Buying stuff in america and bringing it over.

I'm a musician and an American.  But not a rich one.  Is it ok for me to just buy my gear while visiting my parents and then bring it back in my bags?  I'm pretty sure being an american let's me buy whatever I please and take it back.  Is this a done thing? 

TIA for any replies

I think you live in the UK??

As I understand it, you can buy whatever you please when you visit the USA and bring it back, except that there are certain foodstuffs you can't bring, you can't bring firearms, etc.  I don't think that musical instruments fit into those categories unless they're made from the skin of endangered species. If you bring in excess of 145 UK pound worth of goods, you should declare it at UK customs and you'll have to pay tax on it.  If you don't, you're breaking the UK law.

There are exceptions to this tax policy - if you're in the process of moving across and are bringing your used household goods (over 6 months old) , there's a dispensation, for example. But on the general rule of things, I don't believe that you qualify for a limitless taxfree allowance because you're a US citizen ... which I think is what you were hoping for?

Have a look around at http://www.hmce.gov.uk for more details.  Remember that the USA is not an EU country, so the UK has reciprocal tax arrangements described for the EU do NOT apply.

This is a little off this topic, but having to do with taxes on things brought over.  I'm marrying my fiance in the UK in February, and will be bringing two suitcases of my clothes and my wedding dress with me.  Now, my wedding dress is worth more than 145 pounds, but then again I will have bought it more than 6 months before bringing it over.  Do I have to declare it and pay taxes on it?  I just want to make sure I'm following all the rules correctly.  Thanks to anyone who can help with this.

Good news (from deep on the web site described above ...)

For newly-weds or those shortly to marry who are coming to live in the EC.

You can bring in the wedding outfits of the bride and groom and your other household effects free of duty and tax, if you:
   have had your normal home outside the EC for a continuous period of at least 12 months;
   are moving your normal home to the EC on marriage;
   declare them to us as explained in paragraph 3.2 along with proof of the marriage; and
   do not sell, lend, hire or otherwise dispose of them within 12 months of importation, unless you notifyus first and pay duty and VAT on disposal. Our National Advice Service can tell you how to do this.
We will normally waive the first condition if you could not meet it due to circumstances beyond your control.
Explain the position to our officer when you declare your belongings.
It does not matter how long you have had the goods for the purpose of this relief.

I purchase loads in the states and bring it back. I take an empty suitcase, actually. Take tags off of new clothes. That's the trick for me. If you are worried about breaking the law, wear them once over there. No longer new then, are they. As for everything else, I feel that I have nothing to declare and sail through everytime. If you are stopped, you may have to pay duty but you're still saving loads on what you buy so I feel that it's well worth it.

Tracy

So, in effect, I could argue that whatever I bring is over 6 months old?  Surely this isn't really what airport security are worried about anyway... thanks for the infos anyway, it's good to know that £145 figure anyway... so at least I could pick up stuff under that amount