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Saxophones Importing a sax?

Not necessarily an import tax as such if the instrument is second hand (there seems to be some disagreement there) but you will be charged, for sure, VAT + Handling through customs ( a right that couriers or postal services levy because they do some customs procedure for you).

However, officially, if buying a NEW item outside of the EU you should be charged also an import tax

http://www.dutycalculator.com/dc/20...-from-united-states-to-united-kingdom-is-3.7/

the same source actually says you are supposed to pay some duty

http://www.dutycalculator.com/dc/14...-from-united-states-to-united-kingdom-is-3.2/

Buying form any EU country you won’t be subject to any of this.

here more information

http://www.ukimports.org/customs_commodity_classification_hs_codes_online_taric.html
 
If you are receiving a package from overseas (unless it’s from another EU Country), please be aware that it may incur customs charges. Any package assessed as being liable for customs charges will also incur a Royal Mail handling fee of £8.
Any goods imported into the UK over the value of £15 are liable to import VAT. Gifts between private individuals over the value of £36 are also liable for VAT
The value you pay VAT on includes:
local sales taxes
postage, packaging
insurance
any duty already charged

so, you'll pay 20% VAT on the value of the instrument and the cost of shipping and insurance, plus a handling fee of £8
 
altissimo said:
If you are receiving a package from overseas (unless it’s from another EU Country), please be aware that it may incur customs charges. Any package assessed as being liable for customs charges will also incur a Royal Mail handling fee of £8.
Any goods imported into the UK over the value of £15 are liable to import VAT. Gifts between private individuals over the value of £36 are also liable for VAT
The value you pay VAT on includes:
local sales taxes
postage, packaging
insurance
any duty already charged

so, you'll pay 20% VAT on the value of the instrument and the cost of shipping and insurance, plus a handling fee of £8
Click to expand...

I can understand the 20% on the value of the item, but having to also pay on the shipping/insurance seems rather unfair, but then when was anything fair.
 
BUMNOTE said:
Dont know if this in the right place,so sorry if incorrect....if you wanted to buy a sax from u s a,would you have to pay any extra charges.ie import tax or anything else:confused:.Thanks Bumnote.
Click to expand...

Its worth pointing out that if the horn is not well packed the chance of damage will be greater due to the distance and then there is the hassle of dealing with this.
 
Packing well is a must and distance hardly ever matters because most of the times a package go through a similar amount of changing of hands while only the length of the haul in between the main shipping points changes.

Regardless whether you send a horn to the next county or across the world one should always pack well.

My wife and I have discovered that one of the best isolation material to put all around a case are egg cartons. Which we save especially for this purpose.


The horn inside a case needs to be padded in the case so that it cannot shake, rattle and roll :) anyway. Then you put your case in a large carton box (or you make one around the case using smaller carton boxes) making sure that is completely suspended on all sides with egg cartons all around the inner case.

The saxophone this way will cushion any hit (but the saxophone inside the case has to be absolutely incapable of moving in the case!!)

Egg cartons are lightweight but (when closed) very sturdy (they are made to protect eggs after all).

We have been complimented many times for our shipping technique.


ProfJames said:
Have bought four horns from the USA over the last year....works out at about 30% of the cost you pay for it including delivery
Click to expand...


Yes, as you can see from the calculator that I have provided.
 
milandro said:
Packing well is a must and distance hardly ever matters because most of the times a package go through a similar amount of changing of hands while only the length of the haul in between the main shipping points changes.

Regardless whether you send a horn to the next county or across the world one should always pack well.

My wife and I have discovered that one of the best isolation material to put all around a case are egg cartons. Which we save especially for this purpose.


The horn inside a case needs to be padded in the case so that it cannot shake, rattle and roll :) anyway. Then you put your case in a large carton box (or you make one around the case using smaller carton boxes) making sure that is completely suspended on all sides with egg cartons all around the inner case.

The saxophone this way will cushion any hit (but the saxophone inside the case has to be absolutely incapable of moving in the case!!)

Egg cartons are lightweight but (when closed) very sturdy (they are made to protect eggs after all).

We have been complimented many times for our shipping technique.





Yes, as you can see from the calculator that I have provided.
Click to expand...

Yes a well packed item will get anywhere in the world,but surely there is more risk of damage the further you send or receive from as there is more handling of the said item,i just bought a sax this week that was poorly pack and came damaged from the UK which is a shame because it was a nice horn.
Great idea with the egg cartons will try this the next time i ship a horn.
 
30% is a rough figure, some people would need a precise one

I disagree on the fact that distance makes the need to pack better or greater. Most of the times distance only plays a role for the train or aeroplane haul between the same handling factors and number of handling.
 
milandro said:
30% is a rough figure, some people would need a precise one

I disagree on the fact that distance makes the need to pack better or greater. Most of the times distance only plays a role for the train or aeroplane haul between the same handling factors and number of handling.
Click to expand...

I see where you are coming from,i think the point i was trying to make is a poorly packed sax can still get there safe if the handling is down to a minimum,i sometimes use a local company who i take the package to,its put on a van and delivered to the customer,not too much handling,but if it has to go to 3 or 4 or more hubs where its handled on and off there is more risk,after all we take our saxes to and from gigs,we don't pack them we just handle them with care.
 
it was actually a relatively small parcel

“........
My colleague Martin, who usually packs our bassoon, was delighted with the care you'd taken to pack the Huller. Egg boxes seem a great idea. We also take great care in packing our bassoons for shipping, but sadly other people sometimes don't.

Thank you for sending your bassoon. I have no doubt it will go to a very happy home....."
 
Last edited by a moderator:
thank you, I take great pride in selling very good things and shipping them accordingly. although accidents can always happen (twice in the US customs opened my carefully packaged saxophone and closed it not as carefully and it arrived damaged.


Although I certainly try to make a small profit to then reinvest in a new saxophone and some fun things, I am and stay mostly an Amateur who has used the buying and selling especially to learn about many, many saxophones.
 
There`s nothing wrong with a bit of profit to bring the price of your upgrades down . I`ve done this with boxes (Diatonic button accordions) though mainly by getting fixer-uppers for little cash and fixing or totally rebuilding them. I ended up with way too many so traded a number of them for the brand new Yam 62 Alto which as a consequence stands me at a fraction of its shelf cash price :) (which even David Buffet would be Impressed with) .

Your Horn prices look good to me and courier from the netherlands isn`t too high - I`m sure also that all the trying out results in you ending up with just what you want/need :) . Win/Win situation for all .
 

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