VAT baddies!

[user removed 1]

Well, for us peeps who like getting stash from abroad sometimes...

Link here

[cw18]

My hubby's got quite used to seeing customs demands dropping through the door over the last 6 months or so.... and mine have mostly been for rubber stamps for my card making. One to pick up on Saturday, but the one I collected last Saturday was a load of QK dies

[user removed 1]

As long as the value of your order is under £18 you shouldn't be charged (is it the import tax or VAT?) but if they close this loophole we'll have to add 17.5% VAT on any purchase over £7, even for those orders under £18...

[cw18]

Actually, if your package is marked 'merchandise' they're entitled to charge the import duties (which is basically VAT) and the £4 handling fee regardless of the value of your order.

I checked out the couple of sites I place most of my orders from, and if I order lots of little parcels I have to hope they don't get charged as the extra I pay in postage works out about the same as the charges I get at this end on a large parcel. Gave up trying to keep my rubber stamp orders to around $30, and just keep under the $100 mark now, as this is where the company grossly inflates the postage charges!! And one of these big parcels managed to make it through without attracting any attention (heaven knows how as they mail the stamps/stickers/stencils in over-sized boxes with a really bright label showing the logos for all the companies they stock), so I'm still actually slightly better off than ordering 3 or 4 small parcels on that lot

[user removed 1]

You're a woman who does some serious shopping then?
Dare I ask how many stamps you have...

[cw18]

To be totally honest I've been expecting them to totally remove the 'tolerance' level completely, regardless of where the package is sent from. (It was referred to by that name when talking to Customs several years ago). Apparently they've know it was going to be a big issue ever since PCs started to breed in people's homes, and those people were prepared to face longer waits for delivery in order to save money!


And the report doesn't actually say they're reducing it on parcels from everywhere -- although I expect they will

[cw18]

You're a woman who does some serious shopping then?
Dare I ask how many stamps you have...

before last Thursday's TSV (and the package I have to pick up on Saturday) I probably had over 800 !!!

[user removed 1]

They're petitioning to lower it down to £7 for anything sent from a non EU country...
There's a difference between Customs duty (payable on anything over £7) and Import VAT (payable on goods over £18) Customs link here so it's the Import VAT they want down...
Make me think that I've been lucky with non EU deliveries before: most of them were over £7!!!!


*800 HUNDRED?!!??!?!!?!?*

[Roger's Wife]

before last Thursday's TSV (and the package I have to pick up on Saturday) I probably had over 800 !!!

That's a serious number of stamps.

Did some card making with my daughter and her friend and was so mortified when the friend told her mother that I had half a craft shop!

[cw18]

Did some card making with my daughter and her friend and was so mortified when the friend told her mother that I had half a craft shop!

Think I could stock a full shop looking at how much stash I have split between the spare bedroom, the living room and the dining room!!!

[Kat the Cobbler]

The Tesco thing they're talking about is weird though because it's cheaper but you pay postage if you buy from tesco jersey. if you buy from normal tesco you don't pay postage but pay vat. or something like that.

[madav]

Idon't get it. Why are the retailers complaining about the loophole and not the HUGE amount of VAT they/we have to pay in the first place? If VAT wasn't so high (and some people so greedy - why do you think there is a loophole?) it wouldn't be worth taking advantage of this tax dodge anyway......(sorry, off on one again - this government's taxing people out of the country......)

Av

[Bluemoonjules]

sorry, off on one again - this government's taxing people out of the country......

Hmmmmm..... Let's not get into a Political argument here, shall we.....

[madav]

No, not at all , I just couldn't believe they didn't mention VAT itself - just moaned about the dodgers....sorry, entrepreneurs, that were taking advantage of the system. I totally understand that it is the law, it has to be paid and very few are in a position to use these loopholes (it's unfortunate that it's those huge companies that can actually afford the VAT that are doing this) but 17.5% is almost a fifth added on to most of the stuff you buy.......including stash (pity we can't use the no VAT on books argument, however thin....).

So, off the political thing, how can we sneak stash in now....?

Av

[moshchops1]

Oooh oooh! I'm up for ways if getting cheap stash.

Unless we take it in turns to take holidays to the states and take orders for everyone's stash. Holiday to US, get to shop loads AND spend the money on stash. Sounds good to me!