Importing scope

[Dunwaters]

Interesting from my perspective up North, thanks.
So if you order from the same item from say Germany what do you actually pay for? I.e is there a saving worth the effort?

As of today if I buy from the UK I get caught for VAT, duty and handling plus a customs clearance fee. There was an exemption for goods below about 20 quid value but that’s gone now.
Effectively the UK market to the EU is closed unless the goods are being given away.
For you guys importing from the EU its the same palaver, you’re going to end up paying a lot more than ticket price.
NI is once again in a unique situation and a NI drop address might save you a few bob, but I’ve no idea how much longer that’ll be allowed to continue.
Brexit innit?

 

[RescueMe0007]

Thank yo

I hope I am not breaking any rules with these posts, my sole intention is to provide proper information.



Unfortunately, the delivery of your order has really been prolonged way over our reasonable time frames. In 2021 a lot of manufacturers have problems with deliveries due to the global problems in the delivery chains.

I hope you can accept our apologies for the situation that happened. We try hard to always provide the best possible service but on rare occasions we fail. Customer satisfaction is however at our core values.

Your order will be shipped at the beginning of next week and as a token of our appreciation for your patience, we would like to refund you the amount for shipping and the mounts.

If, however, you would prefer to cancel the order, we can also refund you the full amount.

Thank you Sir, your offer is much appreciated. I have replied to the PM I received through my email. I look forward to receiving my shipment in the near future and enjoying the use of it for years to come.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Joys of the big B eh?

 

[rabbit]

I would like to apologize that the TAX free sign is not visible enough. Brexit did catch us a bit unprepared and we are currently in the process of registering with UK tax authorities. When this process is complete we will include the UK VAT TAX and customs fees back into the prices and the deliveries will be much easier (no stopping and no hassle for the customers). At the moment we are offering this option at the checkout where customers can choose a shipping method with all fees included and delivery to their door without anything needed from their side.


In the meantime, we will put a bigger notification for our UK customers that VAT tax is not included in our prices and need to be paid when receiving the goods.

Well done that man

 

[SikaHunter]

Well done Optics Trade.

 

[aris]

As of today if I buy from the UK I get caught for VAT, duty and handling plus a customs clearance fee. There was an exemption for goods below about 20 quid value but that’s gone now.
Effectively the UK market to the EU is closed unless the goods are being given away.
For you guys importing from the EU its the same palaver, you’re going to end up paying a lot more than ticket price.
NI is once again in a unique situation and a NI drop address might save you a few bob, but I’ve no idea how much longer that’ll be allowed to continue.
Brexit innit?

This is the case if you buy from anywhere outside of the EU from today. We had this implemented on the 1st of January- the EU decided to delay by 6 months.

 

[Dunwaters]

This is the case if you buy from anywhere outside of the EU from today. We had this implemented on the 1st of January- the EU decided to delay by 6 months.

So 20 - 23% plus handling fees added to the sticker price?
Sod that……

 

[aris]

So 20 - 23% plus handling fees added to the sticker price?
Sod that……

Note quite. If you are buying from the EU (or any country for that matter), they should sell to you ex-vat (their own vat from their country). They, as a vendor, need to register for VAT in the UK - and add UK vat (typically lower than their VAT), and pay that directly to HMRC. If the value is > £135 - duties must be paid too.

Read about it here:

Changes to VAT treatment of overseas goods sold to customers from 1 January 2021

www.gov.uk

In some respects it is easier - particularly if the item is < £135 - you pay what's due - and no further interference from HMRC as everything is paid (no handling fees). Our VAT at 20% is often lower than other EU countries too.

As you can imagine - there has been a lot of resistance to this as it is a lot of extra hassle for vendors. But at the end of the day - from July 1st - this is how anyone wanting to sell from outside the EU/UK into the EU/UK have to do business.

 

[Dunwaters]

Note quite. If you are buying from the EU (or any country for that matter), they should sell to you ex-vat (their own vat from their country). They, as a vendor, need to register for VAT in the UK - and add UK vat (typically lower than their VAT), and pay that directly to HMRC. If the value is > £135 - duties must be paid too.

