VAT and Exports to the US

[Jim_Gruber]

Question,
Do UK suppliers include VAT on parts and pieces shipped to the US. Or is VAT excluded as it is an exported part. Prices for some items look to be significantly cheaper if ordered from UK even when Shipping is included. Thinking BE Seat Kits and Major Suspension Kit two things I looked at.

 

[BlueMax]

No VAT tax for exported goods, however other taxes and fees that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects on goods being imported into the United States. CBP collects federal taxes and fees on behalf of other federal agencies and under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Whether or not additional tax is required depends on the commodity being imported. For example, imports of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products are subject to Federal Excise Tax. The Internal Revenue Service establishes the amount of this tax and CBP collects it on their behalf. To find out if additional taxes and fees are required on the goods you import and the amount, you should contact an import specialist at the port of entry through which the goods will be entering the United States.
In addition to duty and possible excise tax, goods imported into the United States are subject to user fees. The user fee and amount collected by CBP depends on the type of entry and mode of transportation used to bring the goods into the United States. For instance, formal and informal entries are subject to a Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF). The MPF for formal entries is an ad valorem fee of 0.3464 percent. The maximum amount of the fee shall not exceed $485 and shall not be less than $25. The fee is based on the value of the merchandise being imported, not including duty, freight, and insurance charges. MPF for informal entries (i.e. goods imported via mail etc.) is a set fee and ranges from $5.00 to $9.00 per shipment.
If the mode of transportation is via ship a Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) is collected by CBP. HMF is .125 percent of the value of the commercial cargo shipped through identified ports. HMF is not collected on cargo imported or transported via air or mailed. However, goods that are shipped are subject to both MPF and HMF.
If you can have your shipper send USP if possible you may overt the taxes, also don't forget to calculate the cost of currency exchange rate and fees.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Thanks, Prices for Seat Kit from AH Spares looks attractive and fit well although I recall someone said Shiping from there was quite expensive. + That ought to be something that can be sent UPS

 

[RickB]

I got a recent quote for shipping a Bugeye grille and they have become more reasonable - only 40 GBP now.
Sounds like a lot but this brings their triple plated "PREMIUM" grade grille to about $330 (US) delivered which is a whole lot better than any domestic outfit will do and I'll bet this is a better item as well.

 

[David_Doan]

Thanks, Prices for Seat Kit from AH Spares looks attractive and fit well although I recall someone said Shiping from there was quite expensive. + That ought to be something that can be sent UPS

Jim,

I bought all my interior stuff from AH Spares. Their initial shipping quote was very high, I told them that that made buying from them unattractive vs. buying from stateside suppliers. They then reduced their shiping cost by about 50% which put them less than Moss and they had everything I needed including extra vinyl to recover the dash. The cheaper shipping was slower, but I got my stuff in less than 2 weeks.

 

[David_Doan]

Here's the link to the thread from when I bought my stuff. There were no tax or duties on my order.

 

[Gerard]

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Question,
Do UK suppliers include VAT on parts and pieces shipped to the US. Or is VAT excluded as it is an exported part. Prices for some items look to be significantly cheaper if ordered from UK even when Shipping is included. Thinking BE Seat Kits and Major Suspension Kit two things I looked at.

Jim,
VAT does not apply to exported goods and vintage auto parts are exempt.

As far as Bugeye seat kits, you should email me direct as I have a line on a very reputable product.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Gerard will do. Would rather buy "local" than go overseas. Still sorting out what I bought with Bugsy II. Needing to finish all of the welding as all of the panels were simply tack welded rather than finish welded didn't figure into my timeline. Alignment is really good and gaps are very, very small that will need to be finished but I had not counted on needing to do that. My MIG Skills will get a workout. Here is where a TIG would come in handy with being able to control much better rather than burning holes. Replacing beading on bonnet looks to be a major PITA. Bonnet straight other than RF Fender has a lot of bondo and some lumps on the curve on side of RF Headlight. Just need time to get in there with Dremel and cut out the beading, gloves, eye, and face protection definitely needed. Need to find some good metal prep stuff to treat the surface rust. Still calculating budgets and finding time to pull flywheel off and get out to you. I've spent the last week every night on Honey Do kitchen remodel and spring Cleanup outside Projects. At least another week before I can even find any time for Bugsy II.

A review of paperwork and receipts that came with Bugsy II shows that I appear to be the 3rd owner of a BE with < 24k miles on it. All of the accessories sitting in boxes are fairly clean, heater fan spins smoothly for example, stuff was kept dry and wiring harness, still supple and not all oily, greasy, hacked up. I haven't had time other than casual glances at stuff to put all of the restoration tasks in order. Bonnet will come first as it appears to be the toughest bodywork to fix. It will all be fixed in time. Hey thanks for the tip on seat kits.