US import duty / tax

I don't think anyone has issues with paying it, the point of this thread is that it isn't clear what you will be charged.

Will there be duty and at what rate?
Do all imports attract 20% VAT?
Will ParcelForce add £50 just to do their job?

Thanks all.

I managed go source all the bits separately from EU suppliers in the end, which worked out a couple of hundred quid cheaper all in (given the estimated taxes etc).

It involved a costing spreadsheet: fun times!

Wait .. its not funded by the 8pm clapping?!

The receipts from import duty wouldn't put dent in nhs budget
The real source is income tax and NI and VAT.

yes, you're right. but in declaring a lower value for imports you also recieve a lower VAT bill. So it comes to the same thing, and I really have a problem with it. very few bike imports are essential, on the whole they're luxury goods, so imo the taxes and duties shouldn't be avoided. I am fully aware it goes towards funding some horiffic things (nuclear weapons, prisons, Boris Johnson's salary for example) BUT it does fund some good, and a welfare state can't exist without it. on a forum that so readily sings the praises and necessity of services provided by the state, that tax avoidance is so readily discussed and encouraged I find shameful.

if you really can't afford to pay it, or really hate the state then that's your call and what you do with your money is your call. and yeah, the fifty quid you might pay importing a frame from the US isn't going to pay off the national debt. but at least the two things should be connected so you can make that decision yourself.

(obviously the 'you' is a general 'you', not directed at anyone in particular)

I hope so.

http://www.importcalculator.com/

Also, I recently used https://www.bikeflights.com/ to import a bike from the US and, though not the fastest option, you pay all the taxes and duties upfront (in fact they'll be included in the quote) so you won't be charged a handling fee for fronting the duty/vat bill. It works out cheaper and as far as I can tell they're a decent company. Fully reccomend for frames / bikes from the USA.

*Fresh off the press *

Looks like Royal Mail now has time to intercept Chinese parcels and charge as they please...

That's for a £50 Ti seatpost I bought from AliExpress.

VAT = £3.10
Handling Fee = £8

1 Attachment

I mean that is odd. a £50 bike part should be subject to 20% VAT plus 4.7% duty. The parcelforce fee is obviously obscenely high for the cost of fronting the £3.10 but it looks like you got away lightly for the rest of it.

That's what I mean - they are all doing a half arsed job with customs.

IMO - As long as they get a juicy handling fee from themselves, then that's the important part

I'm sure you're correct

All I ask for is consistency :-)

right... just bought a bike from the US, the cost was $3,149.... import duties were £1,054.82‬

ouch tbf (but expected)

thread dredge. anyone clued up on the latest rules for importing a frameset from the states. it seems like 15% import duty but also VAT... anyone done this recently?

I paid around this figure for my Lynskey last December.

Frameset was close to £1k, fees were nearly £300

How have I not found this thread earlier!

Here goes:
Add together the cost of the purchase and all the shipping costs to find the ‘value’.
‘Value’ up to £135 —> no duty, go straight to VAT
If over £135 then calculate for duty too
Duty on bike parts is 4.7%
Duty on a complete bike is 20%..
Add the Duty to the ‘value’ to find the amount upon which the VAT is due.
VAT is 20% of that value...
Add about £13.50 for parcelforce handling and deferment etc..

Typically about 25% for frames and parts

thanks @boydsbikes for dropping the knowledge.

so a f&f would be a bike part right? so 4.7%?

correct

Be prepared for a long wait, there's massive backlogs of stuff from what I can gather.

I recently got a bike part from the USA that took over 9 weeks to get here.

Still waiting for a saddle from Spain that is now 7 weeks and counting.

Shit! That's the last thing I wanted to hear. I ordered a straggler frame this morning... I was taken in by the 'ships in 2 days'

Parcels will still be quick (ie about a week for FedEx UPS DHL..etc).
USPS is still slow but it’s all getting better now..

Fingers crossed I see it soonish. There was none in Europe so had to do it! I'll keep you all posted. I know you're all very, very interested

They could learn a thing or two from Lance

I checked with ISON when I saw your wanted but they were sold out...

I had something take 5 weeks from shipping to arrived via USPS/RM
(Poster tube)
Was sitting in LAX for 4.5 of those weeks on the tracking.
Depending on service used, it may be quicker.
Priority mail was only disrupted by a few days, but cheaper services are parked pending a gap in the plane (paraphrasing, not an expert)

A question.

If I ship something back to the U.K., that was purchased in the U.K. and has already had VAT paid on the goods, I'm still gonna have to pay VAT, right?

What about if it was taken as sports equipment on a flight - I shouldn't have to declare it, right? It originated and was paid for in the U.K.