment as merchandise, would marking it as a gift allow the non US buyers to get the item without paying duties/VAT?

Theoretically not, this should not depend on whether it's merchandise or gift - in EU. Low-value consignment relief may however apply, see my previous post.

[Sevo]

I never knew how much people in the EU and Asia get screwed by their governments by paying duties and VAT.

When I sell stuff on eBay I usually mark the shipment as merchandise, would marking it as a gift allow the non US buyers to get the item without paying duties/VAT?

No - taxation is by value, not by purpose (that is, there is reduced VAT for food and the like). And at least in Germany, if the customs office considers the declaration likely to be wrong the receiver will have to personally collect the item, and present documents as to its value, the relationship to the sender etc. within little more than a week (nominally, ten working days, but counted from the day the customs office sent a low-priority letter of notification). Given the average distance to the rare customs stations (by now only located at major airports, harbours, borders and in state capitals) and them being only open during regular working hours, this usually is a major nuisance involving a day off, provided the buyer can get that at that short notice. So mis-declarations will considerably increase your risk of having to refund the buyer for a parcel that could not be picked up in time.

[Ed Bray]

Sending as a gift to the UK allows the value of up to £36 to not be liable for VAT, Customs Duty or Documentation (collection) Fee, as a normal item (non-gift) the limit is £15.

Excise Duty for Tobacco, Wines and Spirits are payable regardless of how an item is sent.

I buy many items from abroad (outside the EU) and now find that most now get caught for Fees whereas a couple of years ago it was the exception rather than the norm. I suspect the reason for this is that Royal Mail and ParcelForce have a vested interest in policing these items and do so much more vigorously than they did in the past.

[tgtaylor]

How about Canada?

If you are manufacturing here in the states and shipping to Canada, check into the Free Trade Agreement.

Thomas

[gliderbee]

Shipped to the UK the the extra cost in duty and VAT etc would add an additional 29% to the cost of the backpack and shipping.

The Duty is payable on the Item and shipping cost, that's 5%, then there's the 20% VAT op top of that and finally a charge usually £8-£10 for the post/delivery company in the UK who collect the extra taxes.

Ian

About the same in Belgium, but VAT is 21% on the declared value + shipping cost, as long as the declared value is plausible and not contradicted by other enclosed paperwork. Sometimes customs ask proof of payment like a copy of the paypal transaction,

Stefan

[jack_hui]

Hong Kong, tax free.