Sooner or later you get caught. I thought that I had a great scam worked out, buy an article on the internet from the US and get it shipped by UPS to me. Great door to door service sign on the funny upside down screen with the electronic pen and Bob’s your aunties plumber!
Well if only life was so easy, VAT has to be paid of course on imports, now with the $US doing so poorly at the moment it is worth doing a bit of pricerunning to see whats what where, so I figured out the price and even if I got caught and how could I, with my foolproof scheme I’d still be quids in. So I clicked and clicked and 4 days later the big brown van appeared and my new camera in it in a brown box. Result.
No mention of VAT, or import duty. I opened up and still no papers relating to VAT and import duty and the days went on and my smile got bigger, YES! the scheme worked, I started telling people and showing off the flashy camera, people were impressed, dollar signs started clicking into their eyes also, I got enquiries, what website, how much did you save, etc. etc., I willingly parted with the knowledge thinking how had this scheme not been thought of before and how clever I was.
2 weeks later, a letter arrives with a bill for VAT and duty, my UPS friends had done me the favour of importing my camera and paying the VAT. Of course they had the taxman always wins. How clever was I then. My smile inverted rapidly, I had to ring frantically to all and sundry to try to stop their clicking and clicking, fortunately they had been more cautious than me.
I still saved a few Euros, thanks to the cheapness of the deal in the US and the dollar rate.
Recent Comments