Hi All,

I am thinking of heading over to France to buy some items from Leroy Merlin (DIY store) and bring them back. Looking online, the new rules and regulations I find a bit confusing. Has anyone done this lately? My specific questions are...
1. It seems I can claim the French VAT back but it is unclear how. Some sites say that the retailer (Leroy Merlin in my case) has to have some sort of tax refund thing. Others seem to imply you just need your receipt that says you have paid VAT. Then there seems to be something to do at the port.
2. There is a limit of £390 per person and you can't come mine allowances if there is more than one person travelling together. Does this mean I will need to have separate receipts for each person/ allowance?
3. As far as I can make out if you are over the £390 then you pay import duty and UK vat on the whole amount rather than the items that take you over the limit. Is that true as it seems v odd?
4. It is also unclear which exchange rate they use to calculate it. Any ideas?

Thanks very much

Lee.

Lee Nowell <lee@nowell.me> wrote:
> 4. It is also unclear which exchange rate they use to calculate it. Any ideas?

Can't comment on the others but for that one HMRC maintain tables of
exchange rates for calculating taxes and duties:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-exchange-rates-for-2023-monthly

They give the rates until the end of the current month, so that should be
acceptable for on the spot calculations.

Theo

On 05/08/2023 15:22, Lee Nowell wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I am thinking of heading over to France to buy some items from Leroy Merlin (DIY store) and bring them back. Looking online, the new rules and regulations I find a bit confusing. Has anyone done this lately? My specific questions are...
> 1. It seems I can claim the French VAT back but it is unclear how. Some sites say that the retailer (Leroy Merlin in my case) has to have some sort of tax refund thing. Others seem to imply you just need your receipt that says you have paid VAT. Then there seems to be something to do at the port.
> 2. There is a limit of £390 per person and you can't come mine allowances if there is more than one person travelling together. Does this mean I will need to have separate receipts for each person/ allowance?
> 3. As far as I can make out if you are over the £390 then you pay import duty and UK vat on the whole amount rather than the items that take you over the limit. Is that true as it seems v odd?

If you exceed the threshold, it becomes a business import, so there is
no personal allowance element. Hence you pay import duty and VAT on the
whole amount. That is exactly the same as it was before we joined the
Common Market, except that it would have been purchase tax, rather than VAT.

> 4. It is also unclear which exchange rate they use to calculate it. Any ideas?
>
> Thanks very much
>
> Lee.

--
Colin Bignell

Lee Nowell <lee@nowell.me> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I am thinking of heading over to France to buy some items from Leroy Merlin
> (DIY store) and bring them back. Looking online, the new rules and regulations

I'm amazed that you can find *anything* cheaper in a french D-I-Y
store! We have a small boat in France and, as far as possible, I take
everything I need for it (carpentry, electrics, etc.) from the UK as
it's much cheaper over here.

> I find a bit confusing. Has anyone done this lately? My specific questions
> are...
> 1. It seems I can claim the French VAT back but it is unclear how. Some
> sites say that the retailer (Leroy Merlin in my case) has to have some
> sort of tax refund thing. Others seem to imply you just need your receipt
> that says you have paid VAT. Then there seems to be something to do at
> the port.

I think the standard thing is that you prove that you are a buyer from
outside the EU when you buy. I *think* I've seen tax-free buying
advertised at Auchan but I'm not absolutely sure,

> 2. There is a limit of £390 per person and you can't come mine allowances
> if there is more than one person travelling together. Does this mean I
> will need to have separate receipts for each person/ allowance?

In reality I doubt if anyone will bother looking at what you have. I
can't see any issue with half a bag of cement being mine and the other
half being yours.

> 3. As far as I can make out if you are over the £390 then you pay import
> duty and UK vat on the whole amount rather than the items that take you
> over the limit. Is that true as it seems v odd?

That's actually pretty standard, once you are over the limit you pay
duty on the whole lot.

> 4. It is also unclear which exchange rate they use to calculate it. Any ideas?
>
Current inter-bank rate probably.

Unless you bring a vehicle absolutely choc full of new stuff I don't
believe customs ar going to care to be quite honest. At the French
end they are just checking for bodies hidden away in your vehicle. At
the English end I really don't know what theylook for or how they
decide on which cars to stop. I've not been stopped in umpteen years
of travelling back and forth to France, except to ask the odd question
like 'where have you come from?' and 'what did you do there?'.

