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Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Old Dec 22nd 2013, 1:38 am
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Default Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Is there any rhyme or reason to UK customs charges? No matter what I send to the UK, no matter what I declare it as (personal item or gift), the recipient may or may not be stung for customs charges. I wondered if anyone else has experience with this, and what it could be that I'm sending that the UK sees as "taxable" goods. Or is it something to do with the weight of the parcel, etc?
Last time I sent toys, cosmetics and a handbag. I declared it as "gifts". At the other end, my recipient was told that unless she coughed up £21, they wouldn't release the parcel! Naturally, I paid that, but why was she charged?
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Old Dec 22nd 2013, 2:02 am
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Originally Posted by Emma M
Is there any rhyme or reason to UK customs charges? No matter what I send to the UK, no matter what I declare it as (personal item or gift), the recipient may or may not be stung for customs charges. I wondered if anyone else has experience with this, and what it could be that I'm sending that the UK sees as "taxable" goods. Or is it something to do with the weight of the parcel, etc?
Last time I sent toys, cosmetics and a handbag. I declared it as "gifts". At the other end, my recipient was told that unless she coughed up £21, they wouldn't release the parcel! Naturally, I paid that, but why was she charged?
How can UK customs get the duty owed from you when you live overseas? Far easier to obtain it from the recipient. I think that's the reason.
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Old Dec 22nd 2013, 2:26 am
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Isn't it something like £18 per person that is tax/duty free?
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Old Dec 22nd 2013, 5:22 am
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Originally Posted by Emma M
Is there any rhyme or reason to UK customs charges? No matter what I send to the UK, no matter what I declare it as (personal item or gift), the recipient may or may not be stung for customs charges. I wondered if anyone else has experience with this, and what it could be that I'm sending that the UK sees as "taxable" goods. Or is it something to do with the weight of the parcel, etc?
Last time I sent toys, cosmetics and a handbag. I declared it as "gifts". At the other end, my recipient was told that unless she coughed up £21, they wouldn't release the parcel! Naturally, I paid that, but why was she charged?
I've had the same issue when I've sent packages to my daughter. Almost all of them have been delivered with no custom charges with exception of a few. They weren't packaged any differently and in all circumstances I'm sending over clothes with no tags, etc. The custom form always says gift.

It's a mystery to me.
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Old Dec 22nd 2013, 5:49 am
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

I think the info given below from the HMRC website clarifies why sometimes there are charges. It all depends on what the value of the gift is:

2.4 Gifts
Goods sent as a gift that are over £40* in value are liable to import VAT. Customs duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £135 but is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £9.

*Please note this limit will reduce to £36 with effect from 1 January 2013.

To qualify as a gift:

the customs declaration must be completed correctly the gift must be sent from a private person outside the EU to a private person(s) in this country
there is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly by anyone in the UK the gift is of an occasional nature only, for example, for a birthday or anniversary
Note: if you purchase something from outside the EU to give as a gift to a relative or friend, whether or not addressed to that person, it is treated as a ‘commercial consignment’ for which the import VAT relief threshold in paragraph 2.3 applies.


So don't send anything worth more than 40UKP .
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Old Dec 22nd 2013, 8:56 am
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Also, once the value threshold is crossed the VAT part of the charge is calculated on the value of the goods PLUS the postage charges. Then just to add insult to injury Royal Mail slap a handling charge on top of the lot.
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Old Dec 23rd 2013, 4:39 am
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

I sent a parcel to my granddaughter last week, at first I had put gift, the post master told me to refill a different custom form and to be specific at what was in the jiffy envelope or they would be charged at the other end. At first I filled out the large form for customs, when I got yo the counter he said it was the wrong custom form and got me to fill out the small firm with the exact contents to be declared, which I dud, my son was not charged anything fir the parcel.
Just make sure you are filling out the correct forms and give exact details of what is in side perhaps thus will help??? Nit saying it will but I have sent home many parcels and never paid customs at either end.
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Old Dec 23rd 2013, 10:53 pm
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

This Xmas I posted back 6 gifts in a flat rate box. I listed each item separately. None of the gifts inidividually cost over £36 - they were all approximately £25 each. It took 6 days to get there from Oregon to Manchester! I marked it as gift on the customs form (the big one).
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Old Dec 31st 2013, 8:57 pm
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
I think the info given below from the HMRC website clarifies why sometimes there are charges. It all depends on what the value of the gift is:

2.4 Gifts
Goods sent as a gift that are over £40* in value are liable to import VAT. Customs duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £135 but is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £9.

*Please note this limit will reduce to £36 with effect from 1 January 2013.

To qualify as a gift:

the customs declaration must be completed correctly the gift must be sent from a private person outside the EU to a private person(s) in this country
there is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly by anyone in the UK the gift is of an occasional nature only, for example, for a birthday or anniversary
Note: if you purchase something from outside the EU to give as a gift to a relative or friend, whether or not addressed to that person, it is treated as a ‘commercial consignment’ for which the import VAT relief threshold in paragraph 2.3 applies.


So don't send anything worth more than 40UKP .
Ahh really?! Thank you for this information!
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Old Dec 31st 2013, 8:57 pm
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Originally Posted by lizzyq
Also, once the value threshold is crossed the VAT part of the charge is calculated on the value of the goods PLUS the postage charges. Then just to add insult to injury Royal Mail slap a handling charge on top of the lot.

Ebay UK from now on then...
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Old Dec 31st 2013, 10:29 pm
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Originally Posted by Emma M

Ebay UK from now on then...
.... and Amazon.co.uk
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Old Jan 1st 2014, 3:42 am
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

I got burned by this one this year too. Twenty years of mailing gifts to the UK, and it's the first time one got pulled and slapped with import duty.

Thirty six quid, eh? I guess I'll have to keep taking my chances.

On a semi-related note, should your mother (UK) make the mistake of getting your girlfriend a gift card on the wrong Amazon (e.g., dot co dot uk), know that it cannot be transferred to (or spent on) amazon dot com. The offending relative can, however, demand a refund of her gift card, and then spend the refund on an amazon dot com gift card.
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Old Jan 1st 2014, 6:10 am
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Over the years I've found there is no better way of sending gifts in one direction or the other than getting someone to carry them over on the plane.
Gift mules we call them. Next week my mule comes over with Guinness HP sauce (hard to find these days) and bags of Whitworth's marrowfat dried peas.
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Old Jan 5th 2014, 4:58 pm
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

Originally Posted by g1ant
Over the years I've found there is no better way of sending gifts in one direction or the other than getting someone to carry them over on the plane.
Gift mules we call them. Next week my mule comes over with Guinness HP sauce (hard to find these days) and bags of Whitworth's marrowfat dried peas.
Yes, and I shall be doing just that if my brother comes to visit me this year as he has hinted at
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Old Jan 6th 2014, 1:11 am
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Default Re: Sending gifts to the UK - customs charges

The difference between the small custom form & the large one is the weight of the package. If it is under 4lbs it will be the small one and over 4lb the large one..FYI
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