From Hong Kong to UK [eBay question]
Posted 07/06/2010 - 09:27 - Helpful Comment
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You would have to pay VAT (17.5%) & Import (Excise) Duty. The Duty depends on the country it comes from and what it is - I think there isn't any on cameras from HK/China.
You might be lucky and end-up paying no tax if Customs miss the box, but you cannot rely on this. Some dealers like Onestop will refund any taxes, but they don't sell Pentax DSLR's.
So you will end-up paying £394.99 * 1.175 = £462.95 - and if anything goes wrong, you have to ship it back to HK. But...you can buy the same thing from SRS for £409.00 - which includes a full, 2 year, UK Warrantee! - so you would be completly mad to buy this from outside the UK at present. Even if you avoided any tax, you'd only save £15.01 and lose the local service and support!
However exchange rates, prices, and taxes may vary between now and when you come to Edinburgh. Best to check again at that point.
You might be lucky and end-up paying no tax if Customs miss the box, but you cannot rely on this. Some dealers like Onestop will refund any taxes, but they don't sell Pentax DSLR's.
So you will end-up paying £394.99 * 1.175 = £462.95 - and if anything goes wrong, you have to ship it back to HK. But...you can buy the same thing from SRS for £409.00 - which includes a full, 2 year, UK Warrantee! - so you would be completly mad to buy this from outside the UK at present. Even if you avoided any tax, you'd only save £15.01 and lose the local service and support!
However exchange rates, prices, and taxes may vary between now and when you come to Edinburgh. Best to check again at that point.
Still shooting in the dark (literally and metaphorically)...
Posted 07/06/2010 - 09:48
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I think you would pay Customs duty on an item of this value from HK. Another thing to consider is the handing charge companies like UPS, Royal Mail and TNT impose for them to pay the VAT etc. when the package arrives in the UK
Barrie - Too Old To Die Young
https://pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/barrieforbes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/189482630@N03/
https://pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/barrieforbes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/189482630@N03/
Posted 07/06/2010 - 09:53
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Thanks, especially for that link flossie!
Posted 07/06/2010 - 10:23
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Better by far to ask HMRC exactly what the situation is, you'll find they 'know' the answer rather than 'think' they do.
Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -
Posted 07/06/2010 - 10:44
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gartmore wrote:
Better by far to ask HMRC exactly what the situation is, you'll find they 'know' the answer rather than 'think' they do.
You've obviously not had the joy of dealing with HMRC enough then - ask them the same question twice you'll get 3 difference answers. And then the two offices will argue with each other - but you still lose either way... anyway, back to imports, because I had to deal with this for something completely unrelated recently I know that all the information is online :Better by far to ask HMRC exactly what the situation is, you'll find they 'know' the answer rather than 'think' they do.
It is, however, deeply boring. Go here. Finding the right Commodity Code is the hard bit - 8525 80 30 00 looks the most likely, and it has 0% Duty. Interestingly, 9006 51 00 00 (35mm film SLR) has 4.20%
Still shooting in the dark (literally and metaphorically)...
Posted 07/06/2010 - 11:06
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And don't forget that VAT is payable on "landed cost" - the price you paid for the camera plus any shipping and handling fees plus the duty (if any).
G
G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
Posted 07/06/2010 - 11:33
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And has to be paid BEFORE the camera will be delivered to you.
let the education continue
proud owner of a couple of cameras and a few bits and bobs
proud owner of a couple of cameras and a few bits and bobs
Posted 07/06/2010 - 11:52
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And don't forget Parcel Force's £12.50 handling charge
Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -
Posted 07/06/2010 - 13:21
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Thanks again - I think I'll just buy it locally or online (within the UK)
Posted 07/06/2010 - 13:43
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I think you will be much safer with that , not to mention the fact that if you buy from a retailer you will have no warranty problems [' grey' imports can bring problems .
let the education continue
proud owner of a couple of cameras and a few bits and bobs
proud owner of a couple of cameras and a few bits and bobs
Posted 07/06/2010 - 13:44
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Good move. SRS's price is really very keen when you consider how much commission they have to pay to us.
G
G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
Posted 07/06/2010 - 23:50
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I wouldn't buy something big from HK for that very reason. My K-m came from Binoculars UK, it arrived the next morning before the main post so I'd happily go back to them.
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Posted 08/06/2010 - 19:48
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If you import any item from outside the EU that has a value of over approx 18 GBP, OR over approx 36 GBP (if marked as 'gift') a very good rule of thumb is to add about 23% to the item value. The total you get will not be far wrong. Be wary of items sent via UPS or Fedex, as they often charge huge fees when they knock on your door for paying the import taxes on your behalf.
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3 posts
16 years
I'm moving to Edinburgh this fall and I'm thinking about purchasing a Pentax Kx kit to photograph my stay there.
Can anyone tell me, since I'm not familiar with UK tax calculations, what this package will costs upon arriving in UK ?
This one for an example:
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