- Joined
- May 25, 2013
- Posts
- 1,387
When you arrive in UK from outside of the EU, you can carry 4L of wine on you duty-free. I'm carrying 4.5L (six bottles), packed in a box (an airline shipment box, bottles insulated individually with styrofoam). Since I'm gifting the bottles to friends on my travels, I intend to claim the GST back in Sydney (TRS). I am travelling with a partner but will carry all six bottles in the box to secure their travels without breakages. This means that splitting the load between us is not practical.
How precise does the UK custom seem to be about the excess alcohol when the quantity is so small? If it has any relevance, the wine is, in fact, following me to another EU country a few days later.
Wanting to do the right thing, I will need to declare the wines and prepare to choose the red channel for inspection. There may be excise duty and VAT payable.
How likely is it that they'll require that? If they impose the full amount, it'd be $80+ AUD for the lot which I'd rather spend on the ground than for Her Majesty's Customs, if possible.
And yes, the entry to the UK is at Heathrow T3.
How precise does the UK custom seem to be about the excess alcohol when the quantity is so small? If it has any relevance, the wine is, in fact, following me to another EU country a few days later.
Wanting to do the right thing, I will need to declare the wines and prepare to choose the red channel for inspection. There may be excise duty and VAT payable.
How likely is it that they'll require that? If they impose the full amount, it'd be $80+ AUD for the lot which I'd rather spend on the ground than for Her Majesty's Customs, if possible.
And yes, the entry to the UK is at Heathrow T3.
