Quote Originally Posted by Cowher View Post
One thing that puts me off to many of the out of country sellers is I have no idea what to expect to pay for VAT. This thread is a great resource for us GoS. I think the USAK tweed jacket and waistcoat is how I'm going to ultimately go.
You would not expect to pay VAT. You would expect to pay import duty in your own country

Take the example of the jacket Eck mentioned from Glasgow. The sale price is £135 and that presumably includes VAT which you would not have to pay. To remove the value of the VAT simply divide 135 by 1.2 and you are left with a basic price of £112.00. Convert that to US dollars and at today's exchange rates that jacket will cost you $177.70

All you then need to do is add the cost of postage and finally check with your own customs and excise how they determine the duty you would pay. Yes, it's a bit of an uncertain game but it is possible to work things out reasonably accurately. Usually customs is payable on the value of the freight charge and often a carrier will add maybe $20 or so for a handling fee

However, if you purchase a jacket made in the UK from a highland outfitter in your own country it will probably cost less because for the retailer things are done slightly differently. It's a similar principle but because the sums are less complex (well, maybe not) you will probably save a few dollars and have less aggro with no uncertainty about the final cost

Don't be afraid of buying from overseas but avoid it if you can