Buying Cameras Overseas and Importing into USA

[Alex Sandman]

Hi all. I'm considering buying a used Alexa from a store in the UK and having it shipped to me in the Boston area of Massachusetts. I am having great difficulty ascertaining what (if any) import duties and/or sales taxes I will have to pay. Everyone I speak to gives me a different answer. Dutycalculator.com says 0%, a customs broker in the USA says 1.5%, the store in the UK says 10%, a friend in the UK says 20-25%. Some people have told me I need to register for some kind of import permit or risk a huge fine, some people have said nothing like that is required. It seems the more time I spend trying to figure this out, the more confused I become. I might just give up on this but it's a really good deal and it's exactly what I want.

Thanks so much to anyone who chimes in with some info!

 

[Andrés Garzas]

Check customs just in case. If you declare the camera under "film camera equipment" Rate is 0%

 

[Ted Parkes]

You will likely have to pay the UK VAT at time of purchase which is 20%. It may already be calculated into the sellers price but check to be sure. Some items you can submit to reclaim the VAT but not sure if it would apply in your situation.

 

[Oron Cohen]

You will likely have to pay the UK VAT at time of purchase which is 20%. It may already be calculated into the sellers price but check to be sure. Some items you can submit to reclaim the VAT but not sure if it would apply in your situation.

From experience, If you buy from the UK but ship abroad to a non EU country you DO NOT pay VAT. I did this more then once, as well as a few people I know and work with...
Not sure about the rest though. Sorry.

 

[Alex Sandman]

Thanks everyone. Oron is correct - there is definitely no VAT paid on the UK end unless I go there and pick up the camera. If I pay the company in the UK and they ship to me in the US, the mystery starts at US customs, where there is supposedly a very small merchandise processing fee of .3464% (for items over $2500), but then there is also potential sales tax that varies by state. It's looking more and more like there truly is a 0% import duty rate for "used movie cameras" which I believe is code 9007.10.0000.

So let's say the package arrives at US customs and they asses this .3464% fee, do they notify me to pay that before shipping the package to me? Or do they send me a bill? I don't get it.

 

[Brian F Kobylarz]

So let's say the package arrives at US customs and they asses this .3464% fee, do they notify me to pay that before shipping the package to me? Or do they send me a bill? I don't get it.

My experience has been that US Customs bills through the shipper.

Not sure of the criteria, but sometimes you get a bill in the mail a couple of weeks after delivery, other times it may be a COD amount at delivery. Shipper normally calls in advance if a COD is required.

 

[Bill Sepaniak]

^^^^^ What Brian Said ^^^^^

We used to do quite a bit of importing from the UK (but not cameras or film equipment). At the time we had a commercial UPS account. We simply got a monthly bill with the shipping / duty charges. UPS had their own in-house customs brokers that figured out and collected the duty. As to sales tax that depends on the state where you reside. Since you are not purchasing the camera in the state you reside, in all likelihood, there might not be any "sales tax," ... BUT ... if that is the case ... there will probably be "use tax" ... which is normally the same amount. It is that way here in California .... but it is up to the purchaser report the purchase on his tax return and pay the use tax. YMMV.

 

[Alex Sandman]

This is very helpful, thank you. I think I have also figured out that the MP fee only applies to ocean shipments. Seems like there are more fees associated with ocean than air.