New tax added for UK buyers of imported goods from Ebay / Aliexpress

[glitterball]

I made a few small purchases (around £3 and just over £10) at the start of 2021 and noticed that I was paying slightly more than the advertised Buy It Now during Checkout.

It seem that, with effect from the start of 2021, buyers from the UK, purchasing items from abroad via Ebay or Aliexpress, need to pay an import tax at point-of-sale at checkout.

Well, I suppose that's kind of fair, but when it is for items values under the postal value threshold, I think it's a bit cheeky!

Looking online, import duty to the uk is for items valued above £135 but VAT only for items over the value of £15; hmmm. Am I missing something?

Royal Mail source:
https://www.royalmail.com/sites/default/files/International-customs-charges-leaflet-Jan-2017.pdf

[Taffeta]

I think it's new at point of checkout but I think this is Boris and co's hairbrained scheme to make everyone register with HMRC and the reason other stores overseas are currently witholding sale to the UK because of the red tape.

With stuff outside of the EU up till now, we've paid import charges on value over £15 although there's some difference with actual gifts. Ebay's GSP will charge you whatever rate plus their handling fee for that, it's generally been more than HMRC would charge on normal import before Brexit. But now I guess the new rules and the fact we're not in the EU means that we're going to see tax at point of sale too. I think possibly this happens to some US states as well, at least I see sometimes in auctions sellers mentioning certain residents of states needing to pay sales tax.

I suppose it's up front? Maybe? I don't know. I feel like I can't complain about it because the fault is with Brexit and Brexiteers...and that's something our country inflicted on itself. But I haven't done any shopping since Jan 1st because I wanted to see what happened, so I am only theorising.

I also wonder why we have to pay tax on something second hand, sometimes grimy and entirely worthless on the big stage, since it's in no way competing with economic production. But that's an age old complaint that will probably never be resolved.

You're right, we don't pay import duty - or we didn't - on importing items below £135, it's all tax. Or in the case of RM and Parcelforce, handling charges. Possibly don't get me started on the logic of why a company whose job is handling parcels add extra handling charges on top of what you already pay them to handle the parcel...

[glitterball]

I'll settle for blaming brexit, then 

The goods still worked out less expensive than buying in the UK... for now... 

Or in the case of RM and Parcelforce, handling charges. Possibly don't get me started on the logic of why a company whose job is handling parcels add extra handling charges on top of what you already pay them to handle the parcel...

Oh, don't, RM charges are an absolute ripoff!!!! 


ETA:
just went on to Ebay help page
source:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/paying-items/paying-tax-ebay-purchases?id=4771&st=3&pos=1&query=Paying%20tax%20on%20eBay%20purchases&intent=vat&context=DEFAULT_BUYER&lucenceai=lucenceai

Ebay says:

Paying tax on eBay purchases

Items delivered to the UK
Value Added Tax (VAT) generally applies to purchases by UK consumers, and prices on eBay.co.uk are shown inclusive of VAT.

Starting 1 January 2021, eBay is required to collect VAT on certain orders delivered to UK addresses:

- Orders up to £135 sent from outside the UK
- Orders where the item is located in the UK, but the seller is not a UK seller

You'll see the VAT included in your order total at checkout, and you can view and download a tax invoice from the Order details page in your Purchase history.

On orders over £135 imported to the UK, the recipient may need to pay VAT as part of clearing the parcel through customs.

For more information about buying from overseas sellers, see our article about international purchases and postage.

If you're a UK consumer and you want to request a VAT refund, you can upload supporting documentation.

[bright rabbit 1]

RM I had to pay £3.60 to send back this fabric from Amazon.uk  because i ordered the wrong colour.

[Leave a Whisper]

Phooey!   

[Taffeta]

@Glitterball, sounds like the threshold either has gone or doesn't exist in ebay-world.

[glitterball]

The real sneak is paying VAT on an item already in the UK but the Seller not being based in the UK; a lot of Chinese sellers have stock held in the UK - wouldn't they have already paid duties on that stock when they originally brought it over? Makes ma wee brain hurt!

[Taffeta]

The real sneak is paying VAT on an item already in the UK but the Seller not being based in the UK; a lot of Chinese sellers have stock held in the UK - wouldn't they have already paid duties on that stock when they originally brought it over? Makes ma wee brain hurt!

Yeah, well. You'd think...but...I guess there's a loophole somewhere.