How much tax will you incur? This is not as straightforward as it seems. Goods that are brought into the EU from Non EU countries are called “Imports”. Goods from other EU states entering the UK are known as “Intra-community movements” and require statutory statistical data reporting.

The amount of tax you pay on your imported goods is a direct cost to your business, cash flow projections and selling prices. The taxes may include an element of duty based on the kind of item you are importing and how Customs classify it. There may be additional items to pay such as anti-dumping duty, a Common Agricultural levy (CAP) or even excise duty.

The use of specialist agreed regimes and reporting (of which there are many) may alleviate some or all duty (Customs Planning), but you will however have to pay VAT on the value of the goods, any duty amount incurred and any inland costs, such as transport.