As a rule of thumb for costing purposes calculating a rate of 5% is usually reasonably accurate. However, certainty over the rate payable can only be achieved by:
- Identifying an appropriate tariff code for the goods (Tariff Office Tel: 01702 366077)
- Seeking advice from HM Revenue and Customs as to the rate of duty applicable to that tariff code (Tel: 0300 200 3700) or looking at the trade tariff online
It is therefore recommended that advice on potential duty rates be obtained in advance for large value items on price sensitive projects.
There are a number of duty reliefs available to the University, and sometimes VAT relief too. A summary of the most common ones can be found on the following page - Guidance available on Reliefs