Taxes when you import from Amazon US?

[hhhrrrinnn]

Hey guys,

I just wanted to know if you had to pay taxes when you import blus from Amazon US? I ordered some blues from them but wouldn't appreciate to pay pounds of taxes when the items will finally arrive in the UK!!

Any testimonials on that matter?

Thanks,
hhhrrrinnn

[jw]

I believe theres a threshold of £20 or £25 you have to meet first, once thats hit, they tax you. This is based of what I read awhile back about the UK.

Amazon advises any taxes caused by importation are you responsibility

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...?nodeId=596184

Customs, Duties, and Taxes

Orders that are shipped to countries outside of the U.S. may be subject to import taxes, customs duties and fees levied by the destination country ("Import Fees"). The recipient of an international shipment may be subject to such Import Fees, which are levied once a shipment reaches your country. Additional charges for customs clearance must be borne by the recipient; we have no control over these charges and cannot predict what they may be. Customs policies vary widely from country to country; you should contact your local customs office for further information. When customs clearance procedures are required, it can cause delays beyond our original delivery estimates.

[hhhrrrinnn]

Originally Posted by jwbbud

I believe theres a threshold of £20 or £25 you have to meet first, once thats hit, they tax you. This is based of what I read awhile back about the UK.

Amazon advises any taxes caused by importation are you responsibility

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...?nodeId=596184

Hmmm... Is it like all the time? Anyone has an idea of the amount of the taxes? I bought for like 32£...

[jw]

Originally Posted by hhhrrrinnn

Hmmm... Is it like all the time? Anyone has an idea of the amount of the taxes? I bought for like 32£...

that I dont know....ask someone like Kynch(hes from France)he may know

[Baker1000]

In my experience buying from the US, I have only ever been taxed when it's delivered by a courier like FedEx. I have ordered stuff which has been sent by USPS and never been taxed on it. However I have never ordered from Amazon.com

[josuv22]

hi
ya the threshold in ireland is 22 euro for merch and 45 euro for a gift.

these are EU max rates before taxes are suspose to be added.
the UK one for merch is around 19 sterling as far as I know.

I had serveral orders well over the 45 euro and never got charged any vat.
2 at xmas got stopped which is the main time you be most likely to be hit.
but since the recession the Customs here seem to taxing all merch over the 22 euro limit rather than letting it slide..

vat is charged on the dollar value marked on the parcel. inc shipping and insurance.

so for example going be my exp.

60 dollars of blueray
will be have vat @21.5% = 12.9 euro plus 6 euro post handle charge bring 18.90 euro due on delivery.

the UK be similar bar the vat a lower rate of 15%. handling charge can be 2 or 3 times more if it is deliver via courier.

but about 90% sure the uk vat free rate for merch is 19 sterling.

a guess for taxes due on your order be around 10 pound inc handling charge if deliver via your standard post services

[popcultureboy]

The UK threshold is £17.99 for purchases. I went through a spate of buying DVD box sets from Amazon.com in 2007 and not being charged. Sadly that didn't last and I have, without fail, been charged on all deliveries over that amount since October 2007. Even when they've been sent surface mail and delivered by the post office. You'll get a card through your door telling you to pay up, you can either pay online and have it delivered or go in to your sorting office, pay and pick it up.

[md99]

The cut off point in Ireland, as mentioned above is €22 however I've bought several blu rays from Amazon with a value of anything between €40-100.

I've been caught for tax a few times (last week I had to pay €18 for the privilege of being handed my copies of 300, Machinist, Children of Men)

On several other ocassions however I didn't have to pay anything?

Maybe it just depends on the discretion of the post office whether you have to pay tax or not.

[Bruce Morrison]

Originally Posted by md99

Maybe it just depends on the discretion of the post office whether you have to pay tax or not.

It's at the "discretion" of Customs, not the Post Office!

[spidermind]

Actually the threshold was lifted to €150 in last December (EU directive). If you really have to pay taxes for cheaper deliveries you should complain to someone. I just don't know who might listen.

[idoru]

The €150 (£120 in UK) threshold applies to Customs Duty only, Import VAT is still charged over the £18 threshold. Customs Duty is even more of a ripoff as they apply it after adding up the items cost, the shipping costs & the Import VAT.

[spidermind]

Ah, it seems I jumped to the wrong conclusions. It seems my country (Estonia) also raised the VAT limit according to the new rules (which, I think, is quite sensible approach).

[Douglas R]

Customs do a spot check which is why some parcels get through without charge and some don't. In my experience larger size packages are more likely to be caught - best to order single items even if postage is dearer.

[Reduman]

Originally Posted by hhhrrrinnn

Hey guys,

I just wanted to know if you had to pay taxes when you import blus from Amazon US? I ordered some blues from them but wouldn't appreciate to pay pounds of taxes when the items will finally arrive in the UK!!

Any testimonials on that matter?

