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Old 27th May 2020, 9:52 am   #25
CambridgeWorks
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Spalding, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK.
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Default Re: VAT & Customs Duty on imported items

Graham, post crossed while writing, I do hope this one is ok.

To quote "I received two boards today shipped from China, came in with with no extra charges and supposed free delivery cost to me was £19.98, but a light weight box and a declaration that said it was a component at a value of $1.99. So I took that as a win, several times now I have needed to pay the VAT and Royal mail charge, win some, lose some."

Firstly, nothing personal intended whatsoever as we all like a bargain.

I have two observations.
That label would indicate the item value was less than £2.00 with shipping of £18.00 according to the value you indicated. I doubt that item value is true as none of us would pay £18.00 for a lightweight parcel.
If you had to return it at your own cost you would need to declare the value of contents for customs and that would dictate the compensation (plus actual postage cost paid) that Royal Mail might award if a claim was made for loss.

Royal Mail compensation for item cannot exceed the stated customs value. It is recorded on your proof of postage receipt that is needed to make any claim.

Secondly.
By deliberately under declaring any item's customs value so that vat and duty where applicable to be levied, is wrong. It is avoiding our own government income revenue and will no doubt be clamped down on in the hard economic times to come. They will no doubt see all the fake Chinese and other businesses that are trading within UK falsely as "London" or whatever and avoiding paying their proper taxes and take fitting action, hopefully. It is after all giving them an unfair trading advantage over our own businesses already struggling.

Have I bought "post free" or 99p items including post from China in the past. Yes!
Do I falsify customs CN22 documents when exporting anything. No! Despite often being asked to.
IF I was buying anything imported and expected there to be a customs, vat, postal collection fee, then so be it, it would all have to be paid.
Rob
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