Reply With QuoteWouldn't you have to pay UK VAT when you brought the watch back to the UK?
I'm heading to Andorra in a couple of months and wondered if anyone on here has experience with the Rolex dealers over there, how different is pricing and waiting times compared to the UK? (116500LN if I am lucky).
I have been to Andorra a couple of times before and I know the main Rolex dealer on the top end of Av.Meritxell but there also appears to be another further along the road which I will visit. Last time I visited there the place was shut as there was a customer inside spending serious money I presume (security outside the door!) so I have not had chance to look at the pricing personally.
Anyone on here purchased from there?
Wouldn't you have to pay UK VAT when you brought the watch back to the UK?
Not if you wear it and post box back ;)Originally Posted by gbn13
That's what I would do........
Al
A friend of mine purchased a TAG Heuer there a few years ago, went straight to the post office and sent the box back then just went through as normal.
Illegal and not recommended... But I bet very commonly done ;)
Yes.
Don’t forget to grab the air hostess right boob too, as if you’re going to break one law, may as well make it worth it.
You're funneeeeee..............
Why not escalate to RAPE? MURDER?
Get a grip!
Al
Thanks for the advice - when I’m sat in the cells, I’ll point them to this thread.
I put this reply on a post recently and someone said "that's creepy just pay the tax". No I would do it who cares if it's creepy save a few quid why give it to the rip off uk gov??
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Why not just email HMRC and tell them of your intention to defraud them of the tax due?
I'm sure they'd just say that's fine and to go right ahead!
Good point however I've paid tax for my 27 years working life while others blatantly don't so if I get a watch a bit cheaper why shouldn't I? My point though rather than the issue of tax avoidance which I cannot do is "why if I buy a watch abroad should the uk gov get any slice of it? Why?" Surely that's a valid question?
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If you can't afford to buy it legitimately you can't afford the watch.
If you want to wear something you can't afford head on over to R*G and see the cream egg man.
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
- Bender Bending Rodríguez
Been to Tenerife recently and checked out the eurozone prices and I can assure you that Rolex watches are SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive outside the uk at the minute!
e.g. Green sub was €8200 yet is £6050 in the uk
That's over £1000 cheaper in the uk and because Rolex haven't inflated their prices in the uk post brexit, the U.K. Is one of the (if not THE) cheapest place to buy a new Rolex at the moment!!
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It’s a public watch forum and answering questions with illegitimate answers is not the right thing to do.
If you can’t see that, you’re also pretty thick.
what's "afford" got to do with it?
I think the word 'legally' is missing.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Quite the knight in shining armour.
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
- Bender Bending Rodríguez
Because it's the law!
Whether you think it's right or wrong, you'd be committing a criminal offence.
Publicising it on an open forum is hardly a sensible thing to do. I'm no legal expert but encouraging others to commit an offence is likely to land you in trouble too.
It's all irrelevant as Rolex are cheaper in the UK at the moment
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Someone is bound to say it’s ok to put the AD’s window through and just take one - it’s cheaper that way...
No it isn't. Tax fraud is criminal. The tax planning I do for my clients is professional activity. If you can't see the difference I respectfully recommend a session of moral compass recalibration.
And you're probably less likely to get caught.
Unless you go blabbing it all over the Internet!
Just mugging someone on the street is probably safer still.
Last edited by Dave+63; 24th September 2016 at 21:09.
Hey I get you no worries mate.
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The point is that the only extra benefit the op is going to get from buying in Andorra is (possibly) availability on models not common in the UK....having said that, the difference was so much that I bought a 3 month old unworn BLNR from WATCHFINDER £1000 cheaper than a new one in a Rolex dealership in (tax free) Tenerife
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Living in the Isle of Man ......tax......
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Look guys I'm a U.K. Tax payer I already said I was for last 27 years ok? That's where this ends, I'm not in and never have been in a position to avoid tax so I don't need a lecture in morals ok? I pay mine I don't avoid or try too. I earn middle of the road money some people on here earn far in excess of what I do. I buy my watches legally in the uk only. Thanks for the replies. I was merely asking why the uk gov think they are due a slice of my money for buying a watch elsewhere in the world as the op suggested. No one seems to be able to answer than other than lecture me like a child, I'm too old for that but thanks.
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And old enough to withhold silly advice too.
It’s not a political thread, it’s about the acquisition of a watch.
Simply put, because of VAT and import duty.
The UK is not alone in having and enforcing such things.
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
- Bender Bending Rodríguez
Simples.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Not said anything no one else hasn't on here. Cheers for the advice guys.
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Of course tax avoidance is 'professional activity' when you do it.
Are you claiming some moral high ground because you manage to find loop holes in laws clearly designed to gather taxes from certain activities?
When those loop holes are closed you will try to find others, 'professionally' of course!
Very moral!
Mitch
What are these loop holes you speak of, as I understand it tax planning is either effective or not, though the validity of this can be and is tested in court. So how is operating within the law a loop hole?
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Pretty sure you know what this means, but here you go..........
