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Thread: Import Duty

  1. #11
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,786
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    I think duty on hi-fi is 20% and then you've got VAT at 20% and you pay VAT on the freight charges too. Can all get a bit frisky if you don't take it into account when buying from outside Europe.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  2. #12
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    I'd just taken delivery of this cartridge loading plugs kit (and an LP I bought) from the same company in the States: https://store.acousticsounds.com/d/6...le_Accessories

    The total was just under $60... It arrived within 4 days, delivered straight to my door by Fed-Ex, and I paid bugger all import duty or taxes.

    I'm expecting a rather different story though when the $1300 MC cartridge and SUT I've bought from Japan arrives!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  3. #13
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Notts

    Posts: 2,743
    I'm Geoff.

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    Spme vendors undervalue goods to promote sales. Chinese vendors have even offered to do this for me as a sales incentive.

  4. #14
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,786
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    What commodity code did they use though? Some things are exempt from duty and some from VAT.

    Or although it is a US company it might have actually shipped from within the EU.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  5. #15
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Commodity code? No idea, mate. I'm pretty sure the items came directly from the States, as all the communication I received came directly from their office in Kansas.

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  6. #16
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,786
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Commodity code? No idea, mate. I'm pretty sure the items came directly from the States, as all the communication I received came directly from their office in Kansas.

    Marco.
    Yes more of a rhetorical question really. The commodity code should match the description of the goods on the commercial invoice, that's how they calculate the charge. If it doesn't match then they will either check or change it to the right code. Obviously, otherwise you could use the wrong code in an attempt to avoid the taxes.

    But you can't have a code for every individual item under the sun so sometimes it is debatable as to what code it should be charged under. That can cause a lot of issues if someone thinks they have been charged too much when the code gets changed on clearance as someone decided it was not suitable for the goods. It gets complex.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  7. #17
    Join Date: Mar 2014

    Location: KY - Scotland

    Posts: 5,465
    I'm Mike.

    Default Import Duty

    Bills for imports can arrive days/weeks later.

    The limit is now only £15 on new goods and expect to pay around 30% plus collection fee over your initial outlay.

    £100 item plus £10 postage would work out like this:

    Import duty of 5% - £5 so now you’re at £105, add the postage to that, £115 now, then add 20% VAT to £115, now your at £138.00, now add the collection fee which varies depending on which courier/postage company used but on items like this example you’re looking at around £8-£12, so your £110 initial buy has now hit £146.00, which is why I usually estimate for about 30% added to anything you import from outside the EU.

    These figures are all approx of course.

  8. #18
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Yes more of a rhetorical question really. The commodity code should match the description of the goods on the commercial invoice, that's how they calculate the charge. If it doesn't match then they will either check or change it to the right code. Obviously, otherwise you could use the wrong code in an attempt to avoid the taxes.

    But you can't have a code for every individual item under the sun so sometimes it is debatable as to what code it should be charged under. That can cause a lot of issues if someone thinks they have been charged too much when the code gets changed on clearance as someone decided it was not suitable for the goods. It gets complex.
    Yeah sure, the whole process has always been somewhat 'hit or miss'. I do agree though, that often the best way of avoiding getting stung for import duty is to opt for shipping via 'snail mail', as, IME, that often does result in things slipping through 'the system'.

    However, the corollary of that is that you lack the protection/piece of mind of a speedy, insured and trackable service, and so often whether your item(s) get there or not is in the lap of the gods, and if it does, it will not happen quickly, versus the former, where you get the complete opposite, but which will almost certainly 'trigger the system' and thus attract the associated charges.

    I guess it depends on what you've bought. It might not matter so much if it's something small and fairly inexpensive, but if it's the opposite then that's a different kettle of fish... Personally I'd always opt for the speedily expedited, fully insured and trackable service, if it was something that was really important, and gladly pay the charges accordingly!

    There are times in life when penny pinching is almost certainly going to be a false economy....

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  9. #19
    Join Date: Apr 2011

    Location: London

    Posts: 4,419
    I'm Robert.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    I think duty on hi-fi is 20% and then you've got VAT at 20% and you pay VAT on the freight charges too. Can all get a bit frisky if you don't take it into account when buying from outside Europe.
    Yep
    My System:
    Amplification - Sansui AU-alpha 707 DR
    Turntable - Technics SP10 MK2-Technics EPA-250 Tonearm-Yannis Tome 423.5Plus tonearm cable-Eichmann KLEI Absolute Harmony plugs.
    Ortofon Cadenza Black moving coil cartridge-Fritz Gyger S re-tip. Panzerholz plinth.

    CDP - Pioneer PD-91
    Speakers - Spendor D7 on Soundcare SuperSpikes
    QED Silver Spiral speaker cable-airloc banana plugs
    Mains - Ultra Pure silver plated un-switched socket-Missing link EPS 500 silver plated plugs-Hi-Fi Tuning gold plated silver ceramic 13 amp fuses

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