Buying From Europe?

Bought an engine from Italy that didn’t turn up and was a bag of problems but I think it was the seller, bought engine parts also from Italy that got to me faster than a missile from a different seller with a little extra ‘tax’ (be aware) and now I’m waiting for a delivery from Germany which I ordered two days ago with no known extra tax.

 

Bizarre there all these taxes. Over the years I have bought a truck load of tat from the USA and China (yuk) and never had a problem. It takes longer to deliver but the prices were comparable to others, if not better. Not that I always buy cheapest if there is better service to be had elsewhere.
Buying stuff off the interweb is a bit random. Press the button and pray.

 

My understanding is that since the beginning of the year additional taxes are added by the delivery company, which are over and above what you have paid for the item (I think it is VAT). I seem to remember that this applies to all items over £35?

 

My last consignment of spares from Italy arrived just the same, but then I received an invoice from Fedex for around £68.00. I queried it and this is their reply. The value of the spares consignment was a little under £200.00, the bulk of my bill appears to be VAT, which I have, in the past, dealt with myself in a quarterly VAT return. Anyway, hope this clears a few questions up:


I refer to your query on invoice number ******** in respect of import duty/VAT charges.
The charges were levied because TNT has had to clear the goods through Customs on your behalf. Import duties are levied on goods with a value exceeding £135, which are imported into the EU. Duty and VAT are payable on the value of the goods (usually the price paid to the seller), plus incidental expenses such as packing, insurance and transport. VAT is also paid on any customs duty and/or excise. It is assumed by HM Revenue & Customs that all goods are permanent imports and that taxes and duties are payable unless there is a declaration on documents within the commercial paperwork to the contrary.
As per both our terms of carriage and the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, import taxes are payable by the importer of the goods into the UK. This is the person or company named on the invoice supplied by the sender of the consignment.

 

To all deliveries or just those from mothership Europe?

 

Can they provide evidence they paid HMRC? If as a business you are liable to pay then you should be able to prove payment in your returns…

 

I don't know. It's all a bit fishy to me anyway. Import duty has always been due on goods from the USA, for example, it's just a case of whether your package gets checked or not. I do think that HMRC, or someone, is playing politics with this one. In the past you had a choice-the seller in Italy zero rated the goods he sent to me and that allowed me to declare VAT on them in the UK at a slightly lower rate, which I could then reclaim on my return.
part of the joy of being an unpaid tax collector

 

All you could do is ask the supplier if the price includes UK VAT, but even then I'd be careful because importers/transporters appear to be shooting first and asking questions later. They'll likely slap it on anyway.

 

I think that there a few issues here.

1. You will likely be expected to pay the return costs.
2. If you have paid for item you will have to try and get your money back, which could be difficult if the item is still in the UK?
3. The delivery company will want their money.

IMO I would not bother and look for an equivalent exhaust in UK.

 

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk...ts/a35884344/eu-import-fees-delivery-charges/

 

Taken from a BBC article on 21 Jan

Under the new rules, anyone in the UK receiving a gift from the EU worth more than £39 may now face a bill for import VAT - with many items charged at 20%.

For goods costing more than £135, customs duties may also apply, which can range from 0% to 25% of the product you're buying if they have not been paid by the sender already.

The extra charges are usually collected by the courier on behalf of the government, with customers asked to pay before they can pick up their package.

Some specialist European retailers, such as bicycle part firm Dutch Bike Bits and Belgium-based Beer On Web, recently said that they would stop all deliveries to the UK because of the VAT changes, which came into force on 1 January.

Some firms have started charging additional "handling fees" to shoppers to cover costs associated with extra customs checks and paperwork that must be filled out.

Royal Mail, for example, is charging an £8 fee it says "reflects the cost of clearing items through customs and presenting them to Border Force".

Meanwhile, delivery firm DHL says it is charging UK customers 2.5% of the amount paid to clear customs, with a minimum charge of £11.

Mail and freight company TNT is also adding £4.31 on all shipments from the UK to the EU and vice versa. It has said this reflects the increased investment it has had to make in adjusting its systems to cope with Brexit.

A spokeswoman for Logistics UK told the BBC that the handling fees were "a commercial decision by individual businesses".

 

If you particularly want a SC Project exhaust why not try their UK importers, Conquest Racing who appear to be based in Blandford Forum, Dorset.
www.conquestracingltd.com

 

Hi there bud,
There's an sc project pipe on ebay for sale?
£560
Not sure which bike you have (this is for a speed rs) but have a look?
uk too.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203446759410?hash=item2f5e5f2ff2:g:rRMAAOSwkO1gl~I0&LH_ItemCondition=3000

 

Bike tour to Italy Andy