Read about it here:

Changes to VAT treatment of overseas goods sold to customers from 1 January 2021

www.gov.uk

In some respects it is easier - particularly if the item is < £135 - you pay what's due - and no further interference from HMRC as everything is paid (no handling fees). Our VAT at 20% is often lower than other EU countries too.

As you can imagine - there has been a lot of resistance to this as it is a lot of extra hassle for vendors. But at the end of the day - from July 1st - this is how anyone wanting to sell from outside the EU/UK into the EU/UK have to do business.

For me its not quite that simple, on low value packages the vendor will often just not accept the trade, these would be private UK vendors who are just not prepared to deal with the paperwork on a relatively low value transaction.
Bigger traders can afford to gear up but the small occasional second hand trader is out of business as far as anything outside the UK is concerned.
Examples, the last 2 items I bought off this site, you’re no longer part of the free EU currency zone, so I have to pay commission on the currency change and exchange rate, and the recipient has to pay commission on their end on receipt, then we get the postage, customs clearance, vat and duty.
It is truly a total ball of poo. I need to brush up on me French, Swedish and Spanish.

 

[aris]

Just to add, reputable vendors have embraced this from day one. Smaller traders can use an online marketplace to handle all the vat details for them.

There is no duty on items under £135/€150

 

[RescueMe0007]

I would like to laud Optics Trade EU. The order referenced previously (above) was delivered yesterday afternoon. The initial problems have been dealt with and due to the delay, they reimbursed me with a significant and generous discount. On top of which, due to foot plates previously mounted on the receiver of my rifle refusing to budge Optics Trade EU have very kindly offered to replace the mounts at no charge. Now that is outstanding service. I would be very happy to deal with this company again!

 

[Kalahari]

My experience is somewhat different. Ordered a scope from them paid to have it delivered all fees paid, had an email it would be here on Thursday 8th. waited in, no delivery, email on Thursday evening, will be there on Friday 9th. waited in, email Friday 9th. it would be delivered Thursday 8th. (clever that) since then nothing.

David.

 

[Heym SR20]

So all those SD members who shouted at me at the turn of the year and others who thought Brexit would work - hows it going for you.

As for companies in the EU trying to register with UK HMRC - its a joke. We have a client that four months after first applying still has yet to get a UK Tax code. They have done all their paperwork correctly, but HMRC keep changing the requirements.

 

[aris]

So all those SD members who shouted at me at the turn of the year and others who thought Brexit would work - hows it going for you.

As for companies in the EU trying to register with UK HMRC - its a joke. We have a client that four months after first applying still has yet to get a UK Tax code. They have done all their paperwork correctly, but HMRC keep changing the requirements.

There is always a settling in period after any divorce. COVID hasn't helped matters either. Give it a couple of years, then come back to us with the backhanded insults.

Please also feel pity for every other company in the world who wants to post stuff to the EU - they too will need to get a VAT number and for each of those countries they want to export to.

 

[Heym SR20]

There is always a settling in period after any divorce. COVID hasn't helped matters either. Give it a couple of years, then come back to us with the backhanded insults.

Please also feel pity for every other company in the world who wants to post stuff to the EU - they too will need to get a VAT number and for each of those countries they want to export to.

So tell that to all those workers who when furlough for Covid finishes and they will find that the bulk their employers operations are now overseas and are getting their p45s. I have absolutely zero faith in the current lot in power. The deals they are doing with the rest of the world are far worse for us than the deal that we had with them when we were in the EU.

And given restrictions on freedom of movement, many businesses will struggle to get staff. And it will be reciprocal - our young will have little scope for working abroad - or even studying abroad. Priti Patel is putting such restrictions on people coming to the UK, that most other countries are putting similar restrictions on GB citizens - note Northern Ireland residents still free to move.

Most are reckoning that 25% of farms will go out of business in the next two or three years as subsidies disappear and we start letting in cheap food imports.

And no other country needs to get VAT numbers to export to the EU - duty is paid at the border.

Yes it will settle down eventually - but I think most of us will by then be up in the happy hunting grounds in the sky.

 

[aris]

And no other country needs to get VAT numbers to export to the EU - duty is paid at the border.

