JLCPCB Import VAT (UK) never collected - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: naedru
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 08:59:54 am
content: I buy quite a lot of PCBs from JLC PCB and pre-Brexit DHL used to send me a text to pay the VAT before they delivered.Since January I thought that JLC PCB had to collect the VAT on orders <£135 at the point of purchase but anything above this order amount would still be collected by DHL before delivery. This appears to not be the case.....The invoices coming through from DHL show that the goods are zero-rated but the commodity code for PCBs is 8534009000 which attracts 20% VAT....Has anyone else noticed strange things going on here? I'm worried about getting a VAT invoice in the post running into the £1000s!

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 09:13:17 am
content: If you order as a company, you need to declare it on your balance sheets and the tax office will collect it anyway.If you order it as a private person, then it is collected during shipping. If they didn't, then that's that. Note that DHL and others will charge you about 15 GBP extra to collect your taxes. And of course taxes on this 15 GBP. Ridiculous.You might order it with DDP incoterms. That's new at JLC. That way they take care of the import tax and VAT. I'm testing this now.

author: naedru
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 09:45:47 am
content: Quote from: tszaboo on March 26, 2021, 09:13:17 amAnd herein lies the problem. There's no method by which I can declare this as far as I know. It should have been collected or an invoice raised by HMRC at the point of import no? We would reclaim this VAT any way so it seems like there's nothing paid and hence nothing claimed?Maybe I'll just go with DDP next time and see what happens.... although this means we then can't claim back the VAT!

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 09:58:17 am
content: Quote from: naedru on March 26, 2021, 09:45:47 amYou should discuss this with your bookkeeper. I'm fairly certain there is a way, most countries give you options to voluntarily pay taxes.

author: Syntax Error
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 10:37:47 am
content: Messy (as always). Are you a business? Have you registerd for VAT? Does JLCPCB have a UK VAT number? Did JLCPCB state on their invoice that the UK customer must 'reverse charge' the VAT? Is this a direct or online-market-place transaction? Do you have an import VAT certificate?Ten minute read:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021Or contact HMRC direct. They may be interested to hear of your experience:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/customs-international-trade-and-excise-enquiries

author: naedru
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 12:00:06 pm
content: We are a business, and we are VAT registered. Our accountant says that JLCPCB should have charged VAT. JLCPCB do have a UK VAT number (it's on the invoice).I have chatted to JLCPCB support and they have given me the email address of the person who runs their accounts dept so when I hear back from her I will update this thread - we can't be the only people with this issue!

author: Syntax Error
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 12:15:12 pm
content: My understanding is JLCPCB must issue you with a corrected invoice. For due diligence, your accountant must record this 'input error' in the VAT record book - just in case HMRC get pissy as they often do.

author: naedru
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 12:44:39 pm
content: That seems to be the most likely resolution yes.... will report back when there is some resolution to all of this!

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 12:57:43 pm
content: For my last JLCPCB order I got a DHL invoice a week or so later, so that takes care of the VAT accounting side of things

author: MadScientist
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 01:53:06 pm
content: if you are VAT registeredif you get a invoice with a UK VAT number and VAT amounts , then you account for it in the normal way and balance you input and output VAT and simply remit the difference, it doesn't matter who is collecting the UK VAT .If you receive a zero rated VAT invoice then you need to pay VAT at the point of importation , again thats claimed back in the normal wayIf perchance you receive a shipment where VAT should have been collected but has not been , again you simply treat it as input VAT of zero and also record the error for reference purposes

author: naedru
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 29, 2021, 10:07:24 am
content: Thanks for everyone's input. I have spoken to the accounts dept. at JLCPCB and there are a couple of things that came up.Firstly, theynevercharge VAT to business customers - I am unaware of when this started.Secondly, there was a bug in their system that meant at the time of my order even individual customers would not be charged VAT. They said they have fixed this now but I have not verified.It seems that the culprit in my particular case is actually DHL who incorrectly marked the goods as zero-rated VAT. But, as MadScientist has said, this is a non issue since we are VAT registered and would have just claimed this back anyway. We should indeed record this error in case we ever get pulled up on it.

author: VladaAca
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2021, 08:52:07 pm
content: ...My company deal with JLC and use FedEx for shipping. Tariff number 8534009000 which use JLC refers to populated boards, which in my country have 10% tax. Bare boards, which we buy, are on 1% tax, and different tariff number. I try to fix this issue with JLC without result. Even when they send to us via mail invoice with correct tariff number FedEx download from JLC system wrong invoice and use this document for custom clearance. JLC promised that will fix this issue and inform me. And this doesn't happened. Previously we discuss few times other things with "account manager", and it newer help. If you escape from standard automated procedure, that's the end. Think that we change supplier.