PIC distributor in UK and rest of Europe

[BobP]

If you buy a few components regularly. Just open an account with RS. You get free postage, no minimum order and 30 days to pay! You pay VAT on the purchase so tax man is not interested.

As Melanie has said they are expensive. But if only ordering a few chips the free postage offsets the cost.

Price aside it’s a great service to order and deliver next day. But I wouldn't want to order 10+ Pic chips from them!

Bob

[Luciano]

Hi,

http://dkc1.digikey.com/uk/digihome.html

Free shipping on order over £50!

Please read carefully the terms and conditions of sale.

Best regards,

Luciano

[Ioannis]

Hi Luciano.

I tried for the first time the Digikey and for an order of 200 euros I had to pay over 150 for import taxes at the custom clearance! So at least for me, I prefer only from within EC countries. In Italy, aren't there any import taxes from countries outside EC borders?

Ioannis

[AndrewC]

Some good suggestions, and good points. Especially inside Europe local laws can really handicap you. For instance you can't just pretend to be a business in Belgium to become an RS customer - they need your VAT and business registration. Buying from the US can be ridiculous when importing to Belgium - even if they don't change you any VAT they will levy a Eur10 inspection fee.

I'm a little bit fortunate in that I finally found the one (?) electronics shop in Belgium who has a reasonable range and can usually suggest alternatives.

Digikey and Futurelectronics are great - if you are US based.

Anyway - getting off track a little bit And to solve my original problem, i'll just go to a 16F777 which I can get locally. I was just looking for the smallest and cheapest controller with 3 hardware PWM modules for controlling some LEDs.

[Luciano]

Hi,


20% VAT in Italy, 17.5% in the UK. (Situation at 1st July 2008).

Digikey UK:
http://dkc1.digikey.com/uk/en/mkt/Terms.html
(See 5 Pricing and Product Information and 9 Tax)

====================

European Union:

Here are the VAT rates applied in the member states of the European community:
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs...t_rates_en.pdf

====================


United States of America:

US State Sales Tax Rates - 2008
http://www.usa-sales-use-tax-e-comme...ales_rates.asp

Sales Tax on the Internet: Who Pays It, Who Doesn't
http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/obje...1/277/167/ART/
(Read the 3 pages).

Best regards,

Luciano

[Luciano]

Hi Luciano.

I tried for the first time the Digikey and for an order of 200 euros I had to pay over 150 for import taxes
at the custom clearance! So at least for me, I prefer only from within EC countries.
In Italy, aren't there any import taxes from countries outside EC borders?

Ioannis

Hi Ioannis,

Make sure you order from your "local" Digikey.
(Example for the UK http://uk.digikey.com).

If you are based in the UK and you order from the Digi-Key's UK
catalogue and UK Web site, (http://uk.digikey.com), the prices are
in the British pound sterling and includes all duties. VAT of 17.5%,
along with any applicable brokerage fees, will be due at time of delivery.

If you are based in the UK and you order from the Digi-Key's US
catalogue (www.digikey.com) in US currency, then you are responsible
for all shipping costs, duties, tariffs, brokerage fees, and VAT, if applicable.

Note that your order will be shipped from the US even if you order from
your "local" Digi-Key.

* * *

In Italy the VAT is 20%.

Best regards,

Luciano

[Ioannis]

Note that your order will be shipped from the US even if you order from
your "local" Digi-Key.

Exactly that is the problem here in Greece. If the shipping is from a country outside EC, then except the VAT, there are import taxes at the customs office. Unfortunately, Digikey, does not have a local office to ship goods.

Ioannis