# Cost Of Importing From Us To Uk



## jss

Hi,

Can anyone tell me what the rate for import duty on watches is? Iâ€™ve found it hard finding specific figures, but from what I can make out on the HM Revenue and Customs website, the import duty on watches is 4.5%. I assume a lot of the folks here have brought watches over from the US before so can you tell me, have I got that right?


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## feenix

Its the import duty (you may be right at 4.5%) plus VAT at the current rate (currently back to 17.5%) on the total value + P&P, plus collection charge (dependent on carrier, normally around Â£8 to Â£15).

So, if you were to buy a watch at Â£90 + Â£10 P&P you'd be looking at -- Â£100 + Â£4.50 duty + 18.29 VAT, plus collection charge, say Â£12. Giving a grand total of Â£134.79.


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## Clum

Duty Calculator

Pretty accurate, just add on ~Â£8 handling fee.


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## rhaythorne

Simple Excel spreadsheet that does the same thing:

http://www.h-spot.ne...tch-imports.xls

I chucked this together very quickly so E&OE! Â Please check it before you use in case I made any glaring mistakes.


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## Benzowner

Am I allowed to say this?

Ask the supplier to send as a gift no monetry value.


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## rhaythorne

You're allowed to say it, but you're not allowed to do it.


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## feenix

Benzowner said:


> Am I allowed to say this?
> 
> Ask the supplier to send as a gift no monetry value.


Not only that, but it doesn't always work as presents are also due VAT and duty.


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## mel

You *MAY* be lucky and get away with it - it all depends on how efficient the carriers is at collecting it as well! :yes:

Up to a value of Â£18.00 will normally get through, but what can you buy for Â£18.00 (equiv in $) - not a lot









Rule of thumb, add on a third to whatever you think of paying and decide if it's still worth it to you and then bid or pay, otherwise budget for the extra :yes:

I've had a few "horological parts - no commercial value" through - depends on the C and E guys I 'spose? I understand whilst "antiques" get passed ok, for some reason "antique watches" get charged, even with proof of age. :taz:


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## capnblack

mel said:


> You *MAY* be lucky and get away with it - it all depends on how efficient the carriers is at collecting it as well! :yes:
> 
> Up to a value of Â£18.00 will normally get through, but what can you buy for Â£18.00 (equiv in $) - not a lot
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rule of thumb, add on a third to whatever you think of paying and decide if it's still worth it to you and then bid or pay, otherwise budget for the extra :yes:
> 
> I've had a few "horological parts - no commercial value" through - depends on the C and E guys I 'spose? I understand whilst "antiques" get passed ok, for some reason "antique watches" get charged, even with proof of age. :taz:


Excellent advice "add a third". I have been stung by Customs before when importing stuff from the USA. My largest value import being a Gibson banjo - I did actually budget for the relevant on-costs for this and all was OK, but I remain astounded at the charges for second hand items of much less value.


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## jss

Thanks for the help guys.

I've tried the website and the spreadsheet and both work great, I didn't know about the handling charges. The only watch I've bought from the US before was about $80 and that came through without ant tax or duty. I didn't notice what the supplier declared on the paperwork though. I just want a rough idea what extra costs to allow for if I decide buy an expensive watch from the US.


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## Barryboy

capnblack said:


> mel said:
> 
> 
> 
> You *MAY* be lucky and get away with it - it all depends on how efficient the carriers is at collecting it as well! :yes:
> 
> Up to a value of Â£18.00 will normally get through, but what can you buy for Â£18.00 (equiv in $) - not a lot
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rule of thumb, add on a third to whatever you think of paying and decide if it's still worth it to you and then bid or pay, otherwise budget for the extra :yes:
> 
> I've had a few "horological parts - no commercial value" through - depends on the C and E guys I 'spose? I understand whilst "antiques" get passed ok, for some reason "antique watches" get charged, even with proof of age. :taz:
> 
> 
> 
> Excellent advice "add a third". I have been stung by Customs before when importing stuff from the USA. My largest value import being a Gibson banjo - I did actually budget for the relevant on-costs for this and all was OK, but I remain astounded at the charges for second hand items of much less value.
Click to expand...

OK here's the official line - I'm 'in the trade' so to speak....

If you, as a private individual, buy any item (new or used) from anywhere outside the EEC then the Government takes the view that you have become the importer of record and you are liable for the taxes. If on the other hand you had bought this from a registered UK (or EEC these days, but let's not complicate things) business then the Govt. would have gained the import duty from the importer and the VAT from you, via the end retailer. Now as you have bypassed the normal import chain they have not received said taxes... so guess what... someone still has to pay and as you have become the Importer, that's you!

