Tax & duty

[eff eff]

I'm trying to find out the tax and duty payable on importing new engine parts from the U.S. I've been onto the customs and excise web site and it's as clear as mud!!If anyone has any experience I'd be grateful for some info.

[v8 racing]

eff eff said:

I'm trying to find out the tax and duty payable on importing new engine parts from the U.S. I've been onto the customs and excise web site and it's as clear as mud!!If anyone has any experience I'd be grateful for some info.

I know it sounds silly but it depends who ships it!! if you take 23% that should be very close, but i have had it in the past where i havent paid anything!

[tubbystu]

and VAT on value + shipping + duty + anything else they can think of.

Its all a bit of a lottery as to who gets caught and who doesn't. You are more likely to get caught if its shipped by Fedex / DHL / UPS etc as they are used to assessing and processing nearly every package. US mail and then Royal Mail is a less likely route but not guaranteed to be import fees free.

All charges are less if a sympathetic vendor reduces the declared value on the external declaration form - though not all are happy to do this as this is regarded as a major offence (if caught) in the US.

Is it going to be a big heavy package or smaller and lighter - small and light has more chance of slipping through.

[eff eff]

Thanks guys, does that 23% include VAT?

[v8 racing]

eff eff said:

Thanks guys, does that 23% include VAT?

Yes unfortunetly you still get robbed the 17.5%vat, the import duty is only around 5%, basically whatever your total bill is add the 23% and you should be close.

[eff eff]

Thanks Rob

[Johno]

Email Terminator, he's had some recent experience and there are some tricks to get other bit's into the crate saving expense on the other bit's you'll probably need . . .

[Ordinary Bloke]

Find a friend in the US, preferably in a state with 0% sales tax. Get them to buy it, then ship it to you as a gift, with nominal value ($10-20). Perhaps it's a damaged part they're sending you? Or perhaps they can hand carry it next time they visit the UK, worth less than £145 or whatever the limit is?

[tuscandom]

i would go with the gift route..doing it properly will be 25%........ and a load of paperwork !!!!

[eff eff]

I've got mates in the U.S. and I did think about the gift route, but it's an LS crate engine so I think that won't work. I will get the ancillaries, clutch and scatter guard etc, fitted, maybe put the loom and ECU as well I reckon (hope) they'll pass for crate bits.

[Nickyboy]

Be aware a "gift" can only be sent between 2 individuals and has a limit of $70. If C&E decide its not a gift then they will add duty and VAt any way

They know how much stuff costs

[sniff petrol]

C+E are Nazis:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/xforums/topic.asp?h=0...

[Ordinary Bloke]

eff eff said:

I've got mates in the U.S. and I did think about the gift route, but it's an LS crate engine so I think that won't work. I will get the ancillaries, clutch and scatter guard etc, fitted, maybe put the loom and ECU as well I reckon (hope) they'll pass for crate bits.

Ha ha, "engine components" or whatever you said, I thought you meant some conrods or piston rings or something. I can just imagine you asking your good friends to hand carry an LS1 next time they fly over...

[Dover Nige]

Motor vehicle parts are 3.5% duty and 17.5% vat. ;o) Bear in mind the duty goes on top of value and shipping giving a new figure, then vat on top of that new figure. Your shipper may also charge an "admin" cost for making the entry or for "handling" or something. Get the local HMRC advice centre to give you the tariff number for motor parts and to confirm the rate out of their Tariff books. It may have changed since I had access to the Tariff.

I always figure if it costs $300, then I'll end up paying around £300. It always seems right-ish.

Nige.

[penryar]

The Duty is set by the EU, I believe, and there is a searchable database provided by the EU where you can browse for what you are importing, and where its coming from, and it gives you the amount of duty due.

The Taric database http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds/cgi-bin/t... I stumbled across it when searching for the duty due on importing a number of suspension kits.

If what I've said is a load of rubbish, please someone tell me, I'm trying to sort out a group buy on another forum and don't want to a) rip the other guys off, or b) get shafted.

Oh and I believe UK customs charge you for access to the Taric database.

[eff eff]

Thanks Steve, no charge for code access, the site wants a bit of navigating through though!! New engines are taxed at 4.2%, parts are 2.7% plus the dreaded VAT of course.

[Viper]

http://www.moving-parts.com/

Steve's company above, is a PH vette guy and he's brought in quite a bit of stuff for various people i know

[eff eff]

That looks good I'll give them a shout

[jayk]

Have sender declare it as warranty replacement item/goods.They assume you already paid duty and you pay nowt at the door.Worked for my new 4l60e gearbox and torque converter

[penryar]

eff eff said:

Thanks Steve, no charge for code access, the site wants a bit of navigating through though!! New engines are taxed at 4.2%, parts are 2.7% plus the dreaded VAT of course.

Sorry, I should have said, HMRC charge you for CD's that contain the data that you can get for free in the online Taric database.

Edited by penryar on Sunday 30th March 19:55