--
Chris Green
·

In message <bUadnZqvT9P5_VP5nZ2dnZeNn_hi4p2d@giganews.com>, Colin
Bignell <cpb@bignellREMOVETHIS.me.uk> writes
>On 05/08/2023 15:22, Lee Nowell wrote:
>> Hi All,
>> I am thinking of heading over to France to buy some items from Leroy
>>Merlin (DIY store) and bring them back. Looking online, the new rules
>>and regulations I find a bit confusing. Has anyone done this lately?
>>My specific questions are...
>> 1. It seems I can claim the French VAT back but it is unclear how.
>>Some sites say that the retailer (Leroy Merlin in my case) has to have
>>some sort of tax refund thing. Others seem to imply you just need your
>>receipt that says you have paid VAT. Then there seems to be something
>>to do at the port.
>> 2. There is a limit of £390 per person and you can't come mine
>>allowances if there is more than one person travelling together. Does
>>this mean I will need to have separate receipts for each person/
>>allowance?
>> 3. As far as I can make out if you are over the £390 then you pay
>>import duty and UK vat on the whole amount rather than the items that
>>take you over the limit. Is that true as it seems v odd?
>
>If you exceed the threshold, it becomes a business import, so there is
>no personal allowance element. Hence you pay import duty and VAT on the
>whole amount. That is exactly the same as it was before we joined the
>Common Market, except that it would have been purchase tax, rather than
>VAT.
>
>> 4. It is also unclear which exchange rate they use to calculate it.
>>Any ideas?
>> Thanks very much
>> Lee.
>
Oh the joys of the Brexit Bonuses!
--
Ian
Aims and ambitions are neither attainments nor achievements

On 05/08/2023 16:03, Ian Jackson wrote:
> In message <bUadnZqvT9P5_VP5nZ2dnZeNn_hi4p2d@giganews.com>, Colin
> Bignell <cpb@bignellREMOVETHIS.me.uk> writes
>> On 05/08/2023 15:22, Lee Nowell wrote:
>>> Hi All,
>>>  I am thinking of heading over to France to buy some items from Leroy
>>> Merlin (DIY store) and bring them back. Looking online, the new rules
>>> and regulations I find a bit confusing. Has anyone done this lately?
>>> My specific questions are...
>>> 1. It seems I can claim the French VAT back but it is unclear how.
>>> Some sites say that the retailer (Leroy Merlin in my case) has to
>>> have some sort of tax refund thing. Others seem to imply you just
>>> need your receipt that says you have paid VAT.  Then there seems to
>>> be something to do at the port.
>>> 2. There is a limit of £390 per person and you can't come mine
>>> allowances if there is more than one person travelling together. Does
>>> this mean I will need to have separate receipts for each person/
>>> allowance?
>>> 3. As far as I can make out if you are over the £390 then you pay
>>> import duty and UK vat on the whole amount rather than the items that
>>> take you over the limit.  Is that true as it seems v odd?
>>
>> If you exceed the threshold, it becomes a business import, so there is
>> no personal allowance element. Hence you pay import duty and VAT on
>> the whole amount. That is exactly the same as it was before we joined
>> the Common Market, except that it would have been purchase tax, rather
>> than VAT.
>>
>>> 4. It is also unclear which exchange rate they use to calculate it.
>>> Any ideas?
>>>  Thanks very much
>>>  Lee.
>>
> Oh the joys of the Brexit Bonuses!

Quite, it encourages purchase of UK stocked items. More UK taxes rather
than profiting other government's coffers.

On Saturday, 5 August 2023 at 16:03:08 UTC+1, Chris Green wrote:
> Lee Nowell <l...@nowell.me> wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I am thinking of heading over to France to buy some items from Leroy Merlin
> > (DIY store) and bring them back. Looking online, the new rules and regulations
> I'm amazed that you can find *anything* cheaper in a french D-I-Y
> store! We have a small boat in France and, as far as possible, I take
> everything I need for it (carpentry, electrics, etc.) from the UK as
> it's much cheaper over here.
> > I find a bit confusing. Has anyone done this lately? My specific questions
> > are...
> > 1. It seems I can claim the French VAT back but it is unclear how. Some
> > sites say that the retailer (Leroy Merlin in my case) has to have some
> > sort of tax refund thing. Others seem to imply you just need your receipt
> > that says you have paid VAT. Then there seems to be something to do at
> > the port.
> I think the standard thing is that you prove that you are a buyer from
> outside the EU when you buy. I *think* I've seen tax-free buying
> advertised at Auchan but I'm not absolutely sure,
> > 2. There is a limit of £390 per person and you can't come mine allowances
> > if there is more than one person travelling together. Does this mean I
> > will need to have separate receipts for each person/ allowance?
> In reality I doubt if anyone will bother looking at what you have. I
> can't see any issue with half a bag of cement being mine and the other
> half being yours.
> > 3. As far as I can make out if you are over the £390 then you pay import
> > duty and UK vat on the whole amount rather than the items that take you
> > over the limit. Is that true as it seems v odd?
> That's actually pretty standard, once you are over the limit you pay
> duty on the whole lot.
> > 4. It is also unclear which exchange rate they use to calculate it. Any ideas?
> >
> Current inter-bank rate probably.
>
>
> Unless you bring a vehicle absolutely choc full of new stuff I don't
> believe customs ar going to care to be quite honest. At the French
> end they are just checking for bodies hidden away in your vehicle. At
> the English end I really don't know what theylook for or how they
> decide on which cars to stop. I've not been stopped in umpteen years
> of travelling back and forth to France, except to ask the odd question
> like 'where have you come from?' and 'what did you do there?'.
>
> --
> Chris Green
> ·

