Book Import

[Down the Pub]

need a bit of help clarifying something.

i'm after a training/ref book on autocad, now i've found more ar less what i'm looking for on amazon. the thing about it is that it's best part of £60 inc delivery from amazon uk, but if i shop it from the states then including 8-16 day shipping it works out about £20 cheaper.

now the crux of the matter is this, i know that certain reading material is zero rated for vat but what about imported books. now i've scanned the hmrc section but doesn't really help.

3.1 Books and booklets

These normally consist of text or illustrations, bound in a cover stiffer than their pages. They may be printed in any language or characters (including Braille or shorthand), photocopied, typed or hand-written, so long as they are found in book or booklet form.
Supplies of any of the following are zero-rated:

• literary works
• reference books
• directories and catalogues
• antique books
• collections of letters or documents permanently bound in covers
• loose-leaf books, manuals or instructions, whether complete with their binder or not, and
• amendments to zero-rated loose-leaf books, even if issued separately.

School work books and other educational texts in question and answer format, are zero-rated because the spaces provided for the insertion of answers are incidental to the essential character of the book or booklet. The same applies to exam papers in question and answer format provided they qualify as books, booklets, brochures, pamphlets or leaflets.
But supplies of the following are standard-rated:

• books of plans or drawings for industrial, architectural, engineering, commercial or similar purposes
• picture card and stamp albums, unless they contain a substantial amount of reading matter which is complete in itself, and no more than 25% of the album is set aside for the mounting of cards and stamps
• completed stamp albums, and
• products that are essentially stationery items, for example, diaries and address books.

now i take this book to be classed as a learning/reference text book, which as i see should come under the highlighted line above - weather hmrc see it like that is another matter.

even with 20% vat on it, it still works out cheaper from the states. so can anybody see any issues doing this or think i'll be ok with it? or am i liable to get pounced of for import/vat duty?

[Peter_]

Post the title and maybe someone can find a better offer, you never know.

[Kymmy]

VAT should 0% (check amazon UK for similar books and see if VAT is charged), import duty though may still be charged (as well as handling charges by the delivery agent).. Does it come with a CD? If yes then you may find that it's not VAT free at all even though it is sold here VAT free..It's one of those quirks

[admars]

there shouldn't be VAT, 2 separate orders, I ordered these books from USA
http://paizo.com/store/paizoExclusives/v5748btpy86x8

http://paizo.com/products/btpy8gm1?G...ars-Prototypes

each the size of phonebook! No VAT etc

Years ago, before Amazon.co.uk existed/was as good as it is now, at Uni we used to order text books from Amazon.com as it was cheaper, no problem.