./

[Sponge]

.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Sponge

[Tony Harrison]

Don't know. If you're in a rush, you could pay and appeal later. What is the value of the parts? I think paying duties is hit and piss. You're probably required by law if it's outside the EU - maybe you were just lucky with Canada, or it was a smaller, more discreet parcel?

Best bet would be to phone someone at the Inland Revenue and ask, I suppose. Sorry I can't be more help.

[monkeyseemonkeydo]

Apparently it's something like one in every 8 parcel's, chosen at random, is stopped and checked to see whether there's any VAT/import duty etc to be paid. I just got stung a month or so back when I got a Scorpion exhaust sent from the US. Even if you get it sent as a 'gift', if the valu is over £18 or something stupid you have to pay... sucks ass big time but I'm pretty sure there's no way round it if you get caught.

If you want to appeal, it has to be done retrospectively so whatever you're going to have to go and pay the £100 to collect the parcel and take it from there.

Dave

[Gavyn.]

and they'll be being extra thorough just now with all that terrorists crap. unlucky really i'd guess you'll just have to pay it

[Greetings]

Over here there is something called an anti-dumping tax. It basically stops you from importing goods and selling them at stupidly low prices. If you've got something like that in the UK, it's highly probable that your parcel was subject to that tax, especially that Australia is probably the 2nd cheapest place in the world when it comes to buying biketrials bits. You should also ask the shop you are buying from to deduct the VAT, as it's usually added in the country the goods are imported to. That's only for retailers though and I'm guessing you bought from TrialsHive or some similar place.

[AdamR28]

Over here there is something called an anti-dumping tax.

Same here. And duty, and VAT... all on top of the value of the goods including the shipping cost.

Then Parcel Force clearance fee, usually £13.50.

I've never heard of an appeal against import tax being successful - I once appealed on tax I paid on a King hub that was sent back to me from King under warranty (warranty/non-sales goods are meant to be exempt from import taxes), didn't receive a penny. I'm guessing that on goods that have actually been purchased there's no way you'll get round it.

I think you'll just have to pay it unfortunately, the government always wins!

[Phatmike]

Same here. And duty, and VAT... all on top of the value of the goods including the shipping cost.

Then Parcel Force clearance fee, usually £13.50.

I've never heard of an appeal against import tax being successful - I once appealed on tax I paid on a King hub that was sent back to me from King under warranty (warranty/non-sales goods are meant to be exempt from import taxes), didn't receive a penny. I'm guessing that on goods that have actually been purchased there's no way you'll get round it.

I think you'll just have to pay it unfortunately, the government always wins!

Ad, I think warranty replacements still have to be taxed, it's repairs that aren't. I once had a king hub repaired and sent back to me, (King use Fed-Ex, who invoice you the bill after you've received the item), told Fed-Ex that it was a repair, and didn't hear from them since.

Couple of basic points:

Stuff from within the EU won't get charged.

Stuff under £18 (marked/provable value) won't get charged.

Stuff under £36 when marked as a gift won't get charged.

Usually, most other things will.

Sponge, there's not *that* much you can do, what's the actual value of the items in the parcel, and what was the marked duty value? I take it it was a shop/company that sent them?

Mike.

[AdamR28]

Yeah, that's what I meant sorry, repair... still got charged.

[br3n]

it makes sense, thats how our tax system works and if it didnt, nearly every Uk retailer would go bust from people just buying abroad.

Sucks but then again, you knew the risk when you ordered it all. not such a bargain now though is it.

edit: what would your appeal be anyway "I dont want to pay it, if i wanted to pay that much I would have bought it in the UK anyway" mmm yeh, that'll go down well.

Edited July 5, 2007 by br3n

[andyroo]

it makes sense, thats how our tax system works and if it didnt, nearly every Uk retailer would go bust from people just buying abroad.

No they wouldn't... 99% of stuff sold by retailers is imported anyway, so if we didn't have to pay import tax then neither would they and then they could sell their products cheaper and still keep the same return...

Are you a government spy or something? Or just disagreeable?

[Tony Harrison]

It's simple economics - importing goods must be regulated! Everything would f'ck up, from exchange rates and trade patterns to shops and retailers! Unfortunately it's just not that simple. The production, trade and retailing of goods has to be structured.

I can't help but think some stupid 'civil liberties' ("I should be allowed to bring stuff in from wherever I like") type argument will ensure here.

[andyroo]

I can see what your saying Snappel, but I think the problem lies with the lower limit of the import tax... rather than being as low as £36 for a gift, it should be more like £100, not so much that you could make a business of importing items and undercutting larger sellers, but enough for someone to buy something or recieve a gift without the governement springing up from nowhere like a kid that won't leave you alone saying, "Can I have some?"