# Going through HM Customs with hand made items



## Sanity (Jan 13, 2011)

I am travelling to England in a few weeks for my nephew's wedding. I am taking some of my recent wood turning projects as gifts for my family (pics included). I am a bit concerned about what issues I may have with HM Customs and Excise, and if I am expected to place some value on these items other than nominal. I am not a professional and purely do wood turning as a hobby.

Does anyone have any experience of this? How are you supposed to place a value on a home made item to satisfy the tax man? I did look on the HM Customs website but couldn't find any information.


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

Explain that you made it yourself, and give the materials value.
Since you didn't pay yourself and are not selling the item, there is no way to place an Import duty on the time you weren't paid for.

I have always flown into mainland europe, and they usually only asked about commercial values, and if there were gifts over X value.

You mentioned you looked on the HM customs site, but you might google "bringing gifts to the UK" or some other thing, where this might be already asked and answered on a travel site.


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## EdwardR (Mar 24, 2012)

Might I suggest some great packaging work and ship to UK to a friend or pick up point. Mail Early when you send mark as gift and there is no tax on the Item.

There was a time the dollar was worth more then other currency and people I sold hobby parts to payed enough so I marked as gift.

Very nice work !!!!!


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

Hopefully the link works - but there is a brochure - 
I would certainly use the RED channel at customs, if you go through the green THINKING you were OK, and are not, there are penalties, not just duties. So look at the value, and then go through the right channel and you'll have to ask.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:XnaRUgq8W0AJ:customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/downloadFile?contentID%3DHMCE_CL_001734+bringing+a+gift+to+the+wedding+in+UK+airport+customs&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESirJ_RT4InXzQ46MDMFxVSRD8PtUX2yJ5fsIX6tRS6GYGleGKbV2jEw5LkFsr0dTFQdscw5JOX8Xiw3MgVW0t1amH2bQyxmUkpnFUv7MvV7_K-uwnvWEJ-7fv6WeKTY1e-N9H7m&sig=AHIEtbR_Z2BkT2c3XWxp5H7pnrXCeb17-A

Pasted from the brochure
*Other goods (including gifts and souvenirs)*
Most travellers can bring other goods into the UK worth up to £390 (e.g. perfume and electrical goods) without paying duty and / or tax in the UK.
However, passengers travelling by private plane or boat for pleasure purposes are only entitled to a lower allowance of £270.
If you bring in goods worth more than your allowance, you must pay duty and / or tax on the full value, not just the value above the allowance.
You cannot group individual allowances together to bring in an item worth more than the limit.


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## Sanity (Jan 13, 2011)

Thanks for the responses, and Doc I particularly appreciate your efforts here. Collectively the items are certainly not worth £390 but you may be correct that it is better to apply caution and go through the red channel. Maybe I am worrying unnecessarily but the last thing I want after a long flight is to to have issues with customs. I guess that I can always show them the LJs website if necessary as proof that I made them and did not purchase them.


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