Clearing customs entering UK via EuroTunnel

[Portland]

My father, who was domiciled in France, died a year ago. My mother had to be admitted to a French dementia home and the family house is due to be sold. I want to bring a few family items back to the UK as we return from a trip to the Dordogne at the beginning of September.
I’ve checked the HMRC website and it appears that duty must be paid for goods over the value of £390, even if they are family property!
I wish to bring an Edwardian card table back that is worth just over the duty free limit. I will try and get a local written valuation that is £390 or less! Farcical, as I could mock one up on the computer?
My question is how inquisitive are UK customs when returning through the tunnel and what evidence do they ask for to prove which are your own possessions?
I had wondered whether I could say the Cali fold out table is broken and it is my usual practice to dine and play cards using an antique one!

 

[kp64zl]

Probably a question best not asked on a public forum.

 

[Loz]

I would have thought that customs would only be interested in New goods.

 

[Jodalo]

My father, who was domiciled in France, died a year ago. My mother had to be admitted to a French dementia home and the family house is due to be sold. I want to bring a few family items back to the UK as we return from a trip to the Dordogne at the beginning of September.
I’ve checked the HMRC website and it appears that duty must be paid for goods over the value of £390, even if they are family property!
I wish to bring an Edwardian card table back that is worth just over the duty free limit. I will try and get a local written valuation that is £390 or less! Farcical, as I could mock one up on the computer?
My question is how inquisitive are UK customs when returning through the tunnel and what evidence do they ask for to prove which are your own possessions?
I had wondered whether I could say the Cali fold out table is broken and it is my usual practice to dine and play cards using an antique one!

HMRC know every trick in the book. I wouldn’t try to ‘find’ ways of bringing stuff back into the UK other than legally. Your issue sounds quite complicated if you don’t mind me saying. I would get some proper advice on matters of your parent’s estate and how to proceed. Good luck.

 

[WelshGas]

My father, who was domiciled in France, died a year ago. My mother had to be admitted to a French dementia home and the family house is due to be sold. I want to bring a few family items back to the UK as we return from a trip to the Dordogne at the beginning of September.
I’ve checked the HMRC website and it appears that duty must be paid for goods over the value of £390, even if they are family property!
I wish to bring an Edwardian card table back that is worth just over the duty free limit. I will try and get a local written valuation that is £390 or less! Farcical, as I could mock one up on the computer?
My question is how inquisitive are UK customs when returning through the tunnel and what evidence do they ask for to prove which are your own possessions?
I had wondered whether I could say the Cali fold out table is broken and it is my usual practice to dine and play cards using an antique one!

Get a valuation letter go through the Red channel explain and I doubt if you will pay anything.
Go through the Green channel and if stopped then they'll through the book at you.

 

[Portland]

Thank you for your posts. As you can tell I feel pretty annoyed at paying duty on moving family possessions between countries. I think the only exception to this is when you moving countries with everything you own. I have not used the Tunnel before and it is useful to know how officious agents are. I will obtain a valuation and enter the relevant channel.

 

[Loz]

I'll ask my mate who lives in France and has a house in the UK they move stuff back and forwards all the time.

 

[Portland]

Many thanks

 

[andyinluton]

Have you read "bringing goods into the UK for personal use " on the GOV.UK site?

Seems to suggest that for items up to £1000 if they were made in the EU / UK whilst there are subject to duty, the rate of duty is Zero.

That would potentially still leave you with the VAT. If the item is an antique its subject to 5% VAT if its not an antique its 20%

 

[Portland]

Thanks Andy
I’ve checked the webpage and the relevant section reads
‘When you declare your items, you may not need to pay customs duty on items where all the following are true:
They were grown or made in the EU using only EU ingredients or materials
You bought them in the EU
You are bringing them in from an EU country’

The table was UK manufactured in the 1930s and taken to France by my parents when they moved there in the 1990s. I now wish to bring it back to the UK. As the UK is no longer in the EU I think the above does not apply?
I used the HMRC online assistant yesterday. The agent confirmed £390 limit in this case and the need to show a written valuation.
I hope a French dealer will value table at just below the duty free limit. There are other items I would like to bring back but will have to do it one-by-one over the years ahead if I can find storage.

 

[Loz]

Wouldn't you also say that the table was purchased in the UK and duty(vat) paid at the time? Therefore the table was temporarily exported to France and now it is returning. You can't be expected to pay vat twice.

 

[Portland]

That’s the logical and fairest analysis but I fear the interpretation of the rules by a customs agent might not agree with this. This time I’ll play it safe by taking one item. Arguing your valid point about bringing in several items worth way above the duty threshold and running the risk of large payment and even confiscation would not be a good outcome. Speaking to a HMRC agent online before the journey seemed the safest option. Perhaps I’ll go through the red channel with my ‘duty free valuation’ this time and then ask one of the customs officers about bringing a larger amount of goods next time. Best to get the information from the ‘horse’s mouth’?

 

[andyinluton]

The table was UK manufactured in the 1930s and taken to France by my parents when they moved there in the 1990s. I now wish to bring it back to the UK. As the UK is no longer in the EU I think the above does not apply?

I used the online system as if I was declaring it in advance of arrival, put in uk manufacture & called it an antique, value of £400 & it showed just Vat at 5% being due.

 

[Jodalo]

Have you checked the Gov. UK website on bringing inherited goods back into the UK? (If that is what this table is). It appears that these items are exempt from import duties and VAT.

 

[Jodalo]

Have you checked the Gov. UK website on bringing inherited goods back into the UK? (If that is what this table is). It appears that these items are exempt from import duties and VAT.

See attached

 

[andyinluton]

Have you checked the Gov. UK website on bringing inherited goods back into the UK? (If that is what this table is). It appears that these items are exempt from import duties and VAT.

Thats a good spot, bumping off his mum to save £40 VAT might be a bit extreme though.

 

[Jodalo]

Thats a good spot, bumping off his mum to save £40 VAT might be a bit extreme though.

Chortle…

 

[Portland]

Thanks for your comments which are really helpful. I’m grateful that you have checked the government website more carefully than myself! I had no idea that if you inherit goods there is no duty to pay. I think my mother’s got a few more years in her yet and I don’t have a French lock up to take advantage of this benefit just now, but maybe in the future….
I should have tried the online calculator to see how much the tax would be. I suppose 5% VAT isn’t too bad

 

[andyinluton]

If you have a number of items that you would like to bring back now, didn’t you inherit them from your father?

 

[Portland]

If you have a number of items that you would like to bring back now, didn’t you inherit them from your father?

In my father's will my mother inherited all of his assets and nothing was specified for the children. My mother lacks capacity and my sister and I are financial deputies. We are acting in her best interest by selling an empty family home, which is falling into a state of disrepair, and by so doing have to sell the contents we are unable to accommodate in our own homes. This will generate funds to pay for her care home fees. There are certain antique items that will sell better in the UK, which is why I would have liked to bring more items back. However, if UK import taxes mean that there is no financial gain from bringing them back to the UK, it will be better to sell or store them in France.