Customs tax avoidance

[Will Taylor]

Has anyone imported from the states, and successfully avoided getting done over by Customs?

I want to import a boost controller, but I'd be gutted if Customs eradicate the saving by tearing open my package and charging me for the privelage :mad:

Cheers :)

Will

[Rob wastegate]

It will depend on who you buy from and what they write on the package sent

[Lennie]

Ive been sent gifts ;) before, you dont pay any extra for them:thumbs:

[ZXSpectrum]

Or Returns... ;)

[Rob wastegate]

Or get them to write $25.00 value on the package + a message like, hapy birthday or love from Mum

But be careful! Its best to pay the man than get a right royal rollocking

[BanjoMaster]

If this is illegal, how come companies like Taka Kaira can openly advertise their policy of marking down the price of items on the box to avoid tax?

[Rob wastegate]

Because they can say what they like in there own country, but it is illegal to avaoid paying the tax, But i can wright what i like on a box when sending out to an over seas customer, but it is down to them to declare it and for customs to pursue them

[BanjoMaster]

Gotcha.

[Lewis]

IIRC if the goods are second hand / used then you don't pay any import duty on them ( it correct for digital cameras & watches from Hong Kong )

[Will Taylor]

You'd think, but I got burn't on my second hand digital camera from the states :(

Thanks for the advice lads :)

[Daniel san]

Duty and TAX is payable on items over about £28 or something like that, regardless if it's a gift or not, it doesn't matter if it's second hand either.

Taka can declare the value as whatever they like as UK law can't do much about it as we're so slack here and haven't caught up with the net revolution and adjusted any laws to keep on top of these things.

It's well dodgy for a company to do it here though, as you can get a serious bollocking when you're accounts are looked at.

[dobergoose]

Had very different results importing stuff, paid duty on some things and not others, the biggest thing was a crate containing an engine worth 6000 dollars, a set of wheels and slicks worth 1500 dollars and a pile of parts worth 1000 dollars, i had a dummy invoice sent with it and ended up paying 450quid to customs.
The gift thing only works up to 50quid or dollars can't remember but its worth a go although its your luck if the customs guys clicks that the blitz wheels your importing arent worth only 50.
I got shafted on the engine mounts I orderd from japan but not on the clutch that arrived from the same town on the same day in the same van.
The thing to watch for is if you have to pick up the parcel/crate from customs or the docks as the extras they try and add in for handling fees, holding fees and fork lift driver fees is shocking, they seem to make them up as they go along.
This was the crate I got.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid67/pc632de538fdf237f39802be600b32671/fbd8eff0.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid67/p47bb547e11eb7f359e76d6a300a8bf48/fbd8eff6.jpg