Hi

Can anyone tell me if vintage watches bought outside the EU are liable for VAT when received in the UK

I have paid VAT on vintage watches in the past, but have seen posts on forums which suggest vintage watches are exempt.

Does anyone know definitively, whether or not they are exempt, and if so, how to ensure it isn't applied at customs.

If it is correct, how old does a watch have to be, to be considered vintage for VAT purposes?

Cheers

 

It is payable at 20%. The thing to do is to make sure that whoever is sending it to you marks the customs declaration as "Vintage". This way, you will not have to pay the duty on top of the VAT. IIRC, the duty is 4%.

 

Thanks

 

It does not matter to UK customs how old it is, VAT is due.

 

What you have to pay is based on the customs declaration done by the seller. Some of them agree to undervalue goods they ship (which is against law), some of them not. In case of suspicion of wrong declaration, Customs can request you to provide a proof of payment of your item so that they can apply the correct VAT / they can also decide to fine you in case of wrong declaration as far as I know. I'm facing those VAT-related things on any deal coming from outside Switzerland.

 

You actually pay VAT on the declared value and postage cost.

 

Right ! Sorry for this detail

BTW I keep thinking this to be ridiculous : the seller pays postage as a service and the local VAT for that service - then the buyer is charged on value + postage (postage VAT incl) means VAT is being paid twice somehow. But there's nothing we can do against that...

 

The postage cost VAT has always baffled me, why in the world are they charging VAT on postage from another country? Very bizzar...

Rob

 

The postage is a service which you have imported