Customs charges - anyone know anything about how much an item shipped from Europe will cost?

[TerminallyConfused]

Hello!

Just wondered if anyone could help me with something as the Gov.uk website is shockingly useless.

I’m thinking of buying two pendant lights from abroad. Vintage, Germany 1970s. Can’t find anything else like them, nor can I find an alternative option that I actually like. £500 each so really expensive (I know, terrible). Postage and packaging not cheap either.

Anyway, does anyone know how much this is likely to cost me in customs charges? If it gets past a certain threshold, I will likely walk away (with a heavy heart).

Fuck Brexit really, what a bunch of twats that cooked that up….

TY! xx

I think there will be VAT and Customs Duty . See link and there is a phone number https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty. If they answer the phone

If they were manufactured in Germany there will not be any import duty to pay (due to our "oven ready" FTA with the EU 😂). If the value is less then £135, then the seller should charge you UK VAT and there should be nothing extra to pay - however obviously most overseas sellers have not bothered to register with HMRC and don't do this (and why the hell should they?). For value over £135 then you will be charged VAT by the courier/postal service.

In reality its a complete crap shoot - you may pay nothing, you may get hit with VAT only, you may get hit with VAT + import duty (even if the item is duty exempt), the courier may charge you a "handling fee", you may just get charged a random amount by HMRC with no explanation, your item may just sit in a customs for the next 6 weeks.

And yes, it has massively affected my business.

In reality its a complete crap shoot - you may pay nothing, you may get hit with VAT only, you may get hit with VAT + import duty (even if the item is duty exempt), the courier may charge you a "handling fee", you may just get charged a random amount by HMRC with no explanation, your item may just sit in a customs for the next 6 weeks.

This is what I’m thinking! It could end up being very random.

Sorry your business has been affected by all this nonsense. I know Brexit can’t be reversed but I’m hoping sense will prevail in the next couple of years and we‘ll be back in the Customs Union, and possibly the Single Market before long.

God I’m so glad my partner is an EU citizen and so our baby, due next month, will get his EU passport too.