Import duties/VAT Europe to UK.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Okay so I voted out
I've just bought something off eBay.
The total was to come out at just over £40.
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty
I've read through this but I'm a little bit confused when it starts talking about gifts.
It mentions alcohol as gifts, but it looks like any goods under 135 pounds escape, gifts have to be under 39?

Anyway I made an offer and I've only paid 35, will I get a bill for anything else?

[Jdsk]

Where are you and where was the seller, please?

Thanks

Jonathan

[simonineaston]

will I get a bill for anything else?

Why don't you ask Nigel Farage - I'm sure he'll be keen to give you an honest answer that'll help !!

[PH]

will I get a bill for anything else?

No.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Yeah I knew that would raise a few hackles
Looks like I won't be paying anything else but it's very confusing I think on eBay because every time we go through layers to pay you get different costs coming up in front, and then there's the repeated Warnings about vat and duties.
Lithuania to UK.
I've paid the total so looks like everything else is included by the seller.
I made an offer or something like 75% of the asking price, it's just a few minutes for them to accept

[[XAP]Bob]

will I get a bill for anything else?

You already have - plenty of extra bills... this one probably won't attract any attention through customs, particularly since the "taking back control" Johnson mentioned appears to mean "open our borders completely"

[PH]

Looks like I won't be paying anything else but it's very confusing I think on eBay because every time we go through layers to pay you get different costs coming up in front, and then there's the repeated Warnings about vat and duties.

It's a shame so many still find it confusing, I think there's some posters here, through error or design, who add to that confusion.
If you buy something for a total of less than £135 (Consignment exc shipping) from outside the UK the seller must handle the VAT (There's no customs duty up to this value). If you buy from Ebay then they take on that responsibility on behalf of the seller (For a fee no doubt but it isn't paid by the buyer)
All this adds cost and complexity for the seller, some have decided not to bother selling to the UK, some will no doubt pass those costs on by increasing their prices. But what you see is what you pay, there is no other process.
Over £135 and it gets more complex, but as you haven't asked that, I won't go into it.

[mumbojumbo]

A person opts to leave the EU, for patriotic reasons no doubt. They then import goods otherwise available in the UK. The effect of the latter seems to contradict the sentiments of the former. Anyway the tax others pay ,albeit needlessly, means my liability must be reduced ..Cheers!

[pete75]

Looks like I won't be paying anything else but it's very confusing I think on eBay because every time we go through layers to pay you get different costs coming up in front, and then there's the repeated Warnings about vat and duties.

It's a shame so many still find it confusing, I think there's some posters here, through error or design, who add to that confusion.
If you buy something for a total of less than £135 (Consignment exc shipping) from outside the UK the seller must handle the VAT (There's no customs duty up to this value). If you buy from Ebay then they take on that responsibility on behalf of the seller (For a fee no doubt but it isn't paid by the buyer)
All this adds cost and complexity for the seller, some have decided not to bother selling to the UK, some will no doubt pass those costs on by increasing their prices. But what you see is what you pay, there is no other process.
Over £135 and it gets more complex, but as you haven't asked that, I won't go into it.

I have bought items from Germany costing less than £135 and they remove German VAT because it's going outside the EU. They do not add any British VAT onto the price. I've also bought items costing over £135 and they arrive duty free and without VAT. This situation will continue until at least January 2022 as that's when customs declarations and control on EU goods are planned to start. It's been postponed more than once and may well be postponed until later in 2022.
What the regulations may or may not say and what happens in reality are two different things.

[PH]

What the regulations may or may not say and what happens in reality are two different things.

Yes, you've found a retailer who isn't following the process and you've saved a few quid. I suspect there will be a few of them, but that number will reduce as the changes to how VAT is collected become commonplace, it isn't only a UK policy. I don't know if your retailer sold VAT free by intention or in error, if they were in the UK they'd find themselves out of pocket when they came to do their own VAT returns.
Errors will still occur, they always have, in the past I've imported several parcels from outside the EU that haven't had the appropriate taxes applied, Taiwan, NZ, US, and plenty of others that have.
None of this is relevant to the question asked in this thread "will I get a bill for anything else?"
The answer to that is no.

[merseymouth]

Hi Just read of a chap who's bottle of red biddy at his favourite eatery had doubled in price? Response for a reason was - "Brexit!"?
As the wine was made in Chile it begs many questions! MM

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Thanks for all your replies.
It's clearer now but eBay seem to handle all of the VAT.
It's up to them how much liability they would face if at all, I'm sure they're lawyers have got that all sewn up.
But they're not liable at all as it's the seller responsibility to make sure They are imposing the correct tax.
My only confusing part was the nature of a gift, where the value is set at £39 not 135.

Be interesting to see what happens when everything is ironed out with the EU.
I'm sure the EU will be ahead of the game.
Importing from the rest of the world seems to have got more expensive of late but that might be to the pandemic.
I know that there is more in stuff imported from say China, But that's always been outside the EU anyway.

One of my biggest gripe is you can receive almost anything and the seller sometimes pays low postage.
Just try and return an item or send it abroad, Royal mail and Curriers list of prohibited items and how they would be wrapped somewhat frustrating at times.
It was delivered by Royal mail so why can't I return it the same way!

[PH]

It's clearer now but eBay seem to handle all of the VAT.
It's up to them how much liability they would face if at all, I'm sure they're lawyers have got that all sewn up.

Here's the new EU regulation, which the UK have largely followed (There may be minor differences, but in essence it's the same) Third party sellers like Ebay haven't been given any choice about their liability, stopping them from having that was a large part of the reason for the changes.
This is the relevant bit

Special provisions are introduced whereby online marketplaces/platforms facilitating supplies of goods are deemed for VAT purposes to have received and supplied the goods themselves

https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/b ... E3Mjc0My4w

[Psamathe]

Hi Just read of a chap who's bottle of red biddy at his favourite eatery had doubled in price? Response for a reason was - "Brexit!"?
As the wine was made in Chile it begs many questions! MM

EU had a FTA with Chile. No idea if/when UK made what agreements with Chile. But UK represents a lot less trade than EU (UK is a lot smaller) and how good a trade deal you get can depend on the levels of trade envisaged.

Ian

[pete75]

What the regulations may or may not say and what happens in reality are two different things.

Yes, you've found a retailer who isn't following the process and you've saved a few quid. I suspect there will be a few of them, but that number will reduce as the changes to how VAT is collected become commonplace, it isn't only a UK policy. I don't know if your retailer sold VAT free by intention or in error, if they were in the UK they'd find themselves out of pocket when they came to do their own VAT returns.
Errors will still occur, they always have, in the past I've imported several parcels from outside the EU that haven't had the appropriate taxes applied, Taiwan, NZ, US, and plenty of others that have.
None of this is relevant to the question asked in this thread "will I get a bill for anything else?"
The answer to that is no.

VAT free by intention. The German websites I've looked at immediately remove the VAT when you give a UK as shipping address. Goods exported from an EU nation to a third country don't attract VAT. In theory EU retailers are meant to register for UK VAT if they sell goods to the UK. That's why a lot have stopped selling to Britain. Others just ignore this rule and carry on as normal. Good for them I say.

I was replying to your post on how VAT etc is charged on goods coming into the UK.