Recaro

buy an american dvd player and get it delivered here?? I'm after a portable DVD player with screen and found one for a reasonable price on an american website. Over here it sells for alot more. The website will send it here. Would I have to pay import tax? any ideas about this? I know it would just play american dvds, but will this be the only problem.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

You'll need a step down power converter to charge it up (they're about £20), but other than that I don't see any problem in using it

As for paying import tax, the only way you'd avoid it is to get them to put a lower value on the customs label/mark it as a gift.

Matt

HHxx

Additional idea is to get them to re-package the goods into a more plain looking box that doesn't say "blah... DVD" on it. Tell them to open the manuals and make it look like it has been used before. Final thing is to get the invoice/statement sent seperately.

H

Recaro

how much is import tax??

ids

Other way is to get them to put "Repaired goods" - always works

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Import tax = VAT

Hence why it would be very good to avoid it otherwise you may find it's not quite the bargin you thought it would be.

Matt

Silent Monkey

Import tax = VAT only applies to certain goods that have a zero rate of customs duty, it also depends how they are described and how that description is interpreted against the Integrated Tariff.

Two recent real examples from the US:
Customs description: Laptop
Declared value: £316.50 (approx conversion)
Import duty = 0
VAT payable = £55.36
Carriers clearance fee = £5.25
Total payable = £60.61

Customs description: TFT LCD screen
Declared value: £56 (approx conversion0
Import duty = £1.47
VAT payable = £9.78
Carriers clearance fee = £1.20
Total payable = £12.45

Only a small percentage duty in this case but some items have relatively large percentages, you can buy a copy of the Integrated Tariff for around £200 if you want to check a particular item.

A description of Gift only means there is a limit below which no duty is charged, IIRC its currently £36. Secondhand goods still attract the same duty & VAT charges although obviously the value will be lower.

As for "Repaired Goods" you can still be liable for VAT & Duty unless you have documentary evidence of it being exported for repair, I know of a couple of companies who have been hit big time with this, got away with it for a while but then were subjected to "close scrutiny".

As with anything you may get away with not paying any duty on the odd, or even many, occasions but shouldn't rely on it. You'll also probably find it difficult to persuade a reputable company to knowingly make a false customs declaration, it's not worth it to them to risk being investigated by US customs.

alistair

I've got a US DVD player (Sony FX1) and the power supply works fine - it is a universal 100-250V input or something like that. All I did was chop of the US plug and put on a UK one.

As well as Region 1 it is also NTSC so if you want to output to a TV you need one that can take NTSC input. Most newer ones do, but you may want to check.

No problems with it though and I've never been charged any duty or VAT on discs. I bought the player in the US so didn't have any import problems with it.