Tax implications etc of buying from US...???

[utopia]

There is an engine (not Ducati) on ebay, located in the US, that I'm very tempted with.
It seems very cheap, but I'm not sure whether there would be large tax costs added on for an item from the US.
Any advice please...???

[Saint aka ML]

Well as with anything in US if you try to screw them over they will send the marines :)

Luck is all, get it decleared as none working spares with low value and hope for best, if they sting you it is vat, import duty and that all is based on value with postage.

[gary tompkins]

You will get charged 20% vat by HMRC plus a handling fee from courier, and shipping fees could be expensive due to weight

HMRC guidelines here.. http://www.ukimports.org/taric.html

Taric consultaition (section XVI/chapter 84) gives code of 8407 for intenal combustion, but to get accurate quote you need to know engine cc's

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/taric/taric_consultation.jsp?Lang=en&redirectionDate=20100630&Screen=1 Looks like import duty would be an extra 2.7%

So on an engine costing say £400 including shipping the vat/duty would come to £90.80 + the handling charge

[scrapps]

Agree with GT it is very costly in tax and handling fees. sometimes small goods can be sent as gift's/samples.
We import from the US at my works and over the last few years costs have been very high so trying to find EU suppliers. :nash:

[utopia]

Thanks for that.
The engine is smallish and fairly light, and while it is claimed to turn over, it has no carbs, so I guess its a non-runner. Maybe it would qualify as spares?
Anyway, as a ball park maximum it looks like it could cost an extra 25% or so, plus shipping. Its probably cheap enough to still be a goer at that,
Thats the theory. The practice is that I'm skint anyway, but its been there tempting me for a couple of months now, and my resistance is starting to weaken.
The plan would be to use it to build a special, but I don't have any other parts at all yet, ie this engine would the nucleus. I don't even have any particular plans for it either, though I do have a worrying notion that it might require the building of a frame, which is way beyond my experience, but then nothing ventured.....
I haven't checked the links yet cos that would be being a little more positive about it than I quite dare at this stage.
Hmmmmm.

Thanks anyway.

[He11cat]

Parcel farce also charge a handling fee .. Not much about £12 but pees me off when it's for a ruddy t shirt I had sent over!!
Always get insurance as well .

I looked at bringing over a crash helmet once but after tax insurance handling and parcel farce was crazy ...