Will I have to pay import tax on software I bought over the net?

[ASB]

Hmm, actually - seeing as books are not subject to VAT, and I could argue they were free anyway, could I just ask them to mark them "Printed papers"? As long as the value is under £18, they get straight through then, don't they?

Whether they are subject to vat or not depends on HMRC view when they clear it. If the books are not a unique product then whether there is vat or not is dependant upon the composite product.

If whoever is clearing it sees the doc saying "printed papers NCV", or "printed papers 30$" or whatever they will either think to themselves "This is papers can't be worth a lot" and let it go through- or they might think, hm wonder what this really is - lets have a look see.

Obviously they have system which cause them to pick certain things for further inspection. Importing a kilo brick of coke marked "printed papers no commercial value" is not likely to be a long term successful career.

If you are trying to import something under the limit fine, if you are trying to import something over the limit and hoping to get away with it then that's your conscience. HMRC are hardly likely to publish a guide to help you though.

[ashleymoran]

Obviously they have system which cause them to pick certain things for further inspection. Importing a kilo brick of coke marked "printed papers no commercial value" is not likely to be a long term successful career.

Ha, no, but I did used to know a guy that had brown paper packets delivered from south america on a regular basis. They were labelled "coffee", but I think the espresso machine he had delivered was just a cover.

If you are trying to import something under the limit fine, if you are trying to import something over the limit and hoping to get away with it then that's your conscience. HMRC are hardly likely to publish a guide to help you though.

Well I genuinely do think it isn't worth much, since I already have the software and PDF manual... I'm using it right now. Certainly, I've bought many computer books worth less than £18.

And your attempt to make me feel guilty about not donating money to HMRC is futile

[PAH]

Just download everything and print out the PDF/docs yourself. A ream of paper and an ink cartridge are peanuts.

Then there's no additional tax to worry about.

[ASB]

And your attempt to make me feel guilty about not donating money to HMRC is futile

I'm not trying to make you feel guilty.

Worst case: they decide you pay vat on the product (about 50 quid) which you reclaim anyway. You pay perhaps 15 quid in handling charges which you offset.

Likely case: They accept the docs are not worth more than 18 quid. You pay nothing.

Point is whatever happens it's no big deal. I used to import quite a lot of stuff from various places. Sometimes I had to pay when I didn't think I should. Sometimes I didn't. From a commercial impact it was an absolute irrelevance.

ultimately the maximum impact was the 8 quid handling fee from Post office or the bit more than that charge by the couriers

[ashleymoran]

I'm not trying to make you feel guilty.

Don't think I can't tell you're a HMRC sympathiser really

Point is whatever happens it's no big deal. I used to import quite a lot of stuff from various places. Sometimes I had to pay when I didn't think I should. Sometimes I didn't. From a commercial impact it was an absolute irrelevance.

You're probably right there. I had feared the cost of importing it would be much higher. I have bad memories from a good few years back, but thinking about it that was UPS. I swear I paid more when that book got here than I did when I ordered it over the net.

I've already asked them to send it marked printed papers, so I'll just see what happens when it turns up.

Cheers
Ashley