Importing from England


I'm interested in buying a new DAC that's substantially cheaper in England, where it is made, than in the US. I would be buying it from a manufacturer-licensed dealer.

The DAC costs about 800 British pounds without VAT tax. The VAT tax is not charged if you ship the item internationally. If you buy it in person, you can claim a VAT rebate before you leave the country.

My question:
Are their significant customs charges/fees that would be due when this item is brought into the US (either via an international shipper or in my carry-on baggage)?

I'm hoping to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
hlesser

Showing 2 responses by bill_k

When I received some new electronics in the US shipped from the UK I was responsible for several fees. In addition to the assessed duty and brokerage fees that were due upon delivery, several months later I got a sizable bill for taxes due. It's hard to know exactly what charges to expect, and it seems to vary with different shipping companies. These packages were shipped by FedEx. As always, YMMV.
The tax bill received from the government was for the current sales tax rate at the time. If I recall correctly they referred to it as "usage tax". I would expect the tax to be the same if you bring it in yourself, but I have no direct experience with that scenario.