advertisement


Importing from Japan anyone?

ncp

pfm Member
Hi everyone,
does anyone have any experience of customs charges from Japan (specifically photographic eqpt) - I don't fine the website I tried very helpful...
Thx
Neil
 
It’s pretty random, though the last few things I’ve ordered (an MP-500 stylus, some records and some books) have all just been handed to my by the postman with no charge! I have a feeling the combination of the ongoing Brexit catastrophe and covid 19 has wiped a lot of customs functionality out temporarily, but I’d not bank on it.
 
Purchases on Ebay from Japan now include UK VAT in the bid. That means a couple of things I've ordered recently have again been handed to me by the postman free of VAT, charges or duties. If buying from a shop you should check if they are GB VAT registered (the arrogance of putting that burden on every company in the rest of the world. We really do have a false superiority complex. Grrrrrrr) and check the UK Japan duty rules. I think they kick in at a certain value of about £150.
 
Import costs, carriage costs apart, are ABSOLUTELY EXACTLY the same from anywhere in the world. They do not change because the charges are the ones levied by HMCE, NOT by the exporting contry.
Charges are VAT, plus a small % duty, plus a handling charge. On items to something like £200 the total is around 30% of ALL payments made abroad - the variation in the % is due to the handling charge - huge % for cheap items, very little for expensive ones - actually around £10 irrespective of what or value of the import. There is no longer any tax-free allowance - everything imported, in theory, gets taxed somewhere.

I import stuff a few times a year and about 30% get missed by UK customs.

UK laws are now pretty much inline with most western countries - the great majority insist on foreign businesses levying their VAT in the foreign country.
If a business seller abroad is not registered for UK VAT, you are likely to get charged VAT twice - once in each country, or the item may be sent back to the sender.
 
I've had quite a bit of stuff sent from Japan over the years. As above, it's a bit random and bank on ~30% charge if you get hit. One thing to note - and this is just my subjective take - is that items sent using regular or economy airmail are assessed for customs far less often than the Express EMS service, so I'd chose these shipping methods if possible. Also to note, despite Japan being a very straight country usually, I've found that a couple of regular vendors I use have a habit of writing a nominal value on the customs declaration form, irrespective of the actual value of the contents - these are small businesses that seem to do a fair bit of overseas business, I can only assume that they've worked out this is good for attracting repeat custom!
 
I've found that a couple of regular vendors I use have a habit of writing a nominal value on the customs declaration form, irrespective of the actual value of the contents

Great until something gets crushed in transit................................
 
Also to note, despite Japan being a very straight country usually, I've found that a couple of regular vendors I use have a habit of writing a nominal value on the customs declaration form, irrespective of the actual value of the contents - these are small businesses that seem to do a fair bit of overseas business, I can only assume that they've worked out this is good for attracting repeat custom!

I suspect it is also a way they can avoid all the new bullshit about collecting tax and all the paperwork it entails. Far easier to just write $5 in the customs value. Even if a couple of things go missing and need to be refunded it likely works out way cheaper than having to do the paperwork on everything. I know a lot of foreign businesses are now blacklisting the UK as they just can’t be arsed doing the UK government’s work for them. There just isn’t enough profit for the hassle.
 
I know a lot of foreign businesses are now blacklisting the UK as they just can’t be arsed doing the UK government’s work for them. There just isn’t enough profit for the hassle.

They'll be blacklisting one hell of a lot of counties then, as the system is all but universal, unless you are within a free trade area - something like the EU - remember that? EU countries operate the very same system, introduced very shortly after the UK introduced it but originally scheduled for earlier.
 

Here’s the view of one seller (there’s a bit of a rant about other stuff at the start, but he gets to it around 5 minutes in), and I know of many others. I suspect a lot of smaller sellers will just declare a nominal value on relatively low value stuff like records etc and write-off any losses.
 
One day this crap will sink in here, although it has come up here SO often that maybe it won't, or perhaps take eons to do so - the UK is NO DIFFERENT to the great majority of the rest of the world - want to sell into the EU as a trader - get registered to collect EU taxes. Want to do the same into the US? Do the same to collect US taxes. Want to sell into the UK? Register to collect UK taxes.

THE UK IS NO DIFFERENT to a huge section of the world except within free trade areas. It really is THAT simple.

Non-trade sales and small beer transactions will fall under the radar, but otherwise........................................
 
Again, watch the video, it is from a business owner who ships stuff globally. It is not the fact there is tax, it is who collects it.

PS To underscore this point up until now whenever you buy something from the USA, Japan or wherever (these are obviously non-EU) you buy it, then the UK customs collects tax and a handling charge upon arrival to the UK. This has recently changed, and as as pointed out by the seller above is a ‘you thing’, it is absolutely not his job to charge and process a foreign country’s taxation for them.
 
Read my previous post, digest and understand.

THE UK IS NO DIFFERENT IN REQUIRING ITS TAXES BEING COLLECTED ABROAD, BY THE FOREIGN SELLER.

This has all happened in the past 12 months or so. It is all part of avoiding money laundering and tax evasion.

One day this crap will sink in here
 
Thanks everyone! As usual a mine of useful info and guidance from this gem of a community!
Neil
 
What about relatively low value items like LPs from Japan. I get the VAT bit but do the Post Office charge a handling fee? Around three years ago I got stung for around £7 handling by the PO for some new records from Australia
 
What about relatively low value items like LPs from Japan. I get the VAT bit but do the Post Office charge a handling fee? Around three years ago I got stung for around £7 handling by the PO for some new records from Australia

As above in numerous posts. That said, you have answered your own question.

NOTE differences between trade and private sales/imports from abroad.

Despite the impression above, I am repeating/have only repeated what has been posted on PFM by at least one trader who sells internationally - in the one case that I remember, motorcycle parts business.
 
Last edited:


advertisement


Back
Top