£150 limit

[sha_sha]

Hiya, I was just wondering, how many of you stick to the £150 rule when bringing stuff back from the states, and has anyone ever been fined for bringing back more? If so was the fine hefty?

I'd love to beable to buy whatever I want, but I don't want to have to worry about the £150 limit. Of course I know it's a law, but i just don't understand how you could only spend so little!

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank You

 

[wilma-bride]

You don't get fined - all that happens is you declare the goods and you pay import tax on the excess.

We have bought more than the allowable amount before and have not been 'fined' but then we haven't necessarily declared. We never kick the heck out of it though.

 

[sha_sha]

i thought you might not get fined, but i couldn't remember the correct word.... it's been a looooong day at work.

 

[mushumadness]

hiya

I never used to declare then someone I knew got stopped and fined

now I declar all big things, sometimes they charge vat some times they dont

 

[Belle68]

We have bought more than the allowable amount before and have not been 'fined' but then we haven't necessarily declared. We never kick the heck out of it though.

Same here

 

[Goofyish]

I'm afraid the limit is actually £145 not £150

Here are the rules in details (I've marked the interesting bits in red):

When travelling from a non-EU country you can bring the following into the UK for your own use without paying UK tax or duty:

• 200 cigarettes; or 100 cigarillos; or 50 cigars; or 250g of tobacco
• 2 litres of still table wine
• 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22% volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), sparkling wine or other liqueurs
• 60cc of perfume
• 250cc of eau de toilette
• £145 worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs

If you have not exceeded your allowances, go through the green channel. If you have any more than these allowances you must declare the goods in the red channel or use the red point phone. If you do not, you are breaking the law and may be prosecuted.
You should also be aware that:

• If you are under 17 you cannot bring tobacco or alcohol into the UK.
• You are entitled to the allowances above, only if you travel with the goods and do not sell them.
• If you bring in something worth more than the limit of £145, you must pay charges on the full value, not just the value above £145.
• You and anyone you are travelling with cannot pool your individual allowances to bring in an item worth more than the limit. You will have to pay charges on the full value of the item.
• If you are bringing back any duty-free or tax-free goods you bought when you left the UK, these count as part of your allowance.
• If you also have tobacco or alcohol goods that you bought in an EU country (other than tobacco products over the limit for imports from that country), you will not have to pay any more duty or tax on these so long as: they are for your own use; and you can show that you have paid duty and tax in an EU country, for example

 

[Jets fan]

When we returned on 19 April there was not a customs man in sight. We have never been stopped - but you never know, there's always that unknown element that worries everybody.

 

[dc1964]

things are so cheap in the malls, you can buy lots of designer clothes off bargain rails for next to nothing, actually £145 is quite alot unless you are buying large electrical items or jewellry i would not worry, just dont have the receipts on you when you go through. You could mail the receipts home if you wanted.

 

[sha_sha]

thank you for you responses

wooohhhh 50 days to go

 

[Jets fan]

things are so cheap in the malls, you can buy lots of designer clothes off bargain rails for next to nothing, actually £145 is quite alot unless you are buying large electrical items or jewellry i would not worry, just dont have the receipts on you when you go through. You could mail the receipts home if you wanted.

Do you know, I've never thought of mailing the receipts back, great idea as we usually destroy them !

 

[Bigbluebear]

I have never seen a customs controller in sight when returning home.

Its mostly clothes that myself and my family usually buy, so labels and receipts are removed and destroyed before returning home. As far as i know they cant do anything about it then since they cant prove where you bought the stuff.

I dont think ive ever brought anything back worth more than £145 that hasnt been clothes.

 

[ali5on]

Hi. I just got back this week. I bought some cosmetics, shoes, a few souveniers etc. I'm pretty sure I was under the £145 limit but then I wondered if children have the same limit too? My kids bought a few Nintendo DS games and some Lego which if added to my goodies would certainly take me over.

 

[daipp]

When we returned on 19 April there was not a customs man in sight. We have never been stopped - but you never know, there's always that unknown element that worries everybody.

I have never seen a customs controller in sight when returning home.

I've said this before on these forums; trust me 100%, they are there and they are watching you. I've done joint operations with Customs officers in the past and they know exactly who and what they are looking for. A useful piece of advice - your cases are x-rayed before you collect them.

David

 

[dc1964]

I've said this before on these forums; trust me 100%, they are there and they are watching you. I've done joint operations with Customs officers in the past and they know exactly who and what they are looking for. A useful piece of advice - your cases are x-rayed before you collect them.

David

good advice, no one here is advocating any sort of smuggling at a level that customs or any other sort of joint operations would be interested in, i assumed we are talking about the obvious bargains that are available, ie trainers, sports clothing, designer clothing and jeans.

 

[sha_sha]

I don't want to smuggle anything . I was just on about trainers, jeans etc.

 

[Bigbluebear]

I've said this before on these forums; trust me 100%, they are there and they are watching you. I've done joint operations with Customs officers in the past and they know exactly who and what they are looking for. A useful piece of advice - your cases are x-rayed before you collect them.

David

is it wise to pass through the nothing to declare gate then if the case is full of clothes and shoes etc bought in the states, with no tags or reciepts, worth more than £150? Whats the liklihood of being stopped?

 

[Goofyish]

Hi. I just got back this week. I bought some cosmetics, shoes, a few souveniers etc. I'm pretty sure I was under the £145 limit but then I wondered if children have the same limit too? My kids bought a few Nintendo DS games and some Lego which if added to my goodies would certainly take me over.

Children have the same limits, but you can't pool your allowances (they don't have alcohol or tabacco allowances obviously).

Remember even items like ride photos are part of your allowance!

 

[mickg7dyd]

Hi,
I attended an airshow once and HMRC had a stand there. The guy looked a bit bored so I stopped to have a chat with him. I asked him about bringing things I had bought back into the Country. He said that whilst the £145 applied "they weren't out to ruin peoples holidays" He did say however that they regularly have a "blitz" where they stop a high number of passengers. He also said that few people realise that it is you the passenger that has to prove that you DIDN'T buy any items abroad not the other way round. He told me that in his experience few people are prosecuted for being over the limit but technicaly you are breaking the law and could be. I agree that often the Customs hall appears empty and it may be worth the risk, just hope it's not a "blitz" day.

Mick.

 

[rpbert1]

If you post all receipts home ,and you are stopped you could be in for a difficult time. like the other poster said, its up to you to provide prices of items they ask you about including receipts, if you cannot ,they decide the prices. I keep most of my receipts, up to the allowed limit. the others i would have to argue about having bought them the year before, and hope for the best.

 

[kirst_al UK]

I probably have about £145 worth of disney gear when we come back PLUS anything else we buy...clothes, jewellery etc....

I think that in all honestly they really aren't bothered about the tax element of things coming in in comparison to the smuggling of cigs, drugs etc.....anything whereby a profit can be made is what i think they aim for not a abercrombie and fitch t-shirt here or a dkny watch there....