Charged duty for customer returned product

I run an ecommerce store and we sold a product to a customer in the US, unfortunately it needed returning due to a fault and UPS have charged us £135 to re-import our own stock (which we've paid duty on when originally imported to UK so we could sell it). Is there a way we can reclaim this duty as otherwise it means we've been hit twice for duty on the same product just because it's gone out of the country and back? Cheers

As a basic principal goods which leave the UK lose their duty paid status and will be treated as a new import when they are reimported as has happened in your case. To mitigate this you need to use a procedure called returned goods relief. When the goods come back the courier needs to be told to use this relief and they will probably need the outbound tracking number to prove prior export. Unfortunately it is not simply taken on trust that the item is being returned. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-less-import-duty-and-vat-when-re-importing-goods-to-the-uk-and-eu In this case you should be able to put in a reclaim request https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-apply-for-a-repayment-of-import-duty-and-vat-if-youve-overpaid-c285

Hi ,
 

If goods are returning to UK, you can request a refund based on return goods relief. See : Pay less import duty and VAT when re-importing goods to the UK  . Use form C285 if you believe the Customs Duty or import VAT was wrongly calculated on an item you imported by post using any other courier. See :   How to claim a repayment of import duty and VAT if you've overpaid  . Thank you .