Can I get a vat refund on an item sold by a private seller to me?

[spitra-0]

Hello I bought a phone from somebody in the UK and I live in Jersey the Channel Islands where there is no VAT applicable however there were no deductions on the order for VAT although I did get charged in additional amount for GST.

So my query is because the person who sold the phone must have already paid VAT when they bought it in the UK, shouldn't I be entitled a refund?

Thanks in advance.

[tobiasd4]

That is between you and CI tax authority, ebay won't refund you.

[papso22]

Whether the person in the UK who sold it to you paid VAT on their purchase is irrelevant to the question of whether you need to pay whatever import VAT is chargeable in Jersey.

A private UK seller is not able to charge normal sales VAT, so there was none of that included in the selling price, so nothing to refund.  

[spitra-0]

Thanks for the update.
Are you sure about that?

[spitra-0]

But surely when the private Ebayer bought the item in the UK, it had VAT
charged in it?

[tommystrezures]

Yes it would have vat included from new. But you have bought a second hand item. So you would not have been charged vat on that basis. GST of 5% (I think) on all sales to jersey on de minimis value is about £60 including postage. Jersey is a crown dependency so you have obviously your own fiscal sovereignty rules.