Bringing items to the UK from the EU - VAT, Customs and Excise duties

Minxy

Minxy

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Has anyone else noticed that VAT, customs duties and excise duty may be chargeable when bringing alcohol and tobacco back into the UK? Also for other goods there you may have to pay VAT and customs duties. As I've only ever travelled abroad from the UK to an EU country and back from an EU country I've never had to think about this before so assume I've read it right.

Bringing goods into the UK: Arriving in Great Britain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
 
Just like bringing in goods from outside the EU. Anyone over a certain age will remember this is how it used to be. Customs will be checking for that extra bottle of wine in the back of your lockers for sure!

This is one of the things that only just over half the people of the UK voted for and said they wanted.
 
Technically we are now restricted to the allowances in Minxy Girl link, but UK customs have said it may be as late as July before the are fully applying the rules as they don’t have enough resources currently, the holding area for trucks needing none Electronic clearance (similar to TIR) wont be opened until February at least, and parking for ATA Carnet and customs contact is still restricted to a handful of trucks/vans.

Back in the day Western Docks held thousands of trucks, customs agents offices etc but in only recent years they developed a cruise terminal on that space, Parking/holding for guys like me regularly using the customs office has got less and less year on year, and only a handful of customs officers manned the western office.

In short we knew this day was coming 4 years ago, but believed we would not have a hard boarder so didn’t start taking it seriously until about September 2020.

ATA Carnet (temporary export for up to 1 year) is not being used very much at the moment because it’s mainly used for promotional items, sports events, exhibitions and shows, but covid has killed Those and so there are less trucks need to present for manual checks and processing of paperwork, if we didn’t have covid Dover would be at a complete standstill now,

So unless they get extra man power, search bays and more help from the French you’ll be ok with an extra bottle or two for now.
 
Boris7 said:
Technically we are now restricted to the allowances in Minxy Girl link, but UK customs have said it may be as late as July before the are fully applying the rules as they don’t have enough resources currently, the holding area for trucks needing none Electronic clearance (similar to TIR) wont be opened until February at least, and parking for ATA Carnet and customs contact is still restricted to a handful of trucks/vans.

Back in the day Western Docks held thousands of trucks, customs agents offices etc but in only recent years they developed a cruise terminal on that space, Parking/holding for guys like me regularly using the customs office has got less and less year on year, and only a handful of customs officers manned the western office.

In short we knew this day was coming 4 years ago, but believed we would not have a hard boarder so didn’t start taking it seriously until about September 2020.

ATA Carnet (temporary export for up to 1 year) is not being used very much at the moment because it’s mainly used for promotional items, sports events, exhibitions and shows, but covid has killed Those and so there are less trucks need to present for manual checks and processing of paperwork, if we didn’t have covid Dover would be at a complete standstill now,

So unless they get extra man power, search bays and more help from the French you’ll be ok with an extra bottle or two for now.
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The port of Dover have frequently stated that they are ready for it.

I passed signs for an 'Inland Border facility' at Lymm yesterday so assume thats part of it.

many can't see the irony of this - that if the EU cause issues at the channel crossings they are in fact doing more damage to their own imports than our exports.
 
jongood said:
The port of Dover have frequently stated that they are ready for it.

I passed signs for an 'Inland Border facility' at Lymm yesterday so assume thats part of it.

many can't see the irony of this - that if the EU cause issues at the channel crossings they are in fact doing more damage to their own imports than our exports.
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Makes no difference what they said, they are well over capacity and say they need 3000 new officers (was 5000, but they’ve reduced that figure, but not it seems by recruiting) and are unable to meet demand.
in the case of contraband they are relying on checks on the French side, but that’s far too small, The Spirit of Britain carry’s 1059 cars alone, they have a maximum of 15 check bays in Dover and the capacity to deal with around 22 offending vehicles at any one time and a shortage of staff, dealing with proffered goods list offences is a long way from a priority for now.
 
Chris said:
You will get your duty free allowance and that’s it.

