Something that might be of interest is that I received a bill from the State of Michigan about this time last year for sales tax the state claimed was due on a vintage bicycle that I had imported from the U.K. six months earlier!! I have to assume that the State Of Michigan started making inquiries to the U.S. Custom Service about importations by Michigan residents, in an effort to increase the state's revenue, and I got the pleasure of writing a check. I must say that Michigan has become fairly aggressive in collecting certain taxes, especially on sales tax due on out of state purchases, but this is something that could very well be on the increase in other states.
Dave Patrick Chelsea, Michigan USA
Arthur Wood <ajwood6@comcast.net> wrote: Another method is directly from the buyer's to the seller's bank - wire transfer. The buyer will need seller's account info, such as bank name and address, account holder's name, account number and routing code. It might cost $20 for the service, but it's fairly quick - about 7 days.
There will almost certainly be import duty levied on a bike entering the US, but the buyer will not have to pay the 17.5% VAT (UK sales tax) if the purchase is from a dealer. UK prices shown in stores include VAT (value added tax).
I can't imagine why someone would want to buy from the UK at the present exchange rate of close to $2 per pound sterling. The bank exchange rate is about 1.93, but the average person would pay more.
Arthur Wood Longboat Key, FL No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.6.3 - Release Date: 3/7/2005