Thanks,
hhhrrrinnn

I realise this is an older post, but I do have some experience in importing US blu-rays, as I have an all-region blu-ray player from the UK, altho' based in Germany. I usually only order limited edition box-sets from Amazon.com. Their international service is terrific -- but you pay for it! I opt (personal choice) for the international courier delivery (usually UPS). The items are usually here and in my sweaty, expectant hands within 2-3 days! As I say, not everyone will be willing to pay the 30 or so dollars for the superfast shipping. But if you do opt for this shipping method, Amazon calculates the estimated import duties for the jurisdiction you live in and you pay for this in advance when you place the order. The advantage here is you are nice and legal, the charges are NEVER more than Amazon calculates, if they are Amazon will cover it. If less they will refund the difference. To summarise, Amazon's service is extremely fast, your package literally flys through customs as pre-paid, it's hassle free and the only drawback is, it's expensive. If you opt for one of the slower delivery options, your package may or may not be held up at customs and you will probably have to pay in import duties in advance before receiving your package. I have never done this through Amazon, so I cannot comment.
For 'ordinary' single blu-ray orders, I have used several services over the years. Currently I use axelmusic.com. They appear to have some set up whereby the taxes are paid in advance and they promise you will not be charged further. I am not sure how this business model works, but I am assuming they are legit and doing thing legally. Here in Germany, if you try to avoid paying import duties, it is considered tax evasion and criminal charges could follow. As far as I know, it is also the customer's duty to ensure the correct value of the item is put on the goods declaration (that green label). If the shipper declares a value under the import tax threshold, when it clearly should be higher (a stated $16 value on an $70.00 box set for instance), then you might still be held liable, even if you can hardly prevent someone from doing it. It is probably the same in other countries. Given axelmusic's average price range of ca. 22-25 € for new discs including tax, shipping, they are certainly not cheap, but I do not want tax hassles and paying the bit extra is worth it (for me). Their packages are usually (re?)mailed from within the EU (usually the UK (Royal Mail) for my region, but I have had packages sent via New Zealand, too!) The goods themselves are shipped from either the US or Canada .. as I say not sure how it all works! The only drawback I see when using axelmusic are the sometimes erratic shipping times. I have received some orders within a week, but sometimes it has taken up to 2-3 weeks. That really is too long in my books. Their customer service is quick and helpful though.
If someone can recommend a legit enterprise for US blu-rays, which is fast and value for money, please do not hesitate to PM me!

[bladelia]

I was recently talking to a postman from mount pleasant sorting office here in London,about this very thing, and he told me that customs stops approx. 1 in 10 parcels coming in. So it's all a case of luck.
For instance my copy of Dexter season 4 got stopped and I had to pay £12 in taxes and post office fees on top of the £25 I paid playusa for it, but luckily my complete Lost boxset and Deadwood boxset sailed through, so, as I say, it is all luck in the end.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by bladelia

I was recently talking to a postman from mount pleasant sorting office here in London,about this very thing, and he told me that customs stops approx. 1 in 10 parcels coming in. So it's all a case of luck.
For instance my copy of Dexter season 4 got stopped and I had to pay £12 in taxes and post office fees on top of the £25 I paid playusa for it, but luckily my complete Lost boxset and Deadwood boxset sailed through, so, as I say, it is all luck in the end.

I think this is one thing that stops me from ordering from the US etc. You find a bargain and you get hammered with Customs. I know I should work it out before hand but I'm such a Scrooge. So I've avoided making purchases from the US so far and if I started I'd stay under the limit but it puts a lot of stuff over budget like Watchmen UC or some great TV boxsets.

[DaveSimonH]

Originally Posted by popcultureboy

The UK threshold is £17.99 for purchases. I went through a spate of buying DVD box sets from Amazon.com in 2007 and not being charged. Sadly that didn't last and I have, without fail, been charged on all deliveries over that amount since October 2007. Even when they've been sent surface mail and delivered by the post office. You'll get a card through your door telling you to pay up, you can either pay online and have it delivered or go in to your sorting office, pay and pick it up.

What percentage did the last one get charged? Also do they include delivery charges in their calculation?

[nametag]

Originally Posted by chip75

I think this is one thing that stops me from ordering from the US etc. You find a bargain and you get hammered with Customs. I know I should work it out before hand but I'm such a Scrooge. So I've avoided making purchases from the US so far and if I started I'd stay under the limit but it puts a lot of stuff over budget like Watchmen UC or some great TV boxsets.

I'm pretty sure when you import from somewhere like movietyme or axelmusic you never get charged even if it is over the threshold, but I'm not sure why...
I've never been charged by them anyway, and they send each item individually so a single package does not have a really high value.

[geoffc]

I ordered the US edition of The Social Network from Axel Music on the 11th January and it was delivered on the 18th! Just had email last evening to say my copy of Monsters shipped yesterday!

[huntauk]

This is exactly why I haven't order Apocalypse Now Full Disclosure Edition as its £40 anway and vat on top would be riduculous for one film when it will surely be out in the UK sooner or later for £15-20