VAT/Import Duties To Non-UK destinations

So far, this blog has been rather dry, talking about life crises, shipping woes, VAT and import duties - hopefully some point soon I'll be able to write about music and other more exciting subjects!  In the meantime, let's talk about a subject that, while not exciting as such, is important and relevant...

VAT & Import Duties for Non-UK Orders 

This is something I want to be totally transparent about from the outset, so there are no nasty surprises for any of the good folk who aren't based in the UK when their orders arrive in their destination country (when I actually start shipping orders overseas, see last blog post for the gory details on that one).

At present, I am not VAT registered in the UK, or anywhere else for that matter. The vagaries of the British tax system means that registering for VAT is optional for companies or individuals until your turnover reaches a certain level, as turnover is not at the level that requires mandatory registration, I've taken the decision not to register, for now.

What this means is that the prices you see on the shop are neither inclusive, nor exclusive of VAT - they are just the flat price of the product and that's it, no taxes are applied to, or removed from, your purchase at point of sale as it stands.

I'm totally aware that this means (especially after Brexit and the carnage that it causes) that customers in overseas countries, especially the EU, are potentially liable to be twatted by import VAT, and possibly other import/handling fees, when the goods arrive with your lovely local customs folk - in general I suppose it depends on what kind of day they're having whether they apply these charges to your parcel or not - but I want to be transparent about this from the get-go.

If you like anywhere outside the UK, you probably know by now what fees you are likely to face when goods arrive in your country, if you don't, I'd advise strongly that you check with your local customs office/website to see what they might be, as they vary wildly from country to country.

The old game of marking a shipment as a gift, or marking the value down doesn't work any more I'm told, so this isn't something I'm willing or able to do now, especially if it causes problems with customs, it's just not worth the risk I'm afraid.

So, all in all, I am aware this scenario is not ideal for overseas customers, and I apologise for this, especially as I have met so many fantastic people over the years from around the world purely because of the shop - I will make the following promises however;

1. I will monitor and review the situation ongoing, there may well be a case for registering for VAT in the near future, at which point prices will be reflected accordingly, and I will either be selling products to non-UK customers minus VAT, so that you pay a lower price at point of sale OR I register for IOSS (for EU sales) and deal with all VAT and other charges at point of sale to make the process as smooth as possible for you.

2. Postage/shipping prices will be kept at the absolute cheapest they possibly can be after factoring all costs, which will help cushion the blow of import taxes, at least a little bit.

Again, my apologies to overseas customers, I am aware of the inconvenience this may cause but will promise to review the situation ongoing.