Page 1 of Buying from the US

I am going to the US next month and am thinking of getting some R1 DVDs (hopefully they are cheaper than in the UK).What I would like to know, what is the personal allowance allowed for bringing goods back from holiday before HM Customs `ask` you to pay tax?

When I went I bought over 40 discs back with me.

Just make sure you take the wrapping off them and give them a lame excuse if they ask like I did! ( e.g I bought some over for my friend and we swapped discs!)

BUT keep the receipts in a safe place, just incase, so if you get stopped you only have to pay tax, and not lose all of the discs.

Don`t blame me if anything goes wrong though, maybe I was lucky to get away with it.

If they`re, ahem, `gifts` I`m afraid you`re limited to a total of £145 (and that includes everything else you`re bringing back as gifts too), which is probably about ten discs.

Try here :

http://www.hmce.gov.uk/bus/regions/dutyrate.htm

and for legal advice here :

http://www.oft.gov.uk

You`re probably better off importing them in dribs and drabs via quality R1 retailers

This item was edited on Wednesday, 6th June 2001, 10:56

Thanks for the tips peeps.

I went to the US last April and brought back 8 dvds. I just stuck em in my personal luggage and didn`t declare them (if you do, they will charge you a fortune in tax, making buying them pointless for the price). I got stopped in LA though before the flight home with all these dvds in my bag, but they dont care about them, its the customs back home you have to avoid.

The discs are around $20 (around £14) if you shop in places like Wal-Mart (massive supermarket), so avoid places like Tower Records who were selling dvds for $25+!!! Bear in mind that they add sales tax to the price there (about 8%) so don`t take loads of dvds to the checkout and get stung by the extra cost.

Hope any of this helps!

This item was edited on Thursday, 7th June 2001, 09:34

Open them. Used goods are exactly that - used. Once opened out of the package you can make any excuse you want - borrowed, transporting them, personal use (you do have a Sony portable right? :D) and they cannot be taxed.

40!! WTF did you do with them all? I bring 20 back every time `cos that`s what fits in me carry case - then I secrete that on my person so I doesn`t matter even if they confiscate the boxes. Ouch. :D

I dont think you have declare them. I never declare anything. They dont check suitcases or anything as they are padlocked. A mate of mine bought some cheap electrical equipment Video cameras, pc equipment etc. and nothing happened.