This is incorrect - as of July 1st 2021

This was indeed an EU directive which was meant to be implemented on the 1st of Jan, but the EU decided to delay 6 months, the UK opted to get stuck in on the 1st of January.

New EU 2021 VAT Rules for Ecommerce - Shopify

Learn about the change in EU VAT rules that come into effect on July 1, 2021 and how will it impact your business.

www.shopify.com

 

[BryanDC]

This is incorrect - as of July 1st 2021

This was indeed an EU directive which was meant to be implemented on the 1st of Jan, but the EU decided to delay 6 months, the UK opted to get stuck in on the 1st of January.

Businesses exporting to the EU can choose whether they want to charge VAT or not. If not, VAT will still be charged at the border. If they do decide to charge VAT on orders up to €150 then they do not need to register in each country. They fill in the IOSS form that covers them for all EU countries. That info was in the link you sent. So they do not need to get a VAT number for each country.

 

[Foxyboy43]

So tell that to all those workers who when furlough for Covid finishes and they will find that the bulk their employers operations are now overseas and are getting their p45s. I have absolutely zero faith in the current lot in power. The deals they are doing with the rest of the world are far worse for us than the deal that we had with them when we were in the EU.

And given restrictions on freedom of movement, many businesses will struggle to get staff. And it will be reciprocal - our young will have little scope for working abroad - or even studying abroad. Priti Patel is putting such restrictions on people coming to the UK, that most other countries are putting similar restrictions on GB citizens - note Northern Ireland residents still free to move.

Most are reckoning that 25% of farms will go out of business in the next two or three years as subsidies disappear and we start letting in cheap food imports.

And no other country needs to get VAT numbers to export to the EU - duty is paid at the border.

Yes it will settle down eventually - but I think most of us will by then be up in the happy hunting grounds in the sky.

Ahem!
I do not disagree with all you say but “note Northern Ireland residents still free to move” is not actually the case if your “moving” involves travelling home in a NI direction with your dogs, sausages, deer carcasses, plants, bird seed, tractors, etc…… Indeed no element of “free” applies. For example, I have been visiting Scotland for deerstalking for more than twenty years and always brought my dogs with me (they are after all a big part of the family), always without a problem. However from October said dogs which come with me from NI cannot be brought back unless a Pet Passport, Rabies and other Jabs have been obtained in Scotland/England or Wales for each dog - a lot of faffing and significant cost. Even more non-sensical this also applies if I drive across the non-existent border to Ireland - indeed the local police there have stated that dogs which do not meet EU requirements will be seized and destroyed! Added to that many suppliers no longer deliver because of the paper mountains/costs involved - something that many of us as fully paid-up UK citizens rightly take some umbrage at. Sadly it is only going to get worse as the bureaucrats cannot agree on how to resolve this utter nonsense. “Sausagegate” would be funny if it wasn’t so damned serious!
Just saying.

 

[aris]

Businesses exporting to the EU can choose whether they want to charge VAT or not. If not, VAT will still be charged at the border. If they do decide to charge VAT on orders up to €150 then they do not need to register in each country. They fill in the IOSS form that covers them for all EU countries. That info was in the link you sent. So they do not need to get a VAT number for each country.

So, basically same as the UK - nothing to do with Brexit.

 

[BryanDC]

No that aspect has nothing to do with Brexit other than the UK is not in the EU so they must follow those rules now. On the other hand I thought the UK was insisting on companies registering for UK VAT. Or is that also voluntary?
I have stopped ordering from the UK as many businesses there seem to be unable to get their heads around the fact that they should either charge and then pay the VAT on my behalf or not charge it in the first place. Unlike the OP's question regarding Optics Trade EU who have two different prices shown on their website depending on where you are. With VAT for the EU and without VAT for the UK. I even phoned a shop in the UK about a spotting scope and was told they couldn't or wouldn't give me a VAT free price even though its a only simple declaration they have to fill out. Hopefully it will get sorted out soon.

Just looking at it on the gov website and it appears that companies in the EU and the rest of the world MUST register with the UK for VAT. So that is not the same as the EU