Import tax

[china38]

My daughter has bought a few things online from hong kong. Total cost of them are around �2500 (its 5 items) - now, she got them marked as "gift" by the seller (they really are for pressents) but when shes used the tracking codes, they have said that they left customs with charges.

I thought you didnt have to pay VAT on items marked "gift"?

[wonkon-wonk]

that would be nice!

[china38]

I can remember around 3 years ago, i bought a camera from hongkong and it was valued at �2200 and it was marked as gift, guy from FedEx delivered it and i had no custom charges to pay (was shocked as i assumed i would, as i didnt know the seller put it as gift) but it saved me money, so have things changed re "gift"?

Is it 17.5% as usual or is it less or more?

[kempie]

Although your daughter is intending to pass them on as gifts after she receives them, she has bought them from Hong Kong as merchandise and should be declared as such for customs purposes. "Gift" means that the shipper is sending them to you as a present i.e. no payment involved.

Usually, a country will allow a gift up to a certain limited value to enter duty free, but not just all gifts of any value. Sometimes, there is a bigger allowance for duty-free merchandise you have purchased. Falsely declaring something as a gift does not prevent a customs officer from inspecting the goods and assessing its value for duties to be paid.

[Ethel]

"If someone sends you a gift from abroad that is over �36 in value, you will also be obliged to pay the Duty and VAT unless the person who sent it has agreed to pay it themselves. Likewise, if you are the person sending you need to remember that if you don't take the time to include the proper invoices then your shipment could be held in customs or the person you are sending to may be charged too much Duty and VAT."

You have to pay duty and vat on the total cost including the postage charges, plus an admin fee to the courier.