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UK Residents How Are You Dealing With Brexit?

Roli

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Recently I've been speaking with 3 friends who have been particularly screwed by Brexit:

The first is in fashion and his supply and a portion of his customers are in mainland Europe and the extra taxes and tariffs are eating into his profits.

The second is a musician who plays a lot in mainland Europe and the length of time visa applications are taking means he is missing gigs therefore losing revenue.

The third has it worst, he sells vinyl as a side hustle and he has lost a whopping 75% of his business as most of his customers were European.

So I was wondering if there are others in similar situations who have found creative ways around it. I know some UK companies have registered (and moved) to Holland to get around it, interested to hear from others on here.
 
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Jobless

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I export goods to a UK company from the EU, and there was some confusion during brexit. Thankfully, we spoke and agreed to help each other in dealing with the extra procedures and cost that may be necessary to continue.

So far, the additional paperwork and cost of tariffs have not amounted to much, and the effect of Brexit therefore seem exaggerated.

In my mind, the real problem is with exporting from the UK to the EU. In that situation, it may be worth relocating the company. Small UK companies are in the same situation as many in the US have been, where it may be optimal to not sell to the EU, if the volume is small. My understanding is also that new problematic EU tax rules are on the horizon, where for example a UK/US company will need to directly report sales AND pay the import tax on behalf of the EU importer etc. Paperwork simply not worth it for small volume.

So the solutions I have seen is to 1. cease sales to EU customers (B2C), 2. Relocate if large EU customer base (B2C) 3. Experience strange tariff irregularities, cheat customs, etc. as UK authorities do not seem fully adapted yet to Brexit (B2B).

It also depends which countries in the EU are customers/suppliers, as there are differences.
 

MTF

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I used to buy some things from the UK but after my last (failed) purchase with issues with the customs (I was forced to send the shipment back as the fees to import it were too high) I simply switched to suppliers based in the EU. It seems to be the only real solution for those who sell a lot to EU clients.
 

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I used to order a lot from Amazon UK but after brexit I’ve switched to Amazon DE and other continental European webstores.

Customs here have gotten a lot stricter too. About 10 years ago I used to order a lot from the US and often the packages slipped through customs without intervention. It was a great time to order from the US as Euro was also very strong against Dollar. Nowadays all packages from outside the EU almost without exception get stopped in the customs and you have to pay duty and VAT.
 
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Roli

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DoingDeals

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I've heard Alibaba is ramping up in the European countries.
 

RazorCut

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I had a thought there might be mileage in setting up a distribution company in the EU that had 'partners' in the UK where sales made outside the UK could be supplied through the 3rd party who held stock. Much like a drop shipping business but the product owned by the UK company. Having products shipped directly from source to the EU if they are produced outside of the UK could make it viable. Could be run on a revenue share basis. Having multiple companies share a EU distribution base could make financial sense.
 
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Jobless

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My friend has lost 75% of his business. There is no exaggeration from here.
Sure, it has had a great effect on many. It is hard to distinguish though what is a direct effect of Brexit and what is caused by a lack of preparation.
 

Roli

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I had a thought there might be mileage in setting up a distribution company in the EU that had 'partners' in the UK where sales made outside the UK could be supplied through the 3rd party who held stock. Much like a drop shipping business but the product owned by the UK company. Having products shipped directly from source to the EU if they are produced outside of the UK could make it viable. Could be run on a revenue share basis. Having multiple companies share a EU distribution base could make financial sense.

I like that. It's kind of a progression of what I was talking about last night with the record guy. He actually has Austrian citizenship even though he has been here almost 50 years. So we were talking about setting up a registered address in Austria yet still posting the records from the UK.

However with this kind of dropshipping model could work well for my fashion guy.
 

Roli

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It is hard to distinguish though what is a direct effect of Brexit and what is caused by a lack of preparation.
No it isn't. A tax of 20% on all trade has happened directly because of Brexit. Ditto Euri forms, visas, and a multitude of red tape. None of that was there before Brexit.

Anyway, let's not get into the ins and outs, you sound like a supporter and I think it best we avoid conversing about that if you are. It has happened now, so I'm trying to focus on solutions.
 
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G

Guest-5ty5s4

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It's interesting - when Trump imposed tariffs on other countries, everyone cried.

But the EU imposes tariffs on other countries, and it's expected - and even cheered!

The EU should stop tariffs on the UK.
 

Roli

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It's interesting - when Trump imposed tariffs on other countries, everyone cried.

But the EU imposes tariffs on other countries, and it's expected - and even cheered!

The EU should stop tariffs on the UK.

This thread is about finding out new ways to deal with a bad situation. My feelings on the matter are clear and strong, yet I don't want this to turn into a pointless political debate.
 

Darren.P.R

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This thread is about finding out new ways to deal with a bad situation. My feelings on the matter are clear and strong, yet I don't want this to turn into a pointless political debate.
I am in the UK and own an events company. The lockdown left me unprepared and crushed really. I am now looking at new opportunity's. It would be good to network with you :)
 
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Roli

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I am in the UK and own an events company. The lockdown left me unprepared and crushed really. I am now looking at new opportunity's. It would be good to network with you :)

Yeah man, feel free to ping me a DM.
 

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