Do I need a tax or EORI number to import from China to UK

Do I need a tax or EORI number to import from China to UK

Author
Discussion

htrowsoc

Original Poster:

603 posts

194 months

Friday 17th October 2014
quotequote all
My supplier (who I found on Alibaba) is requesting an EORI number before the shipment can be made for a load of iPhone cases - Do I really need an EORI number?

dartissimus

938 posts

174 months

Friday 17th October 2014
quotequote all
Download Form C220 from the Revenue website, it costs nothing and comes back in a few days. It proves that you're a proper business.
It speeds up the process and lets you pay the VAT against invoice rather than pro forma by card over the phone.
BTW I had an invoice the other day that was wrong, I was charged for someone else's import as well as my own.

htrowsoc

Original Poster:

603 posts

194 months

Friday 17th October 2014
quotequote all
Problem is i'm not a business, i'm just importing some iPhone cases to re-sell on eBay.

951TSE

600 posts

157 months

Saturday 18th October 2014
quotequote all
htrowsoc said:
Problem is i'm not a business, i'm just importing some iPhone cases to re-sell on eBay.
Well good luck with that, as far as Ebay and the taxman are concerned if you buy to sell you're a business, even if you have other work such as a regular salaried 9-5 job.

Apologies if you're an experienced seller but I'm sure lots of readers of your thread would be interested in an answer to the following question; Why chose one of the most saturated niches where margins are measured in pennies to 'start' your ebay career?




Henry-F

4,791 posts

245 months

Saturday 18th October 2014
quotequote all
htrowsoc said:
Problem is i'm not a business, i'm just importing some iPhone cases to re-sell on eBay.
That would be......... a business then smile

H.

Seventy

5,500 posts

138 months

Saturday 18th October 2014
quotequote all
Whilst it may be a little odd for a manufacturer/wholesaler to request an EORI number you will probably need one to get the goods in the country seamlessly.
Be very careful buying 'unseen' though. A friend of mine bought a load of high quality sleeping bags from China that turned out to be for midgets.
Make sure you have done a VERY detailed cost analysis. Plenty of players in those markets who buy millions of £ of stock and you'll never compete with them.

IATM

3,794 posts

147 months

Saturday 18th October 2014
quotequote all
Only way you will make money being a small mobile phone case seller on ebay is by selling fakes. Firstly they probably will get stopped at customs and destroyed. If they do come through they will be swiftly removed from ebay after listing them.

As people have said you will make pennies as its really a volume selling product.
You will see a handful of sellers on ebay selling THOUSANDS but that IS only a handful, there are hundreds upon hundreds of other sellers who sell few a day on an item that they only make 20pence on.

Not worth it.