International taxes and shipping costs USA/UK

[Russ]

If in the lucky event I ever find my LMM 96 or possibly 72 bass CBA C system converter and it is in the UK, what type of costs will I be confronted with in taxes, duty, in buying and shipping the accordion back to the States (New York State)? I could also have it delivered to Montreal Canada if that was cheaper. has anyone any experience with this?

 

[goldtopia]

There is an agreement between USA and UK wherein import charges are waved which may be under certain conditions or that you would have to apply for it with the appropriate forms.. You would have to consult your import office or a courier shipping agent should be able to tell you, It is likely that Canada is included through the NAFTA agreement.

 

[maugein96]

I am in the process of importing a small cheap accordion from USA to UK, and have been told to expect around a 30% charge on the original value of the instrument. In the UK the shipping cost is added to the value of the instrument, which is then liable for 3.7% import duty, and 20% UK Value Added Tax. There is also a small handling fee by the UK postal system to cover their time whilst the item is clearing customs, and also in case the packaging is opened and has to be re-sealed. I am expecting to pay about $650 tax and import duty on an instrument selling for $1725 plus $149 shipping. And that's still cheaper than what I could buy it for here if I could find one. We really get ripped off over here with taxes, and any imports are generally not worth the bother for the same reason. I could have bought an identical instrument from France, but it would have cost an extra $600, as French sales tax is also pretty high.

I once bought a $10 computer game from the US and by the time I had paid all of the taxes and courier charges it cost me about $50.

The waived import charges referred to by goldtopia seem to only apply to low value items i.e. not accordions.

I appreciate you are considering doing this the other way round, and all I can suggest is that you check with your local Customs and/or State agency which taxes imports

 

[Glenn]

At those tax prices you could have a short holiday in France

 

[donn]

I'd expect to find a lot more C systems in France, though maybe not converters. I've probably mentioned before, I got mine via ebay.fr. Didn't look too hard into the legalities, but attendant costs weren't unreasonable. This ca 35 lb accordion arrived via Post Office in a cardboard box that had become more of a bag, and some batting to soften the blows. That's what you get for not unreasonable cost - high risk of damage. Less risky shipping would I assume be less reasonable. If I were ever to the point of getting another of greater value, I'd seriously consider a trip.

 

[maugein96]

Heres a link to the kind you are looking for. Its for sale in Scotland, although I have never dealt with the sellers before.

http://scotlandaccordions.co.uk/But...bass or Convertor accordion 96 bass with MIDI

Looks as though one or two bass buttons may need attention though.

Heres another one in England where I bought my Maugein mini Sonora, but Ive never used them for mail order.

Accordion seems to have 102 basses?

http://www.themusicroom-online.co.uk/product_info.php/cPath/623_627/products_id/6965

 

[goldtopia]

Import tax from USA does not apply for items £36 or under but I know there are conditions above that where it is waved but I dont much much about it. Scotland accordions are not a company that I would recommend.I cannot go into details for legal reasons.

 

[Russ]

Thank you everyone for your help.

Import duty,
Value Added Tax
Shipping Costs
Additional Handling Fee by the postal system
Are there any other costs that I need to find out about?

If I buy from the USA over the internet from a store, do I have to pay UK sales taxes plus the above fees?
If I buy a used instrument from an individual do I have to pay taxes?

So If I made a trip to buy an instrument, I would have to pay or not pay UK taxes, and at customs, I would have to pay Import duty and possibly a value added tax? How would I make any savings except for the cost of shipping?

Thank you Maugein . These instruments are what I am looking for but way over priced and then with all the additional costs noted above $$$$$$$$$$$.

 

[goldtopia]

If you buy from an individual who is willing to say it cost £36 or less instead of its real value you would get away with the import duty but you might have to pay tax. If its second hand and over a certain age regardless of value there's no import duty and no tax. I bought an instrument (not an accordion) from USA on American eBay for £200. The seller was willing to declare its value to be £36 equivelant and of a certain age so that I had no import duty to pay and no tax,

 

[Soulsaver]

Thank you everyone for your help.

Import duty,
Value Added Tax
Shipping Costs
Additional Handling Fee by the postal system
Are there any other costs that I need to find out about?

If I buy from the USA over the internet from a store, do I have to pay UK sales taxes plus the above fees?
If I buy a used instrument from an individual do I have to pay taxes?

So If I made a trip to buy an instrument, I would have to pay or not pay UK taxes, and at customs, I would have to pay Import duty and possibly a value added tax? How would I make any savings except for the cost of shipping?

Thank you Maugein . These instruments are what I am looking for but way over priced and then with all the additional costs noted above $$$$$$$$$$$.

Youve now been confused by people talking about imports to the UK, which was not your question.

So to clarify:
If you buy from a store in the UK you have no additional UK VAT to pay.

If you buy from an individual you have no vat to pay (unless they area vat registered dealer, which nevertheless should be included in the price, not an additional).

Obviously youd have to pay shipping costs (including vat).

You have no UK post office handling fees - that is for imports to the UK, not on exports from the UK.

I dont know what US import taxes are attached; there may be a waiver below a certain value.

 

[donn]

So If I made a trip to buy an instrument, I would have to pay or not pay UK taxes, and at customs, I would have to pay Import duty and possibly a value added tax? How would I make any savings except for the cost of shipping?

For my part, I didnt mean to suggest thered be any cost advantage -- if all went well. Im just thinking it would be so much more likely to go well, is why Id book a flight to Nice or wherever. (Ive actually been to Nice, it was nice!) Id be able to play the accordion, hear how it sounds, feel how it feels. A picture might be worth 1000 words, but it isnt much to go on here. And Id hopefully be able to transport it in a slightly more reliable way, though I wouldnt bet my life on it -- thats a separate discussion.

 

[maugein96]

Russ,

Sorry to have begun a lot of confusing info for you by describing my own situation. I was in the middle of buying a horse for my adult granddaughter, and had two conversations going on at the same time. Dont worry, I never bought the horse online from the USA, and I wont have to pay any tax on him, although he is a young American Standardbred.

Anyway, Ill now focus on what I was trying to convey to you.

Basically, from what Ive seen lately, Western European CBA accordion prices are considerably more expensive than over on your side. Unless you can find a private UK seller, youre not going to get one below the prices on the links I posted.

I dont know what price you are looking at , but this firm in Nice (which has a major international airport) has a good reputation in France, and as you can see, they have one of the most varied ranges available. You might be able to persuade them to ship to USA, but as has been suggested elsewhere, with a selection like that you might want to go over there and try some of them out.

http://www.accordeon-sud-est.com/accordeon/accordeon-convertisseur.htm

Occasion means used, pre-owned, or secondhand, whichever you prefer. You may qualify for a 20% discount on the purchase price as you will be exporting it to the US, but youd have to discuss that with the retailer.