Hey Lida, 

I don't know about getting the tax back in case of returns. But i do know the tax on low-value delivered from the UK (like clothes or books from amazon) is sometimes charged, and sometimes isn't. I often order books from amazon uk, and the value is similar most times. For a bizzare reason sometimes I'm charged import tax, and sometimes not. I guess it's a question of coming up on their random checks or something. 

Thank you, Nir!

I just ordered some clothes for GBP 275  and not sure that all of them would suit me. As the tax invoice this time could be approximately CHF 100 I'm a bit worried about the question 

Be careful if you order via a courier. I got something valued at around 80CHF delivered by DHL. There was VAT to pay, plus a customs charge of 10 CHF plus a random DHL admin charge of around 50 CHF. About double the price of the original goods.

When I order cd`s from Amazon you can mark a field saying "send as gift". Once I forgot and I had to pay import tax, all the other times I didn`t.

If I were you I`d contact the company you order from and ask them what they can do.

I think the difference is when you order it as "gift" there is no invoice in the package.

You must have missed the small lines then. The company you ordered at should take care of shipping charges, unless noted differently. I have never heard of something like that. I would in such case re-read the company shipping method on their site. If you shouldnt pay for it, refuse it and have your credit card company transfer the money back.

There's a certain value at which you are charged. I think it's around CHF70, but I'm not entirely sure.

I found this with a quick Google search:

(more detailed info on web pag:

http://www.post.ch/en/post-startseite/post-geschaeftskunden/post-printmedien/post-printmedien-distribution-international/post-kontakt-beratung-printmedien/post-faq-uebersicht-printmedien/post-faq-zoll-mwst-import-printmedien.htm#txt32980

-------------------------------------

In principle, every item sent from abroad is subject to customs duties and VAT.

There is no special exemption limit like that allowed for passengers carrying goods with them, only a duty-exemption limit.

Accordingly, customs duties and VAT are not charged if the amount calculated is less than CHF 5 for each customs declaration.

Furthermore, gifts mailed from individuals living abroad to individuals in Switzerland are duty-exempt up to a value of CHF 100. Goods purchased on the Internet do not satisfy these conditions and are subject to duty in accordance with the general provisions.

The maximum values for VAT-exempt imports are:

It is not shipping but customs handling and is quite normal for DHL and Fedex as well as the Post but the Post is much less expensive. If you google the forums are full of complaints. The couriers have  a quasi monopoly and charge pretty much what they can get away with as adminstrative feeds, so much so that the Swiss Federal Govt has got involved and told them to limit what they charge.

A few links for you

http://konsumentenschutz.ch/medienmitteilungen/archive/2010/08/23/4148-unterschriften-gegen-den-zollgebuehren-wucher.html

http://www.englishforum.ch/daily-life/31673-dhl-import-duty.html

http://www.rcforum.ch/forum_posts.asp?TID=4829&PN=6

http://www.twentyniner.ch/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=2653

actually the 10CHF custom's charge has increase to 18 CHF last year. Items under 66CHF are free of VAT so don't suffer these charges.

I tend to find books/ cds etc around £20 are fine. Any larger orders - clothes, etc - are charged at the 8% import tax (converted at a rate of around 1 gbp :1.80 chf - theiving b@stards ) plus around 20-25chf "admin" fee.

Most shops in the UK cannot write "gift" on the package as its against the law to knowly do so to avoid paying import tax - however, I have yet to ask if I can sent something to my girlfriend as a gift to the same address ;)

Remeber to make sure the UK shop takes the UK tax off the value of the goods before sending them to you. Asos dont do this anymore, so "effectively" charge 20% higher prices to non-Eu citizens.

DHL tried to charge me their admin fee plus tax on a box of my personal items (inc six year old scuba mask and snorkel) - I politely told them to go away after their second letter and havent heard anything back.   

"politely told them to go away and havent heard anything back"

Did you mean that you didnt pay the administration fee and the VAT? would that be even possible? how did you "politely told them to go away"? I mean, I dont mind paying the VAT and the duty, but for the crazy expensive administration fee?! it doesnt make any sense..

Befriend someone who lives as a frontalier across the border in France and get it delivered to them. A lot of our friends get their amazon.co.uk etc shopping delivered to us in France and skips the entire thing, well so far anyway and I've never been stopped at the CERN border....Trust me it was like a post office at xmas.

The following exemptions apply in principle (there are a few exceptions, for certain types of goods):

- When you order goods from abroad, there is in principle a Swiss VAT of 8% on any goods, except for gifts up to CHF 100. There could be a customs duty in addition if the goods are not of EU origin.

- When the travellers cross the border with goods, there is an exemption from Swiss VAT if the value of the goods does not exceed CHF 300.

- There are some other exemptions (for exemple for household furniture when someone is moving to Switzerland - subject to some conditions).

Per is spot on with the above points - thats the official rules.

I think I also read that they are not supposed to charge you Swiss VAT, when that VAT would be less than 5 chf, on items that are not gifts.