Cycling UK Forum

roubaixtuesday wrote: ↑7 Jun 2023, 2:34pm Tax avoider that I am, I'd stick on a battered pair of panniers, go through some muddy puddles and would be amazed if challenged getting on a ferry.

That's my plan I will make a little adventure of this trip. Ride the bike in Germany, ride it in Amsterdam, drink nice beers, eat donner kebab, and take plenty of pictures to show off at the customs.

Would it be more legible if I left the UK with a bike too (obviously different bike to what I'll come back on) ??

borisface wrote: ↑7 Jun 2023, 2:19pm Aside from the original importing issue. What will happen if you need to make a warranty claim and the manufacturer wants you to send it back for evaluation? Probably better off getting something in the UK.

That's the risk I take and I will live with whatever the outcome. There's nothing like this in the UK otherwise I would not be asking questions here.

mjr wrote: ↑7 Jun 2023, 2:09pm The sticker/label is irrelevant for items worth over £1000. I think you will have to declare it and for it to be exempt, you'll need a "Statement on Origin" aka a certificate of origin from the manufacturer or seller, who needs to be a registered exporter and, presumably, if they were a registered exporter, you wouldn't be travelling there to buy it?

Oh crap, I missed that 1k requirement. The bike and its accessories are made in Germany, but I might have hard time proving Shimano hub is also EU made.... I won't have a statement of origin as the bike is from one of their official resellers.

I was planning to declare the bike as bought used, and at a value of few hundred so I pay some tiny tax to stay clear but nothing too dodgy (as the £1 suggested above).

Jdsk wrote: ↑7 Jun 2023, 1:59pm That includes how to prove that a bike being brought int the UK wasn't bought abroad.

Thanks! I will read this that thread for some inspiration.

Howdy good people

So I'm after a bike manufactured in Germany by German company that I can only purchase in ...Germany.

I'm thinking of taking a ferry from NCL to AMS, then a ICE train from AMS to that city in Germany. Then I will ride the bike for few days upon my return to the UK. The return route is via ferry again.

Do the "Declare goods and pay tax and duty to UK customs" rules apply even for an used goods?

You know, I will buy the ex-demo bike and ride it for some time so it ain't "new" bike. I will cross the "border" on my bike. And it's for personal use. And I'd had paid German VAT few days before.

I'm looking how to understand / navigate this issue without declaring the goods(?). I like paying taxes and I pay a lot taxes though limited companies I own.

The bike in question is about 4.000 EUR so paying 20% vat and 14% import duty (if I can't prove the bike is made in EU - it has big sticker showing "made in Germany") it's not worth the effort I'm afraid.