Nutek

I always do that, regardless of what is in it.

Agreed on the boxes being pricey for small items. You can score a good deal on them if you cram em full though, which we do. Peppermint patties, packed loose, make good padding.

Nutek

ugh. That sucks. I'm not sold on this declaring things as seperate gifts... Seems to make em more interested rather than less?

Maybe I'm super lucky and should spend some time at the cassino.

GeoffM

Yeah. The $60 box that people are talking about got through customs without any duty last time, and that had a couple of dresses too, candy, bits and bobs. The rest of the stuff is arriving by Amazon fairy but I just thought it would be a nice touch to send these dresses as I've never seen that kind in the UK before. Instead, my sister's pissed off that she's got to pay duty.

Apparently there's a form you can send off, and a thing to work out what the duty should be. I've told her to keep the labels and receipts - and I need to find the receipt this end. I don't hold much hope though.

Nutek

Nothing we send is really important.. It's mostly just a sweets/candy exchange with my parents... I get stuff from the UK, and they get stuff that is different (to them)... Just fun stuff.

I think, if something did get caught up at customs in either direction, we would just forget it.
It's a shame if its something (as with your gift) that actually has some meaning though.

Bob

Aye, we do the sweets and home made stuff and for my nephew send some local stuff like Red Sox/Celtics/Patriots/Bruins gear or stuff like that mostly, other wise we'd just use local online sites...except that Austria is still stuck in the last century when it comes to online stuff

scrubbedexpat097

Agree about the padded envolope. If it weighs less than 3lb it is usually no problem. Been doing it for the last 25 years and not had too many glitches at all.


Son received his package in Cambridge on Wednesday. I mailed it on Wednesday the previous week

GeoffM

Anybody know where I can find the UK customs duty rate? I go from UKBA to www.ukimports.org which then links to some TARIC thing, except the link is broken. As far as I can determine those dresses should only have been assessed for customs duty, not VAT or other taxes - and the percentage comes out as 35% duty . That can't be right, surely?

Apparently (if I read it right) I should have written:
Dress - gift - $40
Dress - gift - $40

and not:
Dresses x2 - gifts x2 - $80

Bob

Yup, because the total puts it over the threshold.

AmerLisa

I mailed two big boxes (13 pounds and 11 pounds) in the last month to the UK. Each of them had new articles of clothing, there were no problems. The only time my daughter has ever had to pay a tax on anything was when I mailed her bridal dress. Even though it clearly said gift, I had left it in the box that I bought it in and I'm sure that was what the problem was. When I send clothes to my daughter, grandchildren, I always take tags off and when I fill out the custom forms I usually put a very low monetary value. For example a dress I may put $5.

However, the last time I mailed a big box (couple of weeks ago now) the USPS person gave me a tip about filling out that huge customs declaration form. No other staff had told me this, so was very happy for her tip because I had been using quite a few of those customs forms to declare whatever was in the box. What she said was on one line you could, for example write: dress, shirts, pants and then put in the quantity part how many of those items were in total, then add up value. Next line, for example, candies, cakes... I ended up only using one custom form, it was a lot easier. She said they don't need to have descriptions on things. I was a bit wary, but my daughter got the box the following week, with no problem. Also, there is a long number on the top of that form which is a tracking number. Again, something I didn't know.

GeoffM

But... but... splutter, sigh. Still think that 35% doesn't seem right. It's not that duty was charged, but the amount of duty that was charged. Worth sending the form in just to make them have to process it, even if it's rejected.

dlake02

Well, being an awkward sod, I decided to call Royal Mail and complain. the person that I ended up speaking to was actually very friendly and helpful, gave quite a lot of their insight as well. In summary....

- The US has no duty/excise treaty with the UK, unlike several other countries. Therefore, ANYTHING that is sent into the UK over a basic threshold is seen as having avoided any form of tax even if local tax has been paid.

- The private shippers catch almost 100% of imports and typically charge between UKP15 and UKP25 "admin" on top of the Customs/Excise. Royal Mail/Parcel Force charge UKP8 admin - much cheaper.

- Royal Mail has been heavily criticised for not catching enough non-duty paid goods. Couriers catch almost everything - you have about a 15% chance of being caught, but they are looking to catch 50% by the end of next year; goal is 100% but probably not ever going to happen.

AmerLisa

I'd say, going on experience alone for the last 8+ years, that the chances of it even being 50% is a shot in the dark!

dlake02

Yes, I think you're probably right...

So, this puts me in two camps. On the one-hand, I hate paying more than I have to for anything. On the other, I hate large American corporations that get away without paying their fair dues (Google, Amazon, Starbucks - all should be banned from the UK until they pay their fair-share).

I think that makes me a hypocrite ?

Pulaski

Just about everything gets VAT (20%), and many things, including clothes, also attract import tariffs, so 35% is easily possible - there is a reason why similar objects cost as many £££ as $$$ when the $/£ exchange rate is 1.6.

Pulaski

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