Where to buy bulk ink in the UK?

[wilko]

It's worth noting that the 18 threshold is for goods only - not goods + post/carriage. My purchases of refills from Hobbicolors have always been under that limit.

Ah, yes you are right. I get confused as once you go over 18 you get charged tax on the shipping as well. That and its often safer to include a bit of extra room as you never know for sure how the currency conversions will affect your total.

I'm not sure you're correct in this. I ordered something under 30 + postage from Hobbicolors (Can't remember the exact amount) and was charged 2 customs duty. However, the big stinger was that the Post Office charge you 10 for collecting the customs charge. On top of that you have to go the P.O to collect your package. Had I known about the P.O. charges I would have orderd a larger amount. 17.5% VAT isn't the end of the world but a 10 charge on top is obscene.

Customs charges are made on whatever value the supplier states on the declaration. I don't have a problem with customs charges but I object to paying the P.O 10 for collecting the charge. I think delivery charges are ignored as far as customs are concerned

Some US EBAY sellers get round the charge by declaring the goods as a gift. However, I'm not sure that customs would take kindly if they opened the package and found bottles of ink which had been declared as a gift.

I have informed Dave at Hobbicolors about Customs & P.O charges and he will tailor orders to bring them under the 18 limit if you ask.

 

[websnail]

Interesting discussion all round but I guess if you're going to do this it's going to make sense to check the overall costs against your usage, the wonderfully fluctuating exchange rates and also how quickly you'll use the ink up.

After all it's pointless buying in 500ml of ink for each colour/cartridge when you're expecting to use only 100ml per year... You'd end up chucking about half or more away within 2-3 years as algae and other aging factors kick in. At the same time hardly worth buying 50ml of each if you're going to use that in less than a month.


Anyhoo... I've got my bulk orders in for Canon Pixma and HP Officejet inks so I'll be figuring my pricing in due course..

 

[zxcvbnm114]

After reading this thread about VAT, I shudder at the thought that US politicians have considered a VAT.

VAT is really just sales tax. So you mostly do have it in the USA. One nice thing about the UK is they have to include the tax in the sale price. Unlike america were you hand over a dollar for a 99c icecream and they say no, its a dollar twelve with tax. Drives me up the wall.

 

[stratman]

VAT is really just sales tax. So you mostly do have it in the USA. One nice thing about the UK is they have to include the tax in the sale price. Unlike america were you hand over a dollar for a 99c icecream and they say no, its a dollar twelve with tax. Drives me up the wall.

Wow! You have a 12+% effective sales tax rate? And I complain about 7.5%.

Yes. My county taxes goods and services at point of sale that must be determined on the total purchase price. In similar fashion, most tipping at restaurants is calculated by the customer. At least I use whole numbers when calculating tips and not the fraction that my local taxes require.

We are taxed in the raw materials stage, the manufacturing stage, the distribution stage, the retail inventory stage, and then when we purchase the item stage. Each of these taxes are ultimately paid for by the consumer. Then there is even a death tax where we pay tax on that which we have already paid tax on it stage.

I don't know how the Brits tax something through all the various stages I listed above. I am not aware of a 17.5 % sales tax in the US. Are taxes on hotel rooms, gasoline or cigarettes in this stratospheric range? Maybe we should list the various taxes (Federal, State, Local) on goods and services. Folding most of these taxes into the retail price hides the actual gouging government inflicts on us.

My original point was the seemingly exhorbitant amount of the VAT tax and that some politicians were calling for a VAT for America, which I assume would be greater than the sales tax I am currently charged in order to pay for additional government programs.

I love the Brits but don't want their taxes. (Anyone else having deja vu? )

 

[pebe]

It's worth noting that the 18 threshold is for goods only - not goods + post/carriage. My purchases of refills from Hobbicolors have always been under that limit.

Ah, yes you are right. I get confused as once you go over 18 you get charged tax on the shipping as well. That and its often safer to include a bit of extra room as you never know for sure how the currency conversions will affect your total.

I'm not sure you're correct in this. I ordered something under 30 + postage from Hobbicolors (Can't remember the exact amount) and was charged 2 customs duty. However, the big stinger was that the Post Office charge you 10 for collecting the customs charge. On top of that you have to go the P.O to collect your package. Had I known about the P.O. charges I would have orderd a larger amount. 17.5% VAT isn't the end of the world but a 10 charge on top is obscene.

