EU Customs

[Tifosi]

Is customs tax eligible on goods bought above £18 (online/mail order) in the EU?

I've never purchased anything above the Customs threshold from the EU before.

[MD]

no, any purchase within EU borders is fine, except for cigarettes and alcohol.

m@

[silent ben]

And all electronics should work seeing as all power units are rated between 110v-240v. Isn't living in a economic union great

[Garion]

Import Duty regulations are available on the customs and excise website... you can search by item type i believe... was very useful when i bought my camera from hong kong a year ago...

[Rave]

no, any purchase within EU borders is fine, except for cigarettes and alcohol.

That's fine too.

[Swafe]

Hence dodgy cheap spanish imported fags

[MD]

no it ain't, people getting cheap fags posted from europe have been getting them siezed and are having duty levied on them of late...going and getting them yourself is fine tho...

m@

[Knoxville]

if there's 200 or fewer cigarette's in the package they can't seize them can they?

[MD]

no thats fine, but anymore and they feasibly can.

m@

[Tifosi]

cool, im after a GPS unit and it ships from somewhere in the EU for less than the UK if theres no chance of customs.

[jimborae]

no thats fine, but anymore and they feasibly can.

m@

Technically Customs are in breach of EU Regulations if they do, still doesn't stop the buggers though.

[Rave]

no it ain't, people getting cheap fags posted from europe have been getting them siezed and are having duty levied on them of late...going and getting them yourself is fine tho...

m@

Oh I see, I didn't realise you were referring to people actually getting fags posted over as opposed to going abroad and buying them. As jimborae says I'm pretty sure they have no legal right to charge duty on them since duty has already been paid on them in the EU....but having no legal right didn't stop them seizing a load of people's cars a few years ago.

[Trippledence]

If you go over there, fit it to your car and then drive back they'l never know.

[jimborae]

i think it depends whether it is for 'personal use' or not

more than a thousand fags can be seen as taking the piss

Correct, but there is no legal definition of what personal use is. Customs & Excise have been pulled up on this more than a few times for their over zealous attitude. I can easily claim that I'm buying my next two years supply fags & they can't prove otherwise. However Customs act in breach of the Human Rights act by making you prove that they are for personal consumption rather than them proving that its not. And also putting you under duress by threating to confiscate your vehicle which has also been found to be disproportionate to the alleged crime.