import charges are in

THIS IS FOR a V1.1 pluss hardware kit (no spindle no base) payed lumenlab $598.0 postage $91.68

Import Duty Ž£7.19
Excise Duty Ž£0.00
VAT @15% Ž£64.60
Parcelforce Clearance Fee Ž£8.00 (can be avoided if you do all your own paperwork and collect from customs)

TOTAL ŽŽ£79.79

@ exchange rate on day of invoice 8/7/2009 this works out to be approximately $130

VAT will always be charged on micro's.(15%)
Import duty was the unknown (should not be much more if you get spindle or base or 1.2) ~2%

From my experience micro 1.2 will be more if you get the computer as the computer has a higher import duty than machine parts(guessing category they chose) and VAT will be going back up so plan to spend 17% to get your micro to the UK

Hi hibble, welcome to Lumenlab. Not sure about the micRo "duties", but the projector kits seem to go through unmolested and untaxed, at least when shipped via USPS.

You need a computer with a parallel printer port (a legacy port on nearly every computer), and a cable (we sell but doesn't come with the kit, maybe you have one already?).

Hi thank you for clearing that up.(and all the hard work put in to this project)

yes have cable and suitable PC. So will probably probably put in a order and just see how it goes(hoping her majesty's revenue and customs go lightly on my wallet.)

p.s i cant remember much talk about the power supply would this be just a standard pc type power supply? or something a bit more complex as i could easily dig out a uk pc power supply (240v)

The power supply is included. It is switchable to 240v for those who require. It tops out @ 29v for those who want to overdrive.

Placed order will post back here about any import duties (if i get any)for any other UK interested in ordering a micRo.

Good deal!

ok this is to help any UK buyer who has not ordered yet (i will post actual costs when i get mine)

if checked by customs you will have to pay VAT @ 17.5% of (cost of micRo + duty + postage) cheap postage is all you need as it will be delayed at customs anyway.

Duty should be 0-6% on average but each (Listed) component will have its own rate.


So add on about 20% to pay the government when it gets to the UK. plus £6-13 to royal mail or whichever Currier fedex/usps use in the uk for processing customs paperwork.


Hope this helps any undecided UK buyer.

Thanks Hibble, this thread clears up a couple of the questions I was going to ask.


All I have to do now is find a way of sneaking it under the wife's 'gadget radar'.... No easy task at the moment!


~S~

Just be sure to make something for her with your micRo, and when she asks how you did it....break it to her.

I like the way you're thinking... It just might work!

Hi guys first post
I am interested in the micRo kit and already know the cost of the kit and estimated import duty
How much will the shipping be to england ?

Hi Jason, Welcome to the lab. I believe you can get correct shipping by using the store, adding micRo to your cart and telling the cart your shipping info; without having to enter any other personal information. If you have any problems just let me know!

(PS, I just watched the vids again...it is good to see micRo again after so much time building other things...such a cool little thing!)

Hot from the store:

# FedEx International Economy - 1-3 days ($188.47)
# FedEx International Priority - 1-3 days ($207.92)
# USPS Express Mail International (EMS) ($114.10)
# USPS Priority Mail International ($90.50)



~S~

Thank's guys

Duty rates are weird. Expect it to be around 3.5% the value of the total inc. shipping and then they add the VAT (now 15%, until they win the next election, cheeky sods) If you want to know exactly, just call up your local VAT office, and get the phone number for the query line, then call them and ask. They will tell you the duty rates for up to three item types. Lithium batteries are 2.9%, from memory, but chargers are 3.5%, that sort of thing.

If, like me, you are VAT registered, you should account for the VAT on your return as normal, and simply pay it to HMRC at quarters end. (Unless your other purchases balance it out) Otherwise, you should pay the VAT before you get the goods - but Customs often miss the stuff entirely. Unlikely here, as I'm thinking it will be a pretty hefty box. If ParcelFarce get hold of it, they will charge you an extra £30 or so "fees" which you will never get any receipt or explanation of.

I'm holding on for a little while to order, I'm hoping the £ stops sliding against the $!

That's just about killed the deal for me. I wish I'd ordered when I first heard about the micRo - it was a bargain. Once shipping and import duties have been paid and the current exchange rate has been factored in, it's gone beyond my budget.

I'll keep following this project and hopefully I'll be in a position to buy in the future.

~S~

Hibble, have you got it yet? IIRC there was a mention of a UK shipped Micro going out from the first batch, so I was wondering what the duty charges were.

I can't get the shipping thing to work, and for some reason I can't log in to the store. I'll try again tonight from my home PC, though, in case it's this laptop.

I'm going to buy tonight, before the effects of a rate cut to 0.5% kick in, and people realise what it means when they say "Quantative easeing" - it means we not only have no rights any more, overseen by the "Ministry of Justice", but to complete our transition into a 2nd- or even 3rd-world country, they are deciding to print more money without backing!

Anyway, it's having the effect of making me spend all my life savings on physical and well-made things, rather than waiting for it to lose half it's value in the bank. Which is now also over half owned by the government!

no not me im waiting on the upgrade kit though i do have a tracking number.(checked as part of a new daily ritual)



"Quantative easeing" also known as printing more money. Look how well that worked in Zimbabwe.

Micro now on its way. Will give breakdown on import charges when it eventually clears customs.

I picked up my micRo from the customs yesterday. They wanted 100sek for shipping inside sweden and 741sek in import charges which at the current exchange rate is about $110

But now I can start assembly so that will soon be forgotten...

So about 10% to 15% then. That seems less than the VAT would be here, even without the import charges. Or my maths might be wrong entirely.

I bought the basic micRo kit at $499 + $95 shipping. Here in sweden the VAT is supposed to be 25% but that does not check out either because that would have meant I was supposed to have paid $148 instead of the $110 i actually paid.

Wow, ok, that's rather steeper then. ~19%.

import charges are in

THIS IS FOR a V1.1 pluss hardware kit (no spindle no base)

Import Duty £7.19
Excise Duty £0.00
VAT @15% £64.60
Parcelforce Clearance Fee £8.00 (can be avoided if you do all your own paperwork and collect from customs)

TOTAL £79.79

@ exchange rate on day of invoice 8/7/2009 this works out to be approximately $130

VAT will always be charged Import duty was the uknown(wont be much more if you get spindle or base)

From my experience micro 1.2 will be more if you get the computer as the computer has a higher import duty than machine parts(guessing category they chose)

So under Ž£10 "mark-up"! That's amazing. As you say, the VAT is added regardless. You can avoid that and the Ž£8 fee thing by getting your VAT number written on the paperwork on the outside of the box, if you are VAT registered. You still have to pay it in your VAT return though, later on.

The import duty probably wouldn't change, as the PC is an embedded controller in a machine tool, so it goes with the machine, as far as I know.


Note to Valsik: The exchange rate has recovered hugely against the $. It's around 1.6 to the Ž£ right now, so get your order in!

Blast them robbers! Plus, the "method" of taxation is insane~