-
Message Boards
Movie Soundtracks
Fellow Brits - are you often taxed on USA mail?
Archive of old forum. No more postings.
Please visit our new forum, The MovieMusic Lobby, to post new topics.
Author
Topic: Fellow Brits - are you often taxed on USA mail?
Stephen Lister
Oscar® Winner
I regularly buy CDs directly from the US - from Screen Archives, FSM, Amazon etc - because the exchange rate is in our favour, and even with air mail costs it works out cheaper than buying them from the UK. However my cunning plan is beginning to go awry - today's package from Varese (the latest three club CDs) was held to ransom by the post office and I had to cough up a hefty 11 quid to secure their release. I've only been taxed like this about three times in Godknows how many years of buying from America, and the post office guy tells me that it's just pure luck that determines whether your package is pounced on in this manner ... so I've been very fortunate, perhaps. I'm wondering what other Brit buyers have experienced ... do you get hit for tax often? ... have you slipped the net entirely?Ominously, the post office guy told me that the Royal Mail (or Consignia as they now like to call themselves) have been taxing more parcels than usual recently ... is this a fiendish conspiracy by them to rustle up more dosh, now that they're losing so much in profits? Hope not. My cunning plan was working pretty well there, and I'd hate to see it go off the rails entirely.
posted 02-28-2002 11:36 AM PT (US) Marian Schedenig
Oscar® Winner
They seem to do this more frequently in Austria, too. Basically, it depends upon the size of the package, it'S worth - but also luck. Sometimes, they ignore the big packets and tax the small ones.Some stores choose shipping routes that aren't taxed, and don't mark the packages so the custom's don't notice them. And I've heard that at least in Germany, they can't tax used CDs - and if you let your order fro them US ship to a friend in the US and he opens the CD's wrapping before forwarding them to you, they're already "used". So that's what I'll try next, Germany being not too far from here
. posted 02-28-2002 01:27 PM PT (US) Dan Brecher
Oscar® Winner
When shipping from overseas I always try to get my CDs and DVDs, gamecube games...etc through companies that goes about things on a more personal basis with their customers. By this I mean those who are willing to "fix" value prices on parcels shipping out to me to avoid these bloody customs charges. DV Depot who I get 90% of my imported discs from, I can get 7 titles from them with 2 day DHL shipping and never get taxed as they always mark up the package as $22 canadian...When it comes to Amazon...etc, I try to stay under the limit when we get his by customs tax (I think it's around £30). If it means multiple packages, well, so be it...
Dan
posted 02-28-2002 02:14 PM PT (US) John Prytz
Oscar® Nominee
Here in Australia, there is a limit below which there are no customs duties charged, as the money it would cost the government to collect the relevant taxes owed would be greater than the revenue collected. So, I try to stay below that threshhold. But, because of ever fluxuating exchange rates, sometimes you can creep above that limit without intending to. I got caught that way once! Of course customs can't check everything, so luck plays a role too if you want to gamble. If customs do inspect/open your package, they put on a sticker to that effect when they re-seal it up. Based on those stickers, I'd say that roughly 10% to 15% of my CD parcels from overseas get checked. I'm happy to stay below the limit and not gamble.
posted 02-28-2002 04:44 PM PT (US) Dinko
Oscar® Winner
Well, at least in Canada, we don't need to ask questions on whether or not a package from the US will be taxed. US packages are always taxed (well, mine are always taxed).
or is it 
But after a while, you just learn to accept it and live with it. And you also buy local products instead of imports.
Plus, you switch to classical, and drop film music. It's cheaper.
[Message edited by Dinko on 02-28-2002]
posted 02-28-2002 05:28 PM PT (US) Marian Schedenig
Oscar® Winner
At least you have cheap online DVD stores. In Vienna, we have okay (=you'll sometimes find what you want) stores (expensive) and stores with good prices (but poor selections) - for DVDs and CDs.
posted 02-28-2002 05:54 PM PT (US) Old Infopop Software by UBB