Ebay item from France. Import charges?

[nuyorican]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 12 February 2025 at 22:09

[Louis Balfour]

Google “import duty calculator”.

When you pay the tax, say a thank you to those who voted for Brexit.

[Plymo]

IIRC when I've bought stuff from abroad via eBay, it's made it clear that it includes taxes and charges, so there shouldn't be anything to pay - eBay basically collects the VAT on your behalf (as an "online marketplace" they basically have to)
So hopefully there should be nothing to pay - do check your order confirmation though

[davek_964]

I used eBay to buy from America last year and didn't have to pay any extra duty

[anonymous-user]

nuyorican said:

a little extra on my frivolous online purchases is a small price to pay for the greater good of sovereignty and self-determination.

Haha! Good one! Amazingly there are actually clowns out there who genuinely think like this!

[Sway]

Louis Balfour said:

Google “import duty calculator”.

When you pay the tax, say a thank you to those who voted for Brexit.

You'd think having such strident views you'd be aware we have a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU meaning no import duties...

[Louis Balfour]

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Google “import duty calculator”.

When you pay the tax, say a thank you to those who voted for Brexit.

You'd think having such strident views you'd be aware we have a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU meaning no import duties...

What about VAT?

[Sway]

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Google “import duty calculator”.

When you pay the tax, say a thank you to those who voted for Brexit.

You'd think having such strident views you'd be aware we have a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU meaning no import duties...

What about VAT?

Changes applied work within EU too, zero difference due to brexit or not. Destination, not source VAT, is now the thing.

[gotoPzero]

If its via eBay global shipping then what you pay includes shipping and taxes and duties.

If its via any other method the seller so chooses then its likely you will get a bill.

That said, IME, maybe 1 in 4 get through without any charge.

[Louis Balfour]

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Google “import duty calculator”.

When you pay the tax, say a thank you to those who voted for Brexit.

You'd think having such strident views you'd be aware we have a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU meaning no import duties...

What about VAT?

Changes applied work within EU too, zero difference due to brexit or not. Destination, not source VAT, is now the thing.

So if the OP buys something from France and imports it, does he or does he not have to pay UK VAT, and would he have needed to pre-Brexit?

[Sway]

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Google “import duty calculator”.

When you pay the tax, say a thank you to those who voted for Brexit.

You'd think having such strident views you'd be aware we have a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU meaning no import duties...

What about VAT?

Changes applied work within EU too, zero difference due to brexit or not. Destination, not source VAT, is now the thing.

So if the OP buys something from France and imports it, does he or does he not have to pay UK VAT, and would he have needed to pre-Brexit?

He does have to pay UK VAT - and he wouldn't have pre-Brexit.

However, due to the changes across Europe, irrespective of Brexit, if we were in the EU today he'd have to pay UK VAT.

Brexit hasn't changed a single thing in terms of tariffs or VAT when it comes to trade with the EU.

[darreni]

Here you go:

https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-...

[Vasco]

Louis Balfour said:

Google “import duty calculator”.

When you pay the tax, say a thank you to those who voted for Brexit.

You don't give up do you!!. Just get over the fact that Brexit was many years ago and a good number of people are delighted to be out of the EU clutches.

[Louis Balfour]

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Google “import duty calculator”.

When you pay the tax, say a thank you to those who voted for Brexit.

You'd think having such strident views you'd be aware we have a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU meaning no import duties...

What about VAT?

Changes applied work within EU too, zero difference due to brexit or not. Destination, not source VAT, is now the thing.

So if the OP buys something from France and imports it, does he or does he not have to pay UK VAT, and would he have needed to pre-Brexit?

He does have to pay UK VAT - and he wouldn't have pre-Brexit.

However, due to the changes across Europe, irrespective of Brexit, if we were in the EU today he'd have to pay UK VAT.

Have you a link that explains the rules and the background to them? I am not a student of EU VAT rules.

[Mandat]

Louis Balfour said:

When you pay the tax, say a thank you to those who voted for Brexit.

This hasn't aged well.

[Mandat]

Louis Balfour said:

Have you a link that explains the rules and the background to them? I am not a student of EU VAT rules.

Yet you made yourself out to be an expert when you replied to the OP

[Louis Balfour]

Mandat said:

Louis Balfour said:

Have you a link that explains the rules and the background to them? I am not a student of EU VAT rules.

Yet you made yourself out to be an expert when you replied to the OP

Go and have another read.

[Sway]

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Google “import duty calculator”.

When you pay the tax, say a thank you to those who voted for Brexit.

You'd think having such strident views you'd be aware we have a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU meaning no import duties...

What about VAT?

Changes applied work within EU too, zero difference due to brexit or not. Destination, not source VAT, is now the thing.

So if the OP buys something from France and imports it, does he or does he not have to pay UK VAT, and would he have needed to pre-Brexit?

He does have to pay UK VAT - and he wouldn't have pre-Brexit.

However, due to the changes across Europe, irrespective of Brexit, if we were in the EU today he'd have to pay UK VAT.

Have you a link that explains the rules and the background to them? I am not a student of EU VAT rules.

https://sovos.com/blog/vat/understanding-vat-between-european-countries/

[Louis Balfour]

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Sway said:

Louis Balfour said:

Google “import duty calculator”.

When you pay the tax, say a thank you to those who voted for Brexit.

You'd think having such strident views you'd be aware we have a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU meaning no import duties...

What about VAT?

Changes applied work within EU too, zero difference due to brexit or not. Destination, not source VAT, is now the thing.

So if the OP buys something from France and imports it, does he or does he not have to pay UK VAT, and would he have needed to pre-Brexit?

He does have to pay UK VAT - and he wouldn't have pre-Brexit.

However, due to the changes across Europe, irrespective of Brexit, if we were in the EU today he'd have to pay UK VAT.

Have you a link that explains the rules and the background to them? I am not a student of EU VAT rules.

https://sovos.com/blog/vat/understanding-vat-between-european-countries/

Thank you for that, I'll take a closer look at it when I have time.

To use a practical example however. I bought some shoes from a Spanish company and was charged UK VAT when they arrived, on top of the advertised price. The price advertised was not a +VAT price.

So I paid VAT twice. According to what you have said, I should only have paid it once.

[Sway]

Louis Balfour said:

Thank you for that, I'll take a closer look at it when I have time.

To use a practical example however. I bought some shoes from a Spanish company and was charged UK VAT when they arrived, on top of the advertised price. The price advertised was not a +VAT price.

So I paid VAT twice. According to what you have said, I should only have paid it once.

Yes, you should. The issue is the same in the EU - you should only pay 'destination VAT', however that relies on the vendor being capable and setup to enable that, not charging 'source VAT'.

You've never been required to pay Source VAT if buying from overseas (it was enabled historically in the EU, rather than pay destination VAT, but that changed as it was being abused) - hence why all the airports have 'VAT reclaim' counters for those travelling (and it's the responsibility of the traveller about whether they are going to go through the 'red lane' to pay UK VAT on entry... ).

For mail order, the consumer needs to be aware, and willing to discuss with the vendor to enable (they have a fairly simple form to complete to justify why they have made a sale exempt from VAT, essentially just documenting the address and details of the purchaser to show why if challenged by their local tax authority).