Customs charges are made on whatever value the supplier states on the declaration. I don't have a problem with customs charges but I object to paying the P.O 10 for collecting the charge. I think delivery charges are ignored as far as customs are concerned

Some US EBAY sellers get round the charge by declaring the goods as a gift. However, I'm not sure that customs would take kindly if they opened the package and found bottles of ink which had been declared as a gift.

I have informed Dave at Hobbicolors about Customs & P.O charges and he will tailor orders to bring them under the 18 limit if you ask.

See here about value of goods - not postage

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?
_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_001454&propertyType=document

 

[websnail]

Wow! You have a 12+% effective sales tax rate? And I complain about 7.5%.

Yes. My county taxes goods and services at point of sale that must be determined on the total purchase price. In similar fashion, most tipping at restaurants is calculated by the customer. At least I use whole numbers when calculating tips and not the fraction that my local taxes require.

We are taxed in the raw materials stage, the manufacturing stage, the distribution stage, the retail inventory stage, and then when we purchase the item stage. Each of these taxes are ultimately paid for by the consumer. Then there is even a death tax where we pay tax on that which we have already paid tax on it stage.

... and the administration of it costs too... Nightmare..

I don't know how the Brits tax something through all the various stages I listed above. I am not aware of a 17.5 % sales tax in the US. Are taxes on hotel rooms, gasoline or cigarettes in this stratospheric range? Maybe we should list the various taxes (Federal, State, Local) on goods and services. Folding most of these taxes into the retail price hides the actual gouging government inflicts on us.

VAT is essentially passed on until it hits an end point (usually the consumer for the finished good)... So you'd have the raw material being sold to a manufacturer who "adds value" and sells the product onto a wholesaler who also "adds value" and sends it out to shops who finally sell it to the customer. In each case, so long as the recipient is a VAT registered business they simply pass the VAT on up the chain until someone (again, usually the customer) who isn't VAT registered, pays the 17.5% tax (it's different rates for food, childrens clothes, etc..).

Any business that is not VAT registered can resell the item but they don't charge VAT seperately as they have already paid it... So in essence it's a bit simpler but as I'm regularly assured by those who suffer a VAT audit, it's no walk in the park and pure hell for administration.

My original point was the seemingly exhorbitant amount of the VAT tax and that some politicians were calling for a VAT for America, which I assume would be greater than the sales tax I am currently charged in order to pay for additional government programs.

I love the Brits but don't want their taxes. (Anyone else having deja vu? )

Nobody likes paying taxes but then you have to remember we have nationalised health care and various other services which you pay for through insurance so ultimately you still pay, it's just a question of whether you notice


Now, more tea anyone?

 

[stratman]

Websnail:

Thank you for the concise explanation. I feel like I understand VAT better now.

Earl grey for me, please.

 

[websnail]

Thank you for the concise explanation. I feel like I understand VAT better now.

Glad to help

Earl grey for me, please.

Ah... that appears to have been thrown overboard...

 

[stratman]

Earl grey for me, please.
Ah... that appears to have been thrown overboard...

So that's what the Yanks through into Boston Harbor in 1773?

Shame. Lovely tea.

Guess I'll settle on a nice Samuel Adams lager.

 

[leo8088]

I once flew in (to USA) from Korea carrying over $1000 worth of Ham Radio equipments new in boxes. I declared on the custom form before the air plane landed true value of each equipment. I had receipts to back up the claim. Amazingly the custom people did check my luggage and see the equipments. They stamped the custom declaration form and charged me nothing no duty. The 2nd time I did that again, I wasn't so lucky. I had a few hundred dollars more of equipments declared. They took away my whole luggage and told me to hire a custom broker to file a custom clearing process, pay the duty and pick up the luggage. That was a painful experience. I finally had a custom broker helped me. The duty ended up like $20 only but the custom broker charged over $100 for the service. I had to go pick up the luggage myself. Still it wasn't such a bad deal. Next time, if there is one, I will keep my shopping of gears below $1000. It will be fine then.