How does customs duty and import VAT work?

[julie john]

I'm thinking about purchasing a new phone, but in Hong Kong the one I want is and there are no vendors in the United Kingdom. I suppose I have to pay customs duties and all of this, if I order it, but how much am I going to pay and how does it work? All the information I can find on the Internet appears to be very general, I just want to know about the cost.

If this does help at all, the phone is £160 with £13.50.

[kqlnut]

I'm thinking about purchasing a new phone, but in Hong Kong the one I want is and there are no vendors in the United Kingdom. I suppose I have to pay customs duties and all of this, if I order it, but how much am I going to pay and how does it work? All the information I can find on the Internet appears to be very general, I just want to know about the cost.

If this does help at all, the phone is £160 with £13.50.

Seems like you would have to pay only VAT of 20% on the goods + shipping (there is also very specific information on the internet on how import fees are calculated like here and here), so £208.20. I don't know how the payment process works in the UK though.

[ryo]

From what I understand is that customs is sales tax on top of whatever the customs decide the value of something.
I only ever experienced it with the PinePhone, so perhaps here in Japan there's some other factor in play?