Thank you Steve for the very comprehensive answer! So if I buy something on eBay France that is over a 100 years old I should only pay 5% VAT and not the 20% which we always pay. If the item comes through without further charges I should still be able to claim 15% back on the VAT I paid at checkout? Or is that not possible?Steve wrote: Fri Mar 21, 2025 6:15 am Can you find another example online of whatever it is that might indicate its age? I bought a Pathéphone Modele D from France two years ago but then sent a scanned copy of the 1906 Pathé catalogue with my claim, clearly highlighting the machine in a catalogue indicating its age. They accepted that.
BTW, if VAT is added by Ebay at checkout, you can claim the additional 20% back from HMRC as there is no legal right for any organisation to charge you 40% VAT currently! Just send a copy of the listing showing the NET amount charged together with the checkout final invoice showing the gross including VAT that Ebay has added. HMRC cannot legitimately argue with this. It is in fact incumbent upon Ebay to provide a code indicating the charge paid and therefore its fault if the pre-paid / printed labels issued by them do not include a tax code to confirm to Port Authorities that VAT has already been paid! There should be something hidden in the barcode and address label which when scanned shows this.
If you're worried about proving the original price, net of VAT, simply request from the seller a confirmation of the final price (as it appears on their screens). I've done this before and some sellers think I've lost my marbles, but it's not until I've shown them my 600 Euros checkout invoice for a 500 Euros item, that they begin to understand what I'm getting it.
HMV No. 5 horn model cheap?
- jamiegramo
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Re: HMV No. 5 horn model cheap?
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OnlineSteve
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Re: HMV No. 5 horn model cheap?
Yes, it is definitely possible to claim overpaid VAT from HMRC, I've done it 9 times before as I recall. However, I've never challenged Ebay directly if they charged 20% on an item that should be 5% but I see no reason why Ebay should get it wrong and not rectify it. I don't recall more than one occasion when this applied to me and it was such a small amount I couldn't be bothered to wrestle with Ebay to be quite honest.jamiegramo wrote: Tue Mar 25, 2025 10:44 amThank you Steve for the very comprehensive answer! So if I buy something on eBay France that is over a 100 years old I should only pay 5% VAT and not the 20% which we always pay. If the item comes through without further charges I should still be able to claim 15% back on the VAT I paid at checkout? Or is that not possible?Steve wrote: Fri Mar 21, 2025 6:15 am Can you find another example online of whatever it is that might indicate its age? I bought a Pathéphone Modele D from France two years ago but then sent a scanned copy of the 1906 Pathé catalogue with my claim, clearly highlighting the machine in a catalogue indicating its age. They accepted that.
BTW, if VAT is added by Ebay at checkout, you can claim the additional 20% back from HMRC as there is no legal right for any organisation to charge you 40% VAT currently! Just send a copy of the listing showing the NET amount charged together with the checkout final invoice showing the gross including VAT that Ebay has added. HMRC cannot legitimately argue with this. It is in fact incumbent upon Ebay to provide a code indicating the charge paid and therefore its fault if the pre-paid / printed labels issued by them do not include a tax code to confirm to Port Authorities that VAT has already been paid! There should be something hidden in the barcode and address label which when scanned shows this.
If you're worried about proving the original price, net of VAT, simply request from the seller a confirmation of the final price (as it appears on their screens). I've done this before and some sellers think I've lost my marbles, but it's not until I've shown them my 600 Euros checkout invoice for a 500 Euros item, that they begin to understand what I'm getting it.
- jamiegramo
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Re: HMV No. 5 horn model cheap?
Interesting there’s really no information on the net about this. My latest eBay France purchase would probably refund me around £15 if I could claim 15% of the VAT back. I’m not sure that’s worth the effort but I can see the benefit on a much more valuable item.
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OnlineSteve
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Re: HMV No. 5 horn model cheap?
Indeed, please see my qualification to my original comment.jamiegramo wrote: Tue Mar 25, 2025 11:45 amInteresting there’s really no information on the net about this. My latest eBay France purchase would probably refund me around £15 if I could claim 15% of the VAT back. I’m not sure that’s worth the effort but I can see the benefit on a much more valuable item.