Whisky into Scotland from EU

[Genuine Risk]

Was looking at different bottles tonight and was amazed that I could buy them significantly cheaper in the EU and get them shipped to Scotland.

Has anyone else done this and found any pitfalls?

As far as I can work out tax has already been paid and should sale through customs or am I missing something?

Have to admit doesn't sit 100% right taking my business outside UK, but don't like getting ripped off either.
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Putting the func in dysfunctional.

[Alastair]

As far as i am aware the tax should be paid in the country the whisky will be consumed in but i believe this should be sorted out by the retailer, of course i may have it wrong

[Bookie]

Yes i think Alastair is righr about the tax but not sure if all shop online are playing by the rules. I stick to ordering from the UK.

[Tubaman]

Someone I know well (only hypotheticaly in case the taxman is reading) sometimes buys bottles from Europe for delivery here in the UK. With the current exchange rate it can sometimes work out cheaper, and often some bottlings not available here in the UK can be found elsewhere in Europe.

Sadly, unlike most other goods which you're free to import from any EU country having paid local tax, alcohol and tobacco are an exception. Officially, you have to get the retailer to pay UK duty on the product before they ship it (unless you go there in person to buy in which case you can pay local tax). In practice, this process is so onerous that no shops that I know of are willing to do it.

Luckily, I believe there are still some whisky retailers that are willing to ship without applying this rule. I'd better not name any here but just look at their websites and generally they'll say if they ship to the UK. BTW, there are no shops in Germany at all it seems able to do this (which is a shame as they often have excellent selections), as the German government appear to enforce this rule rigidly compared to some other countries. However, if you're after a special bottle only available there you can use a mail forwarding service that will allow the retailer to send the bottles to them at a local German address, and they will then forward the parcel onto the UK. Means paying double postage plus a small service charge but it's still possible to get some rare bottles cheaper this way than buying them locally in 'rip-off Britain'!

As you say, much better buy locally here, but it's difficult to understand how a distillery/manufacturer sells bottles into Europe and sometimes it's possible buy them back at retail price cheaper than it's possible to buy them locally here, even after all the transport costs.

[Grant M]

So much for open european borders and free trade

[Genuine Risk]

Thanks Tubaman good bıt of ınfo.

Mıght try a couple of bottles and see
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Putting the func in dysfunctional.

[Genuine Risk]

As ıts the shop that pays tax ıs ıt on them ıf ıt gets stopped at customs or the buyer?
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Putting the func in dysfunctional.