"Thank you Brexiteers" Topic

The Brexit vote which excluded about 5.5 million UK subjects resident in Europe and elsewhere would have been unconstitutional in any country with a constitution . my friends from underdeveloped countries cannot believe that I was not allowed a postal vote or to vote in consulates or embassies . Why are there no MPs to represent Brits resident abroad ? other countries have them . I have made small orders to UK which have arrived in Madeira with no problem . But one favourite supplier just didnt despatch.
suggest bresking orders into small lots to avoid problems.

I've often thought the French approach to colonies was a good approach – its not a colony, its now part of France. Longest "internal" flight in the world? Paris to Reunion. Would make life a lot simpler if places like Gibraltar, the Falklands and the BOTs were just part of the UK.

Try living in Oz; postage here has always cost a motza.
But we never paid internal GST (VAT) on anything under $1 USDK.

Then some business chap decided it was anti-competitive so now we pay 10% on anything. The great unwashed did not even get asked.

It doesn't need a Brexit deal to ream you when it comes to making things expensive.

Getting back to shipping costs…

On ebay I found 5x 28mm figs in resin. So very lightweight. Seller is in England. Cost for the figs was around $10. USD Shipping to the US was $20. USD No sale.

Same thing -- one single metal figure from the UK. $20 USD shipping.

I just cannot justify buying anything from the UK anymore.

I hope things change.

The US has to change their "last mile" policy, too.

Brexit will change over time as the current situation isn't helping anyone, the problem is the collection charge that is imposed here and in most of the EU – Finland dont seem to charge it. The price of freedom the right to vote and I dont think that as much as its a pain as was said both ways that the population voted to leave or not on the basis of a small price for toy soldiers,things will change because its impacting both ways and this has also been said above. We tried to register for vat in Europe to save money for this collection fee but found the EU blank cheque approach a disgrace and trying to negotiate once again for small businesses is too bureaucratic and costly As for shipping to Schogun I think you where vastly being over charged, they need to look at there rates

One last thing after reading I would like to add at present we dont have a trade agreement with the EU we have a leave/ divorce agreement, and as the EU is finding, its cut its nose off to spite its face. due to our trade/divorce agreements more of British big business is purchasing abroad around the world sales to the EU has fell below the rest of the world for the first time and its falling fast. This is the sad side of the divorce, the UK and EU need to re negotiate but as seen with the NI protocol they are un willing and the bail out for the European Fisheries, due primarily to eu negotiators acting like bully boys with Scandinavia, the same they tried with Switzerland, all of this is a mess and sanity needs to reign

MajorB wrote:

Except the UK doesn't have a written constitution so how can leaving the EU be a constitutional change?

Good point except for two little things:
a) We do have a written constitution
and
b)Leaving the EU was a major constitutional change.

The UK has a mostly written constitution to be found in in Statute and case law. It may not be codified in one place but most of it is certainly written down. There remain a few areas where custom and practice and Royal Prerogative remain as unwritten parts of the constitution, but these are being eroded by statute law.

Leaving the EU required Parliamentary Acts to enforce it – the referendum was advisory and not binding. The constitutional changes were huge and the full ramifications are nowhere near being decided.

No British Parliament can be bound by the acts of a previous Parliament, so a simple one vote majority can overturn any Act passed previously. An Act requiring a 60% majority for constitutional change could simply be overturned by a one vote majority Act in a subsequent Parliament rescinding that original Act.

hornblaeser, as an outsider on this one, I believe if you look at the debate at the time, few people in the UK were attempting to leave the zollverein. They were attempting to escape "ever closer union" and the EU's notorious "democracy deficit." We could all sit around and argue how much of the present customs mess is London being unreasonable in its expectations, and how much is Brussels determined to punish escapees to deter future defections, but I still don't think this is an appropriate discussion for a miniatures forum.

