import costs

spark240

Looking at a guitar from USA, cost about 1k, any idea of customs costs?

BGG

About 23% in total usually.

StormshadowGuitars

BGG is about right

20% VAT on the goods plus the shipping cost too and 3-4% Duties on the cost of item, but can sometimes include the shipping cost too depending what mood they're in and the sellers invoicing.

UnclePsychosis

add whatever the shipping costs to the 1k, then add 25% to that total. 

Its increasingly rare that doing so is actually worth the hassle anymore. Obviously depends a lot on the individual guitar though. 

BGG

Also noticed the last few years parcel Force, UPS etc all charge an extra £10-£20 admin/handling fee too the robbing

 gits !!

spark240

UnclePsychosis said:

add whatever the shipping costs to the 1k, then add 25% to that total. 

Its increasingly rare that doing so is actually worth the hassle anymore. Obviously depends a lot on the individual guitar though. 

Well..its a particularly nice Gibson, not seen one with this finish in the UK at all.

Gagaryn

UnclePsychosis said:

add whatever the shipping costs to the 1k, then add 25% to that total. 

Its increasingly rare that doing so is actually worth the hassle anymore. Obviously depends a lot on the individual guitar though. 

This is pretty much spot on. A few years ago lots of stuff seemed to get through without fees but now everything gets stopped and won't be delivered until you pay fees. I bought a strap from the states that arrived this week. I thought that may get through as it was cheap but alas no - £3.65 in duty and an £8 handling fee!

UnclePsychosis

BGG said:

Also noticed the last few years parcel Force, UPS etc all charge an extra £10-£20 admin/handling fee too the robbing

 gits !!

Originally posted by @fretmeister:

They [parcel force] have plenty of paper work to do - they complete the VAT return to the HMRC on your behalf. They are able to do this electronically and the HMRC are content to allow them to release the item to you when they've done that paper work. On small items they even pay the Vat for you to speed up the process.

If they didn't do it, then when it arrived you would get a letter advising of the item arriving. Then you would have to complete the Vat returns to the HMRC and post them off. Then the HMRC would (in about 6 weeks) write to you to inform you of the monies owed. Then you would make payment.

Then another 6 weeks later you would get permission to have the item and you could collect it.

It might be annoying, but that £8 saved you more than a month of sodding about with the HMRC yourself before the item was officially allowed into the UK.

Sarge

Bought a Nintendo 3ds game from the states for my daughter, size of a cd... Cost £39 to buy, then shipping @5 ish, and the total cost me near on £60! Gutted? Yep.

Eartrumpet

BGG said:

About 23% in total usually.

Seems right, i paid £232 on roughly a grand when importing from USA, this would be about December 2014 i guess

JMP220478

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/  

try this - just remember UK shipping agent gets a fee - royal mail dhl etc   - primarily for collecting duty I believe 

Gadget

UnclePsychosis said:

add whatever the shipping costs to the 1k, then add 25% to that total. 

Its increasingly rare that doing so is actually worth the hassle anymore. Obviously depends a lot on the individual guitar though. 

Another +1 for this.

I always work on Item + Shipping + 25%. Sometimes it's a little less, but best to err on the safe side.