The items are plastic pedestals to lay tiles on top of. They are unfortunately quite bulky so will probably fill the car. Might even have to have a box or 2 on the roof. So likely to draw attention I guess.

On 05/08/2023 16:39, Fredxx wrote:
> On 05/08/2023 16:03, Ian Jackson wrote:
>> In message <bUadnZqvT9P5_VP5nZ2dnZeNn_hi4p2d@giganews.com>, Colin
>> Bignell <cpb@bignellREMOVETHIS.me.uk> writes
>>> On 05/08/2023 15:22, Lee Nowell wrote:
>>>> Hi All,
>>>>  I am thinking of heading over to France to buy some items from
>>>> Leroy Merlin (DIY store) and bring them back. Looking online, the
>>>> new rules and regulations I find a bit confusing. Has anyone done
>>>> this lately? My specific questions are...
>>>> 1. It seems I can claim the French VAT back but it is unclear how.
>>>> Some sites say that the retailer (Leroy Merlin in my case) has to
>>>> have some sort of tax refund thing. Others seem to imply you just
>>>> need your receipt that says you have paid VAT.  Then there seems to
>>>> be something to do at the port.
>>>> 2. There is a limit of £390 per person and you can't come mine
>>>> allowances if there is more than one person travelling together.
>>>> Does this mean I will need to have separate receipts for each
>>>> person/ allowance?
>>>> 3. As far as I can make out if you are over the £390 then you pay
>>>> import duty and UK vat on the whole amount rather than the items
>>>> that take you over the limit.  Is that true as it seems v odd?
>>>
>>> If you exceed the threshold, it becomes a business import, so there
>>> is no personal allowance element. Hence you pay import duty and VAT
>>> on the whole amount. That is exactly the same as it was before we
>>> joined the Common Market, except that it would have been purchase
>>> tax, rather than VAT.
>>>
>>>> 4. It is also unclear which exchange rate they use to calculate it.
>>>> Any ideas?
>>>>  Thanks very much
>>>>  Lee.
>>>
>> Oh the joys of the Brexit Bonuses!
>
> Quite, it encourages purchase of UK stocked items. More UK taxes rather
> than profiting other government's coffers.

Duty free allowances were a big factor in day trips across the Channel
before we joined the Common Market, so I don't see that argument holds
water.

--
Colin Bignell

On 05/08/2023 16:03, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Oh the joys of the Brexit Bonuses!
Fuck off you hate filled loser.

--
Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the
gospel of envy.

Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.

Winston Churchill

They deliberately make it complicated so nobody knows if they get it wrong.
Brian

--

--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
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briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Lee Nowell" <lee@nowell.me> wrote in message
news:d5ca523a-98b0-48d0-ac1c-840ea67ad6d2n@googlegroups.com...
Hi All,

I am thinking of heading over to France to buy some items from Leroy Merlin
(DIY store) and bring them back. Looking online, the new rules and
regulations I find a bit confusing. Has anyone done this lately? My
specific questions are...
1. It seems I can claim the French VAT back but it is unclear how. Some
sites say that the retailer (Leroy Merlin in my case) has to have some sort
of tax refund thing. Others seem to imply you just need your receipt that
says you have paid VAT. Then there seems to be something to do at the port.
2. There is a limit of �390 per person and you can't come mine allowances if
there is more than one person travelling together. Does this mean I will
need to have separate receipts for each person/ allowance?
3. As far as I can make out if you are over the �390 then you pay import
duty and UK vat on the whole amount rather than the items that take you over
the limit. Is that true as it seems v odd?
4. It is also unclear which exchange rate they use to calculate it. Any
ideas?

Thanks very much

Lee.