Getting back to shipping costs…

That's overwhelmingly tied to the previous administration deciding to leave the Universal Postal Union. Accordingly, the Royal Mail no longer classes the US as North America; we now get our own, worst possible rates. I purchased a specialist publication from the UK this spring and the sender was quite embarrassed when he had to ask for more money for postage. He had quoted me based on N.A. rates and on arriving at the PO learned it would be more.

Time for a Tea Party!

When I now order form an english company which stays under the 85.000GBP threshol, I ,in the netherlands, have to pay british VAT (20%?) plus Dutch VAT (21%) and administrstation costs (13 Euro). Stupid!

the problem is the collection charge that is imposed here and in most of the EU – Finland dont seem to charge it.

Actually, the postal office here also charges a customs handling fee, though it relatively modest: either 0.90 or 2.90 EUR, depending on the case.

Compared to that, the charges for UK or Netherlands postal offices sound rather high.

Peering at the current mess with my economists hat on, you'd think our so called free marketeer government didn't quite understand how international trade works.

Then, Martin, you'll appreciate these other post-Brexit byblows.

VAT is now charged on all incoming parcels, i.e., there is no waiving for items valued below £20.00 GBP As mentioned, VAT also applies to postage. For items valued between £0.01 GBP and £135.00 GBP the collection and remit of VAT is the duty of the sender. One may register with HMRC but if outside the UK, one must have a UK based representative to handle compliance, typically an accounting firm*. For items over £135.00 GBP value, it is the responsibility of the recipient to remit VAT.

So to be clear, I can register online with HMRC but I can't pay them, despite the fact that I routinely send money electronically to people all over the world and pay several tax authorities in the US exclusively online. Rather, I have to hire someone to be no more than a geographical pass-through, and even more absurdly it's for remitting a maximum of £27.00 GBP per parcel.

*Certain online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, and Etsy also function as de facto representatives, i.e., if you sell on these platforms, local taxes and duties are collected and remitted for you. The cynical side of me wonders if the requirements were intentionally skewed to force people onto the big e-commerce platforms.

how international trade works

Well, in essence it is quite a straightforward issue:

1.) Johnny Foreigners
2.) ???
3.) Profit!

Johannes, you do not have to pay UK VAT when you order from the UK. UK traders have two options, They can register with the EU to charge you your local rate of VAT, in which case you will not have to pay anything different to ordering from a company in the EU. Alternatively, they do not charge any VAT but you may then be charged VAT and a handling fee by your local post office. You will not pay VAT twice, once in the UK and once in the Netherlands.

The first option is very costly as the EU are demanding that UK traders pay any VAT due in the EU every month as opposed to once a quarter, as UK VAT is normally calculated. It is also the EU that has set the threshold for paying import duty at zero. This is as much about the way the EU in Brussels are attempting to discourage trade outside their protectionist zone as it is about Brexit.

I'd suggest you contact your elected representative, but it's unlikely Brussels will listen, even if the Dutch parliament would prefer to see easier terms applied and trade with the UK more easily facilitated.

"When I now order form an english company which stays under the 85.000GBP threshol, I ,in the netherlands, have to pay british VAT (20%?) plus Dutch VAT (21%) and administrstation costs (13 Euro). Stupid!"

lucky bastard, Belgian Post is asking 24 Euro as handling fee

A very long political thread.

Really did not want to add to this but I live in the EU (Denmark) and I used to order a few figures from various companies frequently when I saw something interesting, usually for under 20 pounds, not only is the customs charge been added but there is a service cost added by the shipping company. So now no more ordering a couple of figures that I like.

I still don't get Brexit, as they say follow the money but who is gaining from this mess, who knows?

At least the European Union didn't respond like a certain trans-Atlantic Union did when some members decided to leave…

Still…at least there won't ever be any mobile phone roaming charges after UK leaves the EU…..

BOBgrognard, you are right I think but a lot of figures which I bought are now at least 21% more expensive (dutch VAT on figures plus p&P) plus handling costs of € 13,50.

And politically, our systemn doesn't have an elected representative.
The EU now see GB the same as other non EU countries but that is sadly the fault of the Brexit, not of the EU