Q: Visiting USA from UK. Should I buy my Macbook?
I live in the UK but am visiting New York next week. I am in the market for a new MacBook Pro (Retina) and they seem to be cheaper in USA than they are here. Are there any negatives in buying the Macbook while I'm away?
Many & various
Posted on Mar 18, 2015 3:44 AM
Thanks to everyone. I have already spoken to HMRC (revenue & customs) in the UK and established that there will be no import duty (having established the tariff classification code for laptops). I will be charged VAT at 20% but this is a purchase for my business and my company is VAT registered so I will be able to claim back the VAT.
HOWEVER
When I first started to look at this I was unable to get to the US AppleStore price because it kept taking me to the UK site whenever I wanted a price. But I got to the actual US price today and the new 15" MBP I want in UK is £1665 (ex VAT), but in the US they are $2499. So with the exchange rate sitting at 1.47 it turns out that the MacBook is currently a little cheaper for me to buy in the UK.
Posted on Mar 19, 2015 9:36 AM