Melbourne
Quoted from G-P-E:Unfortunately, the UK government is driving international sellers away from the UK marketplace.
It is bad enough that I have to collect sales taxes for local sales but to collect sales taxes for foreign countries is a bit over the top.
I do not have the means or time to keep track of foreign VAT taxes.
As a result of their enforcing foreign sellers to collect VAT and send money to the UK - I will have to either enforce a $190 minimum buy or suspend sales to the UK.
For our UK customers - I apologize in advance, I will not be able to sell to you for the time being.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-and-overseas-goods-sold-directly-to-customers-in-the-uk
Ed Krzycki
Great Plains Electronics
www.GreatPlainsElectronics.com
Australia has done a similar thing 2 (??) years ago however only companies doing more than a certain revenue turnover need to collect the tax. It's to protect local retailers because if I purchase from them I have to pay a 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST), but previously if I went direct to the US supplier I could bring it in without the tax and it'd be cheaper for me. So by taxing anybody bringing in parcels means that the price I pay for goods whether from overseas or local will be similar and the local guys will be able to fulfill the order quicker. Oh and the government picks up more tax revenue 
Given the horrendous shipping costs to Australia, I use a shipping forwarder (as per bluespin post) that can consolidate multiple items and ship me a single parcel saving on shipping multiple items. I have to declare all the goods and value to the shipping forwarder and they collect the tax on behalf of the Australian Government. So if I were to purchase via ebay.com or even Marco (I think) and put in an Australia delivery address they automatically add the Aust tax. Smaller foreign companies don't collect the tax but those items are typically picked up coming into Australia and we are contacted locally to pay the tax.
