UK tax on rig

[ianwright 0]

any of you UK jumpers ever had a rig sent from the states. what tax were you stung for? any advice round it? cheers...

[skydog 2]

If you get caught then:

17.5% VAT
6% Import duty

as well as the cost of postage (which is also taxed).

As for getting around it...............too many official eyes here (so PM me)

Bryn

Journey not destination.....

[mr2mk1g 10]

Customs will stick 17.5% VAT on it.

If it comes by post it should be accompanied by the appropriate invoices. Those invoices will be the basis for the tax you pay. If the rig is second hand they may try to charge based on the cost of a new item (how they expect to figure that out I have no idea).

If the item is brought into the country in someone’s rig bag it must be declared to customs on entry and the appropriate tax paid at that point.

Some terrible people break the law in a most heinous way by asking a friend to be their mule and illegally smuggle the rig into the country for them.

I understand (from third parties of course) that the standard fee for this abominable crime is a crate of beer.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

I got nailed by customs on the first rig I bought, and it hurt.

These days it almost makes sense to pop across the pond, pick it up, bang a few jumps on it in the US, then legitimately bring it home as 'used' equipment. Most US manufs will ship a rig to a US DZ for you.
It will still work out cheaper than paying full duty, and you get a holiday into the bargain.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[skytash 0]

I'm not sure how many jumps you would need to add, but from memory of my tax training, for something to be 'used' a significant amount of usage is required. 50 jumps while on a 2 week holiday is unlikely to count. I also think you would need to prove that your main purpose for buying it was to use on that trip and NOT anywhere else, you just happen to have it left and thought you'd bring it back. As an average rig has a life of at least 500 jumps before you would need a re-line, and overall a life of over 1000 jumps is not unreasonable, you'd have to put a fair few hundreds of jumps on it to claim 'used' if you speak to customs.

tash

Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

[britboynz 0]

But who Would you declare it to anyway?! Every single time I've gone through terminal 3 at Heathrow there has NEVER been any customs guys prowling around. Even peering into the 'red' channel you never see any. They're all too busy catching white van man & his 10,00000 cigs bought on the continent to worry about a handful of rigs being sneaked in every year

The only 'official' I've met at Heathrow is the extremely bored lookin dude on the 'EU passport holders only' desk who takes one look at your passport (im gonna stick a photo of big bird over the top of me next time to see if he notices), grunts at you then waves you through.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"you'd have to put a fair few hundreds of jumps on it to claim 'used' if you speak to customs."

Point being, if its not obviously shiney new, accompanied by invoices, and wrapped up and packaged for shipping, its not likely to attract attention.
After that, its up to the person's own honesty and desire to do the right thing. Which obviously isn't in doubt in this instance.

If you see what I mean.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[ianwright 0]

thanks for the responses guys. at least most of you got the point. looks like i'll pop over and collect the thing myself. really wanted my first jump to be with mates at local dz but if i have to endure the delights of florida, then i must!