Now the charge is assessed on what is called an ad valorem basis (ad valorem meaning 'of the value') on the value at the UK frontier. So as others have said, if you buy something for let's say USD 500 plus carriage of USD 20, you pay your import duty of 4.5% on USD 520 converted at the official rate of exchange, which at today's rate comes to about Â£345. So you would pay 4.5% of that (Â£15.60) plus 17.5% VAT on top of the purchase price plus duty (Â£360.60) which itself is Â£63.11 So altogether the Customs people want Â£78.71 plus whoever makes this declaration on your behalf will want paying for that service, too. So if that is in the Â£8 to Â£12 region your 'extras' on a US Dollar 500 purchase will be in the region of Â£90, or roughly 28%. Now about this service charge.... Over the years I have seen people complain bitterly about the handler's 'service charge' but at Â£8 to Â£12 I think it's very cheap indeed. As an example, if I make a declaration of this sort to Customs on behalf of a client I charge Â£35 at the very least, and I can tell you that a 'one-off' job would be more like Â£50

The Â£18 mentioned by Mel is the value at which Customs decide that an item is not longer 'not worth the effort of bothering with' - any value below that goes through free of duty/tax, above that taxes are charged. ONE VERY VERY SERIOUS NOTE: If you partake in a transaction where the value is deliberately misquoted to avoid duty (such as declaring commercial items as a gift) then you are smuggling, and if you get caught you will pay... rather a lot...

But it's not all doom and gloom. Just remember that this happens in every country in the world - there is nowhere that people can just trade without being taxed in some way, and altough it might seem difficult to accept our VAT rate is lower (at least until the Tories get in) than most countries in Europe.

Rob


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## BondandBigM

Barryboy said:


> ONE VERY VERY SERIOUS NOTE: If you partake in a transaction where the value is deliberately misquoted to avoid duty (such as declaring commercial items as a gift) then you are smuggling, and if you get caught you will pay... rather a lot...


Yep and you will get stung if it's picked up on. I know someone who shipped a load of car parts from the States ( no it wasn't me  ) and did a "deal" with the seller. Unfortunately they also put a current catalogue in the box. Customs opened the package and it didn't take a rocket scientist to check the paperwork price with the list prices in the catalogue. The result was that it was held and he had to go and personally collect at the Airport resulting in a fine, all the duty owed, a severe ticking off and they wouldn't release the parcel until it was all sorted out and he paid in full. He couldn't even talk his way out of it by claiming he received a discount as he had paid with a card so there was a paperwork trail back to him showing how much he had actually paid.

I have to say I would be surprised that they would chase you down like this for a Â£50/Â£100 watch his stuff was Â£5K+ and he was probably a bit unlucky but unless you have sent cash in an envelope there is one way or another almost certainly a trail right back to you. Worth thinking about if it's bigger money and you are trying to pull a fast one.


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## capnblack

Mmmmmm....so, "about a third" was pretty accurate really. I still think that, in this era of instant global comms and rather quick global delivery (execpt the watch strap I have on order :thumbsdown: ) it is rather antiquated, the way that individual goverments administer cross border trading.


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## Clum

So does importing to the US from UK have a similar cost? I'm sure I remember hearing someone say it's nowhere near as expensive but since you know your stuff Barryboy, is this true?


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## Benzowner

Clum said:


> So does importing to the US from UK have a similar cost? I'm sure I remember hearing someone say it's nowhere near as expensive but since you know your stuff Barryboy, is this true?


I do know a little of this, as we export to various countries. If the seller is a bonafide VAT registered retailer, the VAT will be deducted, currently a deduction of about 14.9% on the retail price. When the goods arrive abroad, they may be subject to that countries import taxes. We supply the construction trade and as far as I know our export customers have not had any import duties levied.

Just on another note, is duty applicable to second hand goods?


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## rhaythorne

Yes.


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## feenix

Clum said:


> Duty Calculator
> 
> Pretty accurate, just add on ~Â£8 handling fee.


Not Â£8 anymore!

I've got a watch on hold with Parcel Farce at the moment (actual cost of watch was $50 plus $20 p&p). Customs and Excise in their wisdom have judged that there is a VAT charge due of Â£9.96, seems about right, but then Parcel Farce have put their collection charge up to Â£13.50









Still, I'll have to pay or the watch simply gets returned. :dummyspit:


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## Trotskey

feenix said:


> Clum said:
> 
> 
> 
> Duty Calculator
> 
> Pretty accurate, just add on ~Â£8 handling fee.
> 
> 
> 
> Not Â£8 anymore!
> 
> I've got a watch on hold with Parcel Farce at the moment (actual cost of watch was $50 plus $20 p&p). Customs and Excise in their wisdom have judged that there is a VAT charge due of Â£9.96, seems about right, but then Parcel Farce have put their collection charge up to Â£13.50
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Still, I'll have to pay or the watch simply gets returned. :dummyspit:
Click to expand...

Just for an update the collection charge is now Â£14.50


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## hughlle

Old thread, but couldn't locate the recent one.

Just came across a bit of a grail for me, but $475 import charge?? I need to find myself a friend visiting america! Not sure i can stomach 1.5K for a watch :/


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