import charges

[splish]

I am trying to order UGG boots and have been advised on the site that:

The recipient of the package is responsible for all duties,taxes & brokerage fees. Duties & taxes and brokerage fees are not included in the shipping & handling fee we charge. Please check with your local agency for details on estimated fees.

How do i calculate these fees? The item including shipping comes to $189.95

[Buenchico]

The usual rate of duty on clothing imports from non-EU countries is 12%. (Some imports from the USA attract a rate of 27% but, to the best of my knowledge, this only applies to cotton-based goods. This is a UK trade sanction because the USA is in breach of World Trade Organization rules on subsidies to cotton producers). I'll assume that the 12% figure applies.

$189.95 is roughly �95. Since duty is charged on the value of the goods, I'll assume that your figure is made up of �80 ($160) for the boots and �15 ($30) for the carriage.

Based on those figures, Import Duty = 12% of �80 = approx �10.

VAT is charged, at 17.5%, on the boots, on the carriage and on the duty. (Yes, that is a tax on a tax!). So, VAT is 17.5% of �105 = approx �18.

Lastly, there's a customs examination fee of �8 to be paid.

So, based upon my rough figures, you can expect the postman to demand a total of around �36 before he'll hand over your package.

Chris