Amzon and VAT

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janner

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Title should say Amazon.

I've just ordered this Gopro camera.
The email confirmation says no VAT. Will I be charged extra when it arrives?
 
Having had a look at the advert, the seller looks small time. So he's probably just starting out and not vat registered yet.

I wouldn't be concerned, you pay the price you get the item.
 
If you look at the seller Frog shop UK feed back there is this slightly worrying comment :- 3 out of 5: "Product was fine and as described, problem was with the extra $22 I had to pay for the couriers to deliver the parcel due to overseas tax. I'd have like to have known this beforehand"
Date: 26 August 2011 Rated by Buyer: Mr H.

Another thing you should be aware of buying from Amazon marketplace as opposed to AMAZON directly is that in the event of a problem/non delivery with the item from a third party seller your credit card company will not want to know since your card "transaction" with Amazon went through correctly as far as they are concerned- the desputee is technically Amazon NOT YOU since they pay the seller. Handy get out for the card company that one.
 
What bothers me slightly is frogshopUK is based in the US. Still, I bought through Amazon.co.uk, didn't I?
I'm confused :dk:

Edit. Buying the same item from the same seller through Amazon Marketplace brings the price down to £175 but I didn't choose this because I knew I would have to pay VAT + duty.

Really confused.
 
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Email the seller and ask where the item ships from and what the duty deal is.

I find it odd someone was charged import duty in US $ - it would be levied by HMRC on the courier firm in the UK in Sterling.
 
What bothers me slightly is frogshopUK is based in the US. Still, I bought through Amazon.co.uk, didn't I?
I'm confused :dk:

Edit. Buying the same item from the same seller through Amazon Marketplace brings the price down to £175 but I didn't choose this because I knew I would have to pay VAT + duty.

Really confused.

I would ask Amazon UK for clarification. You may still be protected by Amazons A to Z guarantee Amazon.co.uk Help: A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee Protection

and

If you purchase goods through the Internet you should be aware that Customs duty and VAT will be payable, as follows:

Customs duty - if the amount of duty is £7 and over and
Import VAT - if the value of the goods is £18 and over.
Please see Notice 143, paragraph 3.3 for more details.

Customs duty is not payable on goods bought from countries within the EU. However, VAT is payable (if due) either in the EU country of purchase, or in the UK if the EU supplier is UK VAT registered. But, special rules apply to excise goods ie cigarettes, tobacco alcohol etc and these are explained separately.

The duty-free allowances for travellers arriving from outside the EU do not apply to postal importations and commercial goods may have other conditions applied, including the need for a full C88 Customs Import entry (see Notice 143).

Note: Some unscrupulous overseas suppliers openly advertise on the internet, or on their web-sites that they will deliberately either misdescribe items or underdeclare their value in order to evade customs charges that are legally due on importation. You should be aware that although the foreign sender may have completed the customs declaration form on the parcel you are regarded (in law) as the importer of the goods and responsible for the information on the declaration, and any customs charges that may be due. This means that if you purchase goods from these suppliers and the declaration is found to be false or misleading you may be liable to financial penalties or criminal prosecution. Furthermore the goods themselves will be liable to forfeiture. It is in your own interests to ensure Customs declarations are completed properly.

HM Revenue & Customs: Customs procedures for goods posted to the UK

Evidently Courier companies are much hotter at this than the post office and the extra charges levied in $US may reflect this???
 
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The item is currently in the UK and will be shipped by Amazon but the seller is in the USA.
I can't figure it out so I've sent an e-mail to Amazon.
 
I deal with Amazon on an almost weekly basis due to my 'special' circumstances. After following the link I can tell you that you will not be liable for customs charges as Amazon UK will ship it to you. This is a benefit for overseas sellers who enter agreements with Amazon, and of course buyers who can get a great deal.
Your invoice is tax free as you are still (indirectly) paying someone in the USA and we don't have to pay their taxes.
Hope this helps.
 
I got this back from Amazon...
Thank you for contacting Amazon.co.uk

I have checked our records and found that you will be charge only 208.95 and no vat will charge for this item "GoPro HD Motorsports HERO".

I see that you placed this order with 'frogshopUK' and that it was labelled ‘Fulfilled by Amazon’.

We would advise you to contact the seller for the VAT information that you are seeking.


I have asked the seller but it would seem that Beastlee is correct and I'll get a Gopro at a bargain price :D
I'm still not sure how Amazon UK can sell items from America without charging VAT? I guess they have good tax lawyers?
I just hope I don't get a VAT demand at some point in the future.
 
It's just like buying from them an 'Indigo Starfish' supplying the goods from Jersey, you don't get charged VAT and there's nothing for HMRC to reclaim from you as you aren't the importer.
 
Your invoice is tax free as you are still (indirectly) paying someone in the USA and we don't have to pay their taxes.
Hope this helps.

That shouldn't be legal. The term 'triangular trading' used to be used. Service delivered from A to B in UK. B pays C outside UK. C pays A. Hence the triangle. And potential VAT problem.
 
eBay has hundreds of vendors selling cameras in the UK and not charging VAT. Many have feedback in their thousands. Lots of them ship from the UK

I don't understand it either - but i would have expected HMRC to shut some of them down if it were illegal

Nick Froome
 
I just don't get this. I import shipping containers of product and it simply isn't released by HMRC until the vat and duty is paid.

How on earth do you get around that?

Is it made in the EU, shipped to the UK (vat free) but invoiced from the USA?
 
It's just like buying from them an 'Indigo Starfish' supplying the goods from Jersey, you don't get charged VAT and there's nothing for HMRC to reclaim from you as you aren't the importer.

Amazon only use them for CDs and small value items that are then VAT free from Jersey. That doesn't apply to cameras.

My concern is that it's shipped from the US to, say, Jersey and then to me via Amazon with me stuck paying the VAT at a later date.
 
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The price in the link has gone up from £208 to £225. Wierd.
 
you buy an item from amazon.co.uk... thats where your contract lies. don't worry about taxes etc... the price is you pay is the price quoted. I wouldn't bother making queries about it; it's their hassle. rest assured they're making enough money off you :)
 
The price in the link has gone up from £208 to £225. Wierd.

amazon and their sellers seem to do this a lot. an item starts selling; they bump up the price... item not selling; they reduce it ;-)
maybe it also has to do with their cost price from where they are sourcing it?....
 
Just to close this thread off, the Gopro arrived with no VAT to pay.
Still not sure how they do it but that's not my problem. :thumb:
 
RESULT :thumb: My guess they got it wrong and the "new price" now reflects the extra tax component.
 

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