Buying watch abroad and bring back to UK
Discussion
I am going to South Africa next week and I was thinking of buying a Rolex or even 2 and bring back to the UK. Does anyone know what the score is with import duty etc? Do I have to declare my purchase when I enter back into the UK if it is for my personal? Any advice would be much appreciated.
You should declare it, if you do you will pay import duty and VAT. If you were dishonest you could travel out with a £5 Casio, buy one out there, put it on your wrist and post the boxes and papers home so that they weren't in your bag at Customs. if asked, you might say that youd bought it in the UK some while ago. But that would be illegal.
If you are travelling with someone else they carry the box and papers and you wear the watch. Go through customs separately. If they get stopped no watch, they can say they gave it away as a gift. If you get stopped, it's your watch with no indication you bought it on the trip.
Given this advice by Tiffany's when we bought the now Mrs Silver's engagement ring in New York.
Given this advice by Tiffany's when we bought the now Mrs Silver's engagement ring in New York.
1.There is no import duty on Rolex watches - you just have to pay VAT at 20% of the purchase price.
2. If you decide to declare the watch and pay duty, a customs officer will calculate the VAT due and you can pay by debit, credit card etc. No record of the serial number of the watch or any other details are given on the VAT receipt you get - nor do HM Customs record any details of the watch. The receipt is the printout from the credit card machine which just says you have paid £xxx to HM Customs and Excise. The Customs officer will probably be bemused that you are paying duty.
2. If you decide to declare the watch and pay duty, a customs officer will calculate the VAT due and you can pay by debit, credit card etc. No record of the serial number of the watch or any other details are given on the VAT receipt you get - nor do HM Customs record any details of the watch. The receipt is the printout from the credit card machine which just says you have paid £xxx to HM Customs and Excise. The Customs officer will probably be bemused that you are paying duty.
chris56 said:
1.There is no import duty on Rolex watches - you just have to pay VAT at 20% of the purchase price.
2. If you decide to declare the watch and pay duty, a customs officer will calculate the VAT due and you can pay by debit, credit card etc. No record of the serial number of the watch or any other details are given on the VAT receipt you get - nor do HM Customs record any details of the watch. The receipt is the printout from the credit card machine which just says you have paid £xxx to HM Customs and Excise. The Customs officer will probably be bemused that you are paying duty.
Good post!2. If you decide to declare the watch and pay duty, a customs officer will calculate the VAT due and you can pay by debit, credit card etc. No record of the serial number of the watch or any other details are given on the VAT receipt you get - nor do HM Customs record any details of the watch. The receipt is the printout from the credit card machine which just says you have paid £xxx to HM Customs and Excise. The Customs officer will probably be bemused that you are paying duty.
I once laughed at a post on Rolex Forums from a guy that was adamant that Canadian customs had access to Rolex serial numbers on a database that proved he was importing a watch. f
king moron central , that site apart from a very few posters with some/a lot of knowledge.chris56 said:
1.There is no import duty on Rolex watches - you just have to pay VAT at 20% of the purchase price.
2. If you decide to declare the watch and pay duty, a customs officer will calculate the VAT due and you can pay by debit, credit card etc. No record of the serial number of the watch or any other details are given on the VAT receipt you get - nor do HM Customs record any details of the watch. The receipt is the printout from the credit card machine which just says you have paid £xxx to HM Customs and Excise. The Customs officer will probably be bemused that you are paying duty.
Thanks for clearing that up chris56. 2. If you decide to declare the watch and pay duty, a customs officer will calculate the VAT due and you can pay by debit, credit card etc. No record of the serial number of the watch or any other details are given on the VAT receipt you get - nor do HM Customs record any details of the watch. The receipt is the printout from the credit card machine which just says you have paid £xxx to HM Customs and Excise. The Customs officer will probably be bemused that you are paying duty.
Stickyfinger said:
Post Box AND any recites/Credit Card slips
Sorry, but this is bad advice.I know someone who did exactly this - it was picked up by Customs who look through the mail. HRMC then asked to see the invoice confirming sales tax had been paid when the actual watch came into the country.
Even though all HRMC had identified was an empty box being posted.
The conclusion is that HMRC go through the mail with a fine toothcomb - it is a very good source of revenue, particularly with the number of items not properly declared.
Having said that IMO, getting stopped at Customs is unlikely, unless they happen to know in advance you are carrying a large purchase which hasn't the correct sales tax paid. That isn't the same though as saying they don't care.
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