Tax Free Shopping in UK: Tips
To most people UK might have lost its advantage for tax free shopping. However it is still possible if you know how.
I’ve just bought this Chopard Alpine Eagle (blue dial, 41mm, gorgeous btw) from Harrods London, listed price at £12,100, but I bought if for £10,330 only, around 15% off.
Here is how:
- Hire a personal shopper, it’s available for anyone, there’s no charge or minimum spending amount for such service. (https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/services/personal-shopping)
- From my understanding, apart from Chanel and Rolex, most brands can ship directly to your overseas home address upon purchase, this avoids paying the 20% VAT. This has to be done via a personal shopper.
- The 20% VAT will get directly written off, but you’ll need to pay the shipping fee and an admin fee for the brand. So if you do the math, it’s £12,100 x 80% = £9,680. My final price is £10,330, which means I paid £650 for the shipping + charge. That’s a net 15% off.
I also bought some cosmetic products for my fiance, which made my purchase amount hitting the £10k mark and I got upgraded to a black tier membership. This includes the 2 hour free parking. Harrods is located right outside of the congestion charge zone, which is very convenient.
Feel free to shoot me any question regarding the flow if I haven’t made it clear enough.
Happy shopping🍻
Hi I’m Asian, and I love watches. I probably spend too much though…
Nice purchase and thanks for the tip. I’m assuming this only works if you have an overseas address to begin with?
Could you not just buy it online from your overseas address?
Nice purchase and thanks for the tip. I’m assuming this only works if you have an overseas address to begin with?
Yes. But it also works if you have overseas friends planning to visiting UK (they can bring you the items), or if you’re traveling out of UK soon, you can ship it to the destined hotel first. Provided you trust the parties/individuals mentioned above.
Won't most destinations you want to ship it to charge their own import duty/sales tax?
I feel as though I'm missing something here 😕
Could you not just buy it online from your overseas address?
It’s even cheaper this way. I guess they have to encourage in-store shopping? And not all of the brands are available on international website.
Won't most destinations you want to ship it to charge their own import duty/sales tax?
I feel as though I'm missing something here 😕
Hong Kong doesn’t have import tax and sales tax😛 it depends where you’re shipping to then
Hong Kong doesn’t have import tax and sales tax😛 it depends where you’re shipping to then
Damn you Heung Gong! (A fairly pungent pun if you know what I mean)
That is just unfair.
It’s even cheaper this way. I guess they have to encourage in-store shopping? And not all of the brands are available on international website.
Please explain, because the Chopard Alpine Eagle is is £12100 on the Harrods Website, minus the 20% is £9680 plus shipping.
Please explain, because the Chopard Alpine Eagle is is £12100 on the Harrods Website, minus the 20% is £9680 plus shipping.
£9680 + £650 (shipping) = £10,330
This is what I’m paying in store.
If you switch the website to HK, it’s HK$109,000, that is £12,258 according to google currently.