Despite what the poster above implies, most sensible people realised that before the vote :rolleyes:

Any who didn’t were counter balanced by those who voted remain so they could carry on playing Euromillions.
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Sensible people and leave voters in the same sentence......mmmmmm :xsmile:
 
:giggler:

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Boris7 said:
Makes no difference what they said, they are well over capacity and say they need 3000 new officers (was 5000, but they’ve reduced that figure, but not it seems by recruiting) and are unable to meet demand.
in the case of contraband they are relying on checks on the French side, but that’s far too small, The Spirit of Britain carry’s 1059 cars alone, they have a maximum of 15 check bays in Dover and the capacity to deal with around 22 offending vehicles at any one time and a shortage of staff, dealing with proffered goods list offences is a long way from a priority for now.
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But this hasn't changed between last week and now, its been the same for many years, a bit like the all those getting needlessly concerned about smuggling on the Irish Border - it always carried on regardless
 
Rivermount said:
This is one of the things that only just over half the people of the UK voted for and said they wanted.
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matamoros said:
Sensible people and leave voters in the same sentence......mmmmmm :xsmile:
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if you cant post without making trolling comments, you’ll find one day that you can’t post at all, please dont be surprised when it happens
 
The VAT issue also applies to companies sending goods to the UK. Some companies have already removed the UK from the list of countries they will deliver to. For some this is temporary while they wait to register for VAT in the UK. Once they have a UK VAT number they will start delivering again but some small companies have said they aren't going to bother and will just stick to deliveries to the 27.
 
Is that allowances per person, so if a couple travel in Motorhome you would get double the limit ?

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No, each of you would get the same limit (I know that sounds confusing)

As an example, if you both smoke B&H then you both can bring in 200 cigarettes (400 in total) but if you smoke and the other person doesn’t they cannot bring in 200 for you, however they can bring in 200 as a gift for someone else as long as that person doesn’t pay for them.

Once got stopped at Portsmouth and searched, I had 200 cigars from the EU and 200 cigarettes from Morocco, I was alone and the cigarettes were for my wife, customs officer asked me if she paid for them?

my answer “your not married are you?” Sent on my way

He never opened the road cases mind 😉
 
Dimbo question here. If you buy wine etc and pay the local duty (tax) ie by buying in a supermarket is that still limited?
 
Reading this made me realise that in all the time I have been travelling abroad (many dozens of times), I have never bought anything duty free.

Couldn't be doing with all that just to save two bob..
 
LesW said:
Reading this made me realise that in all the time I have been travelling abroad (many dozens of times), I have never bought anything duty free.

Couldn't be doing with all that just to save two bob..
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Very often cheaper to buy in the U.K. any way 👍

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Minxy Girl said:
Has anyone else noticed that VAT, customs duties and excise duty may be chargeable when bringing alcohol and tobacco back into the UK? Also for other goods there you may have to pay VAT and customs duties. As I've only ever travelled abroad from the UK to an EU country and back from an EU country I've never had to think about this before so assume I've read it right.

Bringing goods into the UK: Arriving in Great Britain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
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Of course because we have left the EU..Not the end of the world,,Probably better for our health,, :LOL: :LOL: BUSBY.
 
What about me and my single malt whisky?

Always been cheaper in France, not sure now.

It has repercussions in both directions
 
Before we joined I used to take loads of coffee and bars of chocolate to a family I visited in Germany (originally thru student exchange) then it became just as expensive here , we will have to see what happens this time ? :)
 
Rivermount said:
Just like bringing in goods from outside the EU. Anyone over a certain age will remember this is how it used to be. Customs will be checking for that extra bottle of wine in the back of your lockers for sure!

This is one of the things that only just over half the people of the UK voted for and said they wanted.
Click to expand...
Can we keep the 'mischief' remarks out of this thread please, they've been done to death.
 
Jim said:
show me similar trolling in this thread
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Thing is though you get all this falling out and name calling over something that hasn't happened yet :doh:
How many times have we had this this last month or two.
Has anyone come through customs yet, no, we will have to wait and see, then we can argue over it when it happens.
 
What is wrong with some people! Can't they read a thread and comment without being mean-spirited in their response anymore?

I posted this for info, it doesn't affect me as we don't bring much alcohol or any tobacco back, and usually not much else either, but it may be applicable to those who do ...

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