US to UK lens purchase

[davebell]

Hi all, Anybody got an idea, maybe from 1st hand experience, how much

Duty / VAT is charged when purchasing an item from the USA, to be

delivered into the UK? Due to the massive 70-200mm F4 L lens shortage

in Europe, I am considering purchasing one from BH. Thanks in advance.

 

Regards, Dave

[richard thompson www.fotoz]

Duty is about 5-9% depending on what it is.

Vat is 17.5%

"handling fee by courier" will be about ?10

 

If I were after a 70-200/4L right now, I would let someone else do the importing. Typical example - Ebay item 7546354777

[michaelkh]

You will pay full UK VAT no matter what, and that is on top of any shipping and handling

fee as well.

<br><br>

According to the PDF (weirdly) linked from <a href="http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/

channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?

_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD_009989&propertyTyp

e=document">this page</a> you don't pay import duty on digital cameras (which is my

recollection, having bought this way) but you do pay 6.7% on lenses.

[matt_sallis]

If you add 25% to the cost of the lens that will be a pretty close guideline.

 

I bought a 300mm f2.8L IS and 2x extender from BH last year, and the cost after shipping, duty and VAT was added was still about GBP500 less than I could get in the UK, so it can be worth it sometimes.

[rcox2]

I travel from US to London once or twice a year. Just curious....would my UK colleagues be interested in knowing this in advance? (Just in case I was to buy 'myself' a new lense before coming over.)

[mark u]

VAT and duty are paid on the price including shipping and insurance - so importing becomes more worthwhile for more expensive items and multiple purchases. It's usually not worth considering importing very recent additions to Canon's lens ranges, or Sigma or Tamron lenses (some of these can work out cheaper in the UK). Sadly 7dayshop is no longer offering Canon lenses - they used to be offered at prices that were about equivalent to B&H + shipping and taxes - so UKP 399 for a 70-200 f/4, for instance.

[www.photo.netphotosegan]

How does it work then if I am on Holiday in New York and purchased a 20D. When I come back how do they know it is not my usual camera.

 

I am going to New York in October and am thinking of doing this.

 

Cheers

 

gerry

[john_macpherson]

You post the box and instructions back separately and put the camera in your tatty old camera pouch/bag and try not to sweat too much.....

[rolf_van_den_brink]

Do what John said but also don't forget to send the receipt home by mail. They will look for that and the box when they have any doubts.<br>

If you buy at B&H in New York add 8.625% New York City Sales Tax to the price you find on the internet.

[jan_thomas1]

Agree with the above. Flat pack new boxes and instructions/warranty card and send it at mail rates back home. If you bought any used stuff from Jessops, you know the little stickers they put on things? See if you can find a couple of those, to put on your new lens etc ;-)

[jreades]

You could buy online from B&H, ship it to New Jersey (where my girlfriend's parents, ever so conveniently, live and which has a much lower sales tax than the combined NY + NYC), and then carry just the lens home (minus instructions, warranty card, etc.) on the plane. Not that I've done this, you realise, but it seems to work pretty well from what I've heard.

 

I'm actually rather confused about what UK customs *does* these days -- I assume they're all off fighting drug smugglers on boats or something, because they sure aren't checking people passing through Heathrow. I've seen entire caravans of luggage (with Sherpas) pass through without anyone even being there to give it a second glance. Certainly, if I were looking to make easy money for the government I'd have someone meeting every plane from New York and searching for new iPods on which to charge VAT. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

 

Anyway, to get back to David's question -- you'll get hit for VAT and various other fees that will add, as has already been said, about 25% to the cost of your purchase. If it still makes economic sense after that, then by all means go ahead. The US dollar is sliding again and the economics of shipping from the US have gotten better after a few months where the pound flirted with $1.60 or so and the Apple Store UK was briefly the same price as the Apple Store Soho (NYC).

 

jon