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.
Back when I was a Cadet and friend of my father offered to give me $1000 per Rolex that I smuggled back from Europe… problem was that each watch cost (if my memory serves) $15,000 and he wanted 5 of them. I just didn’t feel comfortable carrying $75,000 in cash for 3 months!
Yes, you can beat the taxman! You should have sent it to your parents and then they could have forwarded it to you! How is the rules/VAT in Ireland?
A better one is ofcourse to have it sent to your shipping agent who clears it for sea, export, no tax!
Tried it many years ago and it did work.
there is an easier way around it. Get the person sending the goods to label it as ‘used goods’ or ‘a gift’ with value not over £36.
Easy.
Thanks for the tips gents! I will bear it in mind next time around.
The other way is to personally import the stuff if you happen to be in the right port at the right time, chances of me getting to NY are slim enough.
I have been visiting this site a lot lately, so i thought it is a good idea to show my appreciation with a comment.
Thanks,
Jim Mirkalami
Welcome along Jim.
My son worked there for a short time last year - I bought a brand new Martin guitar from an Ebay trader in Texas and they shipped it to son in NY overnight. He vacuum-packed the guitar in its case at JFK and walked it in through SNN, full set of papers and all. The guitar cost me 800 Euros, it would be over two grand here - it’s well worth doing for a high-value item.
You could pay for the airfares to and from NY with one guitar, the mark-up on them is savage.
Nuts