'Loophole'
A person or company utilizing a loophole isn't considered to be breaking the law, but circumventing it in a way that was not intended by the regulators or legislators that put the law or restriction into place. Most loopholes will close in time, as those who have the power to do so rewrite the rules to cut off the opportunity for loophole advantage. Some tax loopholes exist perennially, especially in nations like the United States where the intricate tax code amounts to tens of thousands of pages - which can lead to many opportunitoes for those seeking to exploit it.
I am not talking about legality, I am talking about morality.
Mitch
Last edited by Mitch; 24th September 2016 at 22:21.
Morality is much like opinions, subjective and arbitrary at best...
It's been answered many times before on the forum. - you would be smuggling and be liable to a fine (or worse) and if you refused to pay VAT due then goods possibly confiscated and maybe a court appearance.
Here is a ref to the gov website that may help further: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-impo...es-from-abroad
Report smuggling
Contact the Home Office if you think someone is smuggling people, goods or cash into the UK illegally.
Start nowon the Home Office website
Before you start
You don’t have to give your name and address.
Any information will be treated as confidential.
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 24th September 2016 at 22:44.
What, when it comes to paying taxes?
In that case no one should have a problem with the OP trying to reduce his tax liability, especially Mr Draftsman
Mitch
......
Your not getting it are you, here I'll help you out, one of them is legal and one of them is not. Have a little think about it and if you're still stuck have a google for personal duty free allowances...
HTH
as said before - if the OP want to evade paying VAT due to HMRC on import of goods outside the UK (such as shipped goods via DHL etc pay and charge you for) - so be it. His choice really.
here is another ref for travellers coming back to UK from outside: https://www.gov.uk/duty-free-goods/a...outside-the-eu
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 24th September 2016 at 22:54.
Wow.......
This thread really changed in flavour!
I feel for the op
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fair point!! Sorry for over zealous as have jet lag and only joined in half way through the conversation. I just read the thread title. Martyn
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 24th September 2016 at 23:36.
Some tall horses around here. I say do what you want, it's your life, to hell with others moral superiority.
Wow, that escalated quickly!!
My main intention is not to avoid tax but basically 'skip' the ridiculously long waiting times in the UK. Reason for asking about the pricing was I dont want to pay over the odd's so wanted to know if someone on here had first hand experience of their pricing, I did presume it would be cheaper with it being tax free but looks unlikely?
People can go on about morals etc but at the end of the day god knows how many people buy watches from places like Andorra, the states etc and dont declare it on return. Its not something I have done but to be totally honest with you it's not something that bothers me if members on here have done, I run two companies and pay quite a lot in VAT & TAX each year, and this is coming from someone who has never been in bother with the police in the past. It is what it is, no one is being harmed so it's not really my concern.
I don't normally comment on these sort of threads because I feel it is up to the individual to decide whether the choose to declare the item or not.
I would just say that if the ops intentions are only to skip the waiting times he should by the watch in Andorra and just declare it on his return.
If you live in a particular country you should abide by the rules and laws of the country if you choose to break them then you should be prepared to take whatever the consequences are.
While I'm sure the OP does pay tax and VAT on his business I don't see how that's any different from people paying VAT on items purchased out of their taxed income
With regard to posting the boxes back to the UK some parcels are x rayed by HMRC and an empty watch box and papers might cause an enquiry to be made of the recipient.
At the end of the day you know what you are doing is illegal. You can make an argument for the fairness or otherwise of the system but choosing which laws you obey or not can have consequences
To be honest that is where I stand.. If people decide to do it then fair enough. It's not for me to guilt trip them or force them to declare it. I can see where the temptation would come in to it though!
My question regarding pricing was mainly towards the RRP in countries like this, I want the watch but i'm not prepared to pay way over the odds to be honest. I would rather wait a couple to three year and buy one if the prices come back down or I get a call from an AD at UK RRP price.
Buy the watch, put said watch on wrist, throw box in the bin and return to the UK. It isn't complicated.
On the question of Tax Free prices - the "Tax Free" price here (in my bit of the Caribbean)is a total lie.
The 2 main watch AD's have Duty Free / Tax Free plastered all over the shop - however this is not true as they have paid the government a tax of around 10% on the watch when it is imported - just no one mentions it and you can't claim it back if the watch leaves the country .
We are still cheaper than paying full AD price plus NYC state tax but with the current exchange rate it is considerably more expensive than the UK RRP.
I expect the Caribbean cruise destinations will have to work a bit harder this season to sell to UK visitors. With the £:$ back under 1.3 there will be less spare holiday cash . Same goes for € around 1.15 .
I'm coming to London watch shopping to get best prices.
On the question of VAT - I can perfectly legally claim the VAT back - if I then take the watch home and wear it , what is the situation if I then decide to sell it?
Can I bring the watch back to the UK to sell it or are there VAT implications.
No wear the watch and post the box answers please - I am interested in the straight legal position.
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That's simple. You can legitimately claim VAT back when you go home and can wear it whilst visiting the UK as much as you like.
If you sell it to someone in the UK, they will have to declare it and pay the VAT to HMRC.
Thank you
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