Re: Parcelforce fees

["mark_harrison_uk2" <mph@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Mal Lansell" <mlansell@f...> wrote:
> It smells like a scam to me.

That's tax for you :-)

You, of course, have the option to do your own customs clearance.
"Simply" get the goods shipped to a bonded customs warehouse,
fill in
the paperwork on arrival, submit it to customs (in person), and then
collect the goods a few days later, paying the warehouse what's owed
for storage in the meantime.

It's been the case, well, for many hundreds of years, that
"shipping"
did NOT include the costs of customs clearance.

> The postage, VAT and this "fee" added another =A355 to the
cost of=20
> the item - that wiped out a goodly chunk of the savings from buying=20
> overseas :-(

This subject comes up several times a year on UKHA_D, and many people
have made the point that the group "bulk buys" have only been run
in
order to get hold of stuff not available in the UK, not to try to save
money compared to buying from a UK supplier.

------------

Oh, but yes, I do think it's a scam.=20

I think that the "total rate of tax" we all have to pay is
outrageous.

Here's a quiz question: I want to buy a CD that costs =A310 (ex vat) for
my wife's birthday ...  How much do I need to charge a client in order
to earn enough money to do that, assuming that I run my business
completely efficiently with no overhead costs?

Take a guess before you page down to the answer...















=A323.01 is what I have to invoice. =A313.01 goes in tax, and =A310.00 goes
to the retailer....

1: The CD costs =A310 + vat
2: I have to pay =A311.75 including VAT to the retailer
3: I pay 40% income tax, so I have to earn =A319.58 before tax to be
left with =A311.75 in my pocket.
4: I have to charge my clients VAT, so I have to invoice =A323.01 to a
client in order to buy a =A310 CD.