RE: filmscanners: Buying a scanner - from the US

["Mark Otway" <mark@otway.com>]

>>      I have been following this thread and would like to add 
>> that you WILL be charged Duty and VAT on these items, Approx 
>> 3.2 Percent in Duty and then 17.5 Percent in VAT. The only 
>> way to avoid this is to have the item sent my normal US 
>> AirMail, all other carriers UPS,FedEx etc will charge you, 
>> especially at the moment where ALL goods are being X-Rayed 
>> to and from the US.

Are you sure? The HMC&E page
(http://www.hmce.gov.uk/bus/regions/dutyrate.htm) lists computer &
peripherals as not incurring an import duty. I can't see how the scanner
can be classed as anything other than a peripheral. When I imported my
laptop I was surprised to find that there's no import duty, but it's
absolutely true. Havins said that, even if import duty was levied at
3.2%, it'd still be a damned-sight cheaper than buying it over here
(particularly with US/GBP rates as they are).

The VAT isn't a problem, as this'll be a company purchase, so I'll be
able to claim it back or not pay it In the first place.

Mark