Online shoppers have today been warned that they could be liable for a tax bill when buying things over the internet.

This is because buying online does not exempt you from UK taxes if the product is from overseas.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) today warned that online shoppers could face extra tax that might turn their eBay ‘bargains’ into costly mistakes.

“Many people often don’t realise that they have to pay charges on purchases delivered from overseas. We don’t want to put people off internet shopping, where there are undoubtedly bargains to be found. However, we do want to make sure that online shoppers are quite clear about the full costs involved, and that there are no unpleasant surprises when the postman knocks at the door,” said customs anti-smuggling manager Phil Colclough.

Recently customs officers have seen a large rise in the number of packages which customs duty and import VAT is due, as a result of increasing levels of internet shopping.

If you are purchasing goods online you may be liable to pay customs import duty if the amount of duty is over £7 and VAT if the value of the goods is £18 or more.

Posted: 10|18|05 at 8:17 am. Filed under: UK News.