Buy figures from Europe for U.K. residents. Tax?

[lightbob]

Hello the World
Can someone post clear information whether UK residents will be charged tax and handling fees for importing figures from Europe now that we have left the E.U.?
Is there a value under which figures will be exempt and if charges levied can we get the item tax free from the seller now?
I buy figures from:- Germany, Sweden and France and can see my purchases reduce if taxes are charged.
Resent the charges on purchases from USA, especially the handling fee by the post office.

 

[OldTaff]

Check out the earlier post here on" Post to UK due to Covid ", you may find some answers to your question. There's a load of guff online with the usual gobbledegook, but the situation doesn't look helpful to us modellers/ painters,

Alan

 

[Tecumsea]

The earlier thread was due to postal delays Alan. HMRC have asked all companies worldwide shipping into the UK post Brexit to register to collect vat on behalf of the British government. There has been reaction on the BBC website from some European companies saying they will not continue to ship to the UK. One of these was supplying cycle parts. The other a clothes supplier from Finland was waiting to register. There was a lot of noise on plastic modelling sites before Xmas but surprisingly nothing on here.
Perhaps someone has the details and an elaborate on the likely effect on our side of the modelling fraternity.

Keith

 

[yellowcat]

This link has the info:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...tice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users

 

[Tecumsea]

Thanks Felix, let's see what happens, it is a typically confusing Govt Document. I need some stuff from Russia but I'll wait for the dust to settle...LOL

Keith

 

[Banjer]

As I read it anything under £135 is excused duty ,VAT and handling charge.
However I, for one, won't be putting it to the test any time soon.

As someone who had many years in the shipping industry I would advise against asking the sender to list it as a gift or under value it. It's been tried many times and a lot of stuff has been confiscated

Bill.

 

[akaryu]

For what it's worth, Amazon UK warns its continental customers that VAT and import duty may be charged by local customs.

As a lot of books read on the continent, not only on military history or uniforms, are in the English language I sincerely wonder where all this will lead us.
The giant businesses may find ways around the problem, but what with the smaller excellent British antiquarian bookshops?
I'm afraid we will be worse off on both sides of the Channel!

Pierre

 

[Martin64]

https://www.zoll.de/EN/Businesses/Movement-of-goods/Brexit/brexit_node.html
https://www.zoll.de/EN/Businesses/Movement-of-goods/Import/import_node.html
https://www.zoll.de/EN/Businesses/Movement-of-goods/Export/export_node.html
https://www.zoll.de/EN/Businesses/M...t/Duties-and-taxes/duties-and-taxes_node.html

"Fog in channel - continent cut off"
Cheers, Martin

 

[lightbob]

Many thanks for the above info.
I monitored the situation re the massive blockage at Dover re covid and the non movement of goods. I was keen to get some figures ordered from Berliner Zinnfiguren, so that I had some stuff to hand during the lockdown, one could see coming. DHL's website was helpful and Berliner's website also linked in to DHL when you tried to place an order from UK.
Got an order placed and paid for on 30th Dec. before the deadline, so should be exempt from any charges. It is also less than £135 so let's see what happens. Definitely a bit of a delay as one of the figures needs to be ordered.
I am very grateful in having a great postie. She was explaining how the mail has gone crazy with online stuff and how numbers that can can work in the sorting offices are restricted due to social distancing.
Figures are expensive enough, especially as £ is way weaker against the $ and € in recent times, than us "old campaigners" can recall.
Take care and happy painting.

 

[elgreco]

For all intents and purposes, regarding the new rules for orders under £135, EU businesses selling direct to UK customers by rights should register with HMRC VAT for VAT purposes so that VAT is paid and collected from the source. Whether this will actually be easily applied, tracked and charged is another matter.
For Business to Business, it is understood that the VAT will be paid by the incoming business hence we had to register for the EU - EORI VAT number.
These first few months are going to be a bumpy ride. For example, there are no flights leaving from Russia to the UK due to Covid at least until the 12th January, so it will be a slow month or two before new releases start to ship in. We have been lucky to a certain extent as we have had only a few hiccups with just a handful of returned parcels in these last months despite the logistical nightmares worldwide.
Take care everyone.

 

[elgreco]

For what it's worth, Amazon UK warns its continental customers that VAT and import duty may be charged by local customs.

As a lot of books read on the continent, not only on military history or uniforms, are in the English language I sincerely wonder where all this will lead us.
The giant businesses may find ways around the problem, but what with the smaller excellent British antiquarian bookshops?
I'm afraid we will be worse off on both sides of the Channel!

Pierre

VAT is not payable on Books in the UK so it should not be an issue.

 

[Mirofsoft]

A new Tea Party cmoing ?!

 

[lightbob]

Hello All,
Just to let you know that the figures I ordered from Germany --> Berliner Zinfiguren, arrived safely late this morning.
I ordered and paid for them on Wed. 30. Dec. 2020. I knew one of the figures was out of stock and needed to be ordered from the manufacturer. This figure, from information available, probably arrived on the 12.Jan. 2021 and the items were dispatched later that day. So a great service by Berliner Zinnfiguren and the couriers DHL/Parcelforce got them to me in under 6 full days. From tracking could see it took 3 days to get to the UK and/or clear customs.
No import tax/vat charged as paid for before the Brexit deadline and the cost is under £135.
Hope this info. helps with what is going on re purchases from EU countries.
Have spotted eBay adding 20% vat on straight away.
Stay Safe!