Importing watch from USA (not new)

[Meeten-5dulx]

Any ideas of what (if any) additional govt based payments I have to pay on a watch purchased from USA?

It is used and value approx £2k.

I’m not clear and would want it fully insured in case something goes wrong in transit (no put $20 value on it ideas)

[clockworks]

I've bought a few secondhand watches and other items from the USA. VAT, possibly duty (somewhere between 3 and 5%) and courier handling fee (around a tenner)

[Meeten-5dulx]

clockworks said:

I've bought a few secondhand watches and other items from the USA. VAT, possibly duty (somewhere between 3 and 5%) and courier handling fee (around a tenner)

Thanks
Circa £300 on a £2k watch.
Darn....

[clockworks]

Meeten-5dulx said:

Thanks
Circa £300 on a £2k watch.
Darn....

More like £500+ if the item qualifies for import duty - the VAT alone will be £400 on a £2k item.

Back when a pound was worth $1.50US, I reckoned I'd end up paying "pounds for dollars" on items costing a couple of hundred dollars.
It only ever really made sense to buy from the USA if the item wasn't available in the EU.

Brexit means this has now changed to "it only makes sense to buy from abroad if the item isn't available in Britain".
I say "Britain", as there seems to be a lot of confusion about items coming from NI now.

China does seem to be an exception though, as I've never had to pay any import charges from there.

[Meeten-5dulx]

clockworks said:

Meeten-5dulx said:

Thanks
Circa £300 on a £2k watch.
Darn....

More like £500+ if the item qualifies for import duty - the VAT alone will be £400 on a £2k item.

Back when a pound was worth $1.50US, I reckoned I'd end up paying "pounds for dollars" on items costing a couple of hundred dollars.
It only ever really made sense to buy from the USA if the item wasn't available in the EU.

Brexit means this has now changed to "it only makes sense to buy from abroad if the item isn't available in Britain".
I say "Britain", as there seems to be a lot of confusion about items coming from NI now.

China does seem to be an exception though, as I've never had to pay any import charges from there.

Good point - too early for a simple calculation.
VAT, £400
Tax, £60-100
Handling, £10-25

[blue_haddock]

I've just bought a new watch from the states and got hit with customs.

On a £44 watch i had to pay dhl £8.5 to process the payment and about £5 in VAT

[hilly10]

I never look to the US anymore just so expensive, UK customs don’t miss anything now.

[Majorslow]

I must have been lucky then as I bought a second hand astrographic Zodiac from the states a few years ago, and it just came straight to the door

[Wadeski]

I would just plan your next holiday to the US, pick the watch up here, and wear it home. Plenty of nice destinations and no shortage of watch dealers here.

[itlab]

clockworks said:

Meeten-5dulx said:

China does seem to be an exception though, as I've never had to pay any import charges from there.

Anything under £15 was exempt. Which covered most stuff. But as of the 1st it’s now payable on everything

[GCH]

Don't forget US sales tax

[Meeten-5dulx]

GCH said:

Don't forget US sales tax

Its not brand new, so I can bypass that little grenade.
Trip out to NYC to visit my mate may be in order when we are allowed....

[hilly10]

Majorslow said:

I must have been lucky then as I bought a second hand astrographic Zodiac from the states a few years ago, and it just came straight to the door

I remember buying a couple of Hamilton’s back in 2006/7 and as you say, they came straight through

[blue_haddock]

Brand new victorinox arrived today with no import charges.

It's a lottery if you get caught or not!

[Meeten-5dulx]

blue_haddock said:

Brand new victorinox arrived today with no import charges.

It's a lottery if you get caught or not!

It’s a £2 k watch, I’d rather not take the risk.....

[Camelot1971]

blue_haddock said:

Brand new victorinox arrived today with no import charges.

It's a lottery if you get caught or not!

Congrats on celebrating your tax evasion.

[Dammit]

I looked this up a couple of days ago - the duty for a watch is £0.20 per unit, so not worth HMRC collecting, so what you'll have is VAT and whatever fee the courier charges for paying the VAT for you/billing you for the VAT.

[Meeten-5dulx]

Dammit said:

I looked this up a couple of days ago - the duty for a watch is £0.20 per unit, so not worth HMRC collecting, so what you'll have is VAT and whatever fee the courier charges for paying the VAT for you/billing you for the VAT.

Still a difference of circa £450....

Now if a friend of mine who regularly (not at the moment) were to come over and visit.....