Strictly speaking, if you purchase a puppy in Europe and then bring it into the UK, are you supposed to pay VAT on the puppy when you enter the UK?

If you fly a dog into UK then you will be charged vat on cost of dog, crate and transport cost

As KLB says they do charge you at Heathrow, I brought my puppy over on the ferry (Hoek - Harwich) and nobody asked if he was a recent purchase

Ok, thanks.  Just wondering.

When we imported a puppy from the States into Canada, when living out there, we had a friend bring her up as he happened to be Stateside at the time.   We had to meet up with him out of sight of the Border as he bought her in as his already owned puppy or we'd have been paying import tax!!    I imagine you will be charged unless you do as suggested and travel to bring the puppy in as your puppy (all along).    You may be asked some questions by the more diligent Customs Official!!

Thanks, it's not for me to bring in, it's for my puppy buyers in the UK who will be bringing pups in....

Surely your part of the UK, so it should not apply?

Nope, we are not part of the UK.  We are VAT free.

Aren't we mixing up VAT and import duties ?

I'm not VAT registered so when I sell anything including a puppy VAT doesn't come into it. Can't see that many breeders in the UK getting anywhere near the £81K turnover threshold for VAT registration in the UK except some nasty puppy farms.

I'd agree so channel isles are still part of the UK no pet passports or anything surely?

One of my pups is flying to Guernsey on Saturday, and nothing special needed.

Just looked it up and channel isles are British crown dependencies and not part of UK!!!

So Rabid do you need a passport to come to UK and what kind of passport do you have???

No you don't. Its also on condor ferries website that going from the CI's and the UK its not required. I know a few people who travel back and forth with dogs and they don't have one either and that includes puppies

> Aren't we mixing up VAT and import duties ?<br />

I think maybe!!

You don't need a Pet Passport, no. It's part of the U.K. as far as Pet Passport stuff goes.

But tax wise, it's not. When we buy a puppy in UK, and bring back here, we have to pay GST on pup (our equivalent of VAT, much lower rate). That's if you're unlucky enough to get stopped by Customs.  (Most people are not stopped.) With a pup so young, it's hard to say the pup was already yours if you are stopped.

So I just wondered if it's the other way round for people buying elsewhere & coming into UK. Sounds like it is, again if you get stopped.

> With a pup so young, it's hard to say the pup was already yours if you are stopped.

I'd agree which is why were were quite lucky with the US-born puppy coming into Canada with our friend.   Personally rather than risk a confrontation I'd tend to be up front, but that's me!!    And I'd be the one to get stopped and end up paying more (would this attract a criminal record?)

I think I'd just claim ignorance, MamaBas! 

In the eyes of the law ignorance is no excuse.

I personally can't see why anyone would want to cheat the system and try to avoid taxes due. No different to benefit cheating in my view.

No-one else pays Vat on a puppy they by as the breeders are (generally) not in business.

so why any taxation at all ?

If you buy any goods outside the UK and bring them into the UK, you would be liable for tax as you enter the country.  If you bought a computer in the US on holiday, and brought it back with you into the UK, you should go through the red channel and declare it and pay VAT on it.

Obviously many people do not...

Is that vat or import duty ?

VAT