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MyMasterStephen -> RE: Shipping handcuffs overseas (8/15/2013 2:50:43 AM)
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From the HM Revenue & Customs site:
If you order or send purchased goods other than alcohol, tobacco, perfume and toilet water from a country outside the EU then you:
•don't have to pay Excise Duty
•may have to pay Customs Duty on goods with a value that exceeds £135
•will have to pay import VAT on goods with a value that exceeds £15
Note that on all goods from outside the EU, Customs Duty is waived if the amount of duty calculated is £9 or under.
This seems a little odd to me as I frequently order goods from outside the EU, usually in the £50-200 range and, while I have been charged Customs Duty where applicable, I have never been asked to pay any VAT on them. However, them's the official rules.
(Edited to add): If there are any duties and/or fees to pay, HMRC obtains payment from the UK carrier (usually the Royal Mail), who then passes those charges onto the addressee along with an additional handling charge.
Also: It is the RECIPIENT's responsibility to ensure that the customs declaration is correct. If the item description is inaccurate to the point of deception, or if the declared value of the goods is lowered with the intention of avoiding duties and/or fees, then the consequences will fall upon the addressee, not the sender.
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