Hey guys, I am looking for a massive favour, trying to purchase a pair of New Balance trainers that I can only find on US websites.

Anybody volunteer to take delivery and send them onto me, I will suitably reimburse them for this service.

I think if they deliver them direct to me I get hit with customs import taxes....

You'll have to pay anything from 4% to 17% import duty. You need to check at Duty.

Click on Browse and then find what you're looking for. I went Section XII, Chapter 64 but then it depneds on what the trainers actually are. I went 6402 then 12 then 19 and get 17% after picking USA from the pulldown menu.

....then if the value is more than £18 (from a website) or £36 (if a gift from one private individual to another) 17.5% VAT....

and then £4 for the P.O. to get them through customs. But only if there is duty to pay. There's duty on DVDs but if they declare the value is less than £18 then it usually comes straight through no problem.

So your £30 trainers end up costing £45

The sender has to fill in a form that states what the goods are and their value. If they lie then you are responsible and can be fined and/or have the goods confiscated.

Isn't there a rule which says if the package is a gift then there will no customs duty to pay? I bought an expensive camera from Canada (e-bay) and even with duty it would have been considerably cheaper than buying in the UK. However, the seller had ticked gift and stated a value quite a bit lower than I had paid and, hey presto, no duty

Well I plumped for taking a gamble.

Will let you know how much it costs all in (if anybody is interested!)

Like anyone is going to trust YOU!

GRE manager referred to as an "expert" in AYR press release today,
so I am sure this "espert" can calculate a bit of import tax !

Ahhhh, but you don't know in what context I was calling him an "expert"

The AYR v GRE press release was a good read.
It sure fired both teams up who collected 4 points each last session.
Nillis has a decent roster at AYR and could yet snatch a play-off place.

As for the topic - US Taxation? Write on parcel "nothing to declare"

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I think that's the funniest thing i've heard since someone told me that GRE was going to beat AYR a little while ago! Remind me, what was the score, oh GRE manager!?