@elduvelle not sure if this is UK specific but usually customs tax or customs duty is levied on anything that's imported into a country. I think the customs officers don't really know/care if the imported item is a gift or not, and these taxes can sometimes even be higher than cost of items being imported (depending on which country they are being imported from and the price of the item). Happened with my partner once when he had backed a kickstarter - that's how we learnt how high these taxes can be!
Discussion
Loading...
@manisha yeah, apparently in the UK both are treated slightly differently (see these rules, but for some reason the threshold for gifts is lower (taxed if their value is £35+ while "goods" worth £135+ are taxed). It's been a few times now that I get presents from friends and family from abroad (including nearby France, thank you #Brexit) and am asked to pay in order to be able to receive the package, this just feels like extortion
@elduvelle oh dang! How do they determine if it's a gift or not and its value? I am guessing they make the sender declare it? In